When Satan can no longer deceive us because we live by the truth of God’s word, and when he can no longer cause us to fall into temptation because we are righteous, he then turns to his third weapon of accusation. Because Satan cannot defeat us, he uses accusation to get Christians to battle against one another and change the focus of their fight.
The most subtle weapon in Satan’s arsenal is accusation. He is the master accuser. He accuses God, producing doubt. He accuses our fellow Christians, resulting in division. He accuses our spiritual leaders, creating gossip. He even accuses us to ourselves, causing condemnation.
God has given us the weapon of love to combat accusation. A person who lives in God’s love keeps no record of wrongs and is always willing to humble themselves in any relationship. A person who loves is willing to repent or forgive in order to reconcile.
“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!”” –Revelation 12:10-12
Stand Up and Fight
God has not left us defenseless. He has equipped us with spiritual weapons and spiritual armor so we can stand up and fight the devil. Through faith in Christ, we can walk in victory over every attack of our enemy.
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” -Ephesians 6:11-17
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Who is our Real Enemy? (Part 2)
For every wrong choice or bad decision we make, God gives us the opportunity to make the right choice or a good decision.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
Once we are able to see life through the lens of truth, we disable one of Satan’s chief methods of attack. When Satan is no longer able to deceive us, he turns to his weapon of temptation. If deception doesn’t work, Satan does not give up. He goes to plan-B, temptation.
One of Satan’s favorite methods of attack is temptation. But God has promised that we can have victory over temptation.
James 1:13-15 says, “13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
According to this passage of scripture, we have two enemies we must overcome. The first is Satan, and the second is our sinful nature. Temptation appeals to our evil desires as it tries to persuade us into wrongdoing by offering us some kind of pleasure or reward. Then, as we continue to imagine or think about the immediate pleasure or reward of our evil action, sin is conceived in our soul. Once sin is conceived, just like a baby in a mother’s womb, it will eventually grow to full term and have to be birthed. Then, after our evil desires are birthed or acted upon, they grow up and become the regular part of our behavior. Eventually, falling into temptation will lead us to death.
Anytime we fall into temptation, our hearts become hardened and our consciences become seared. With hard hearts and seared consciences, we are able to sin without any regret or remorse. The more we sin, the more we allow Satan to work his destructive agenda through our lives. For example, when we feed the evil desire of lust it leads to such sins as adultery, pedophilia and homosexuality. When we feed the evil desire of anger it leads to the sin of murder. When we feed the evil desire of greed it leads to living beyond our means (debt), jealousy and discontent.
God was given us the weapon of righteousness to combat temptation. The way we overcome temptation is by choosing to live a morally right, virtuous and law-abiding life. Righteousness is like a breastplate that guards our most vital organ—the heart.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place. Ephesians 6:14
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
Once we are able to see life through the lens of truth, we disable one of Satan’s chief methods of attack. When Satan is no longer able to deceive us, he turns to his weapon of temptation. If deception doesn’t work, Satan does not give up. He goes to plan-B, temptation.
One of Satan’s favorite methods of attack is temptation. But God has promised that we can have victory over temptation.
James 1:13-15 says, “13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
According to this passage of scripture, we have two enemies we must overcome. The first is Satan, and the second is our sinful nature. Temptation appeals to our evil desires as it tries to persuade us into wrongdoing by offering us some kind of pleasure or reward. Then, as we continue to imagine or think about the immediate pleasure or reward of our evil action, sin is conceived in our soul. Once sin is conceived, just like a baby in a mother’s womb, it will eventually grow to full term and have to be birthed. Then, after our evil desires are birthed or acted upon, they grow up and become the regular part of our behavior. Eventually, falling into temptation will lead us to death.
Anytime we fall into temptation, our hearts become hardened and our consciences become seared. With hard hearts and seared consciences, we are able to sin without any regret or remorse. The more we sin, the more we allow Satan to work his destructive agenda through our lives. For example, when we feed the evil desire of lust it leads to such sins as adultery, pedophilia and homosexuality. When we feed the evil desire of anger it leads to the sin of murder. When we feed the evil desire of greed it leads to living beyond our means (debt), jealousy and discontent.
God was given us the weapon of righteousness to combat temptation. The way we overcome temptation is by choosing to live a morally right, virtuous and law-abiding life. Righteousness is like a breastplate that guards our most vital organ—the heart.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place. Ephesians 6:14
Monday, July 14, 2008
Who is our Real Enemy?
Have you ever felt at times in your life there is some invisible force working against you? Well, there is and his name is Satan.
Our real enemy is not God or people, it is Satan.
1 Peter 5:8, 9 says, “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
The devil, or Satan, is a spiritual being totally committed to keeping us from living for the glory and pleasure of God. His goal is to divert glory from God to himself or to others. The devil, our enemy, has three main weapons he uses against God’s people.
The first weapon Satan uses is deception.
In 2 Corinthians 11:3 Apostle Paul writes, “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
The key to winning any battle is to identify the enemy. Satan has three advantages over humans in the war for souls. First, he is invisible. Second, he is a master of disguise. And third, many people don’t even believe he exits.
Do you remember the hit movie, Predator? The Predator was able to easily claim his human trophies because the people did not even know he was preying upon them. Once, they realized that there was an enemy in the jungle; it was difficult to wage warfare against the Predator because he was able to make himself invisible by blending in with the environment.
One of the greatest deception traps that people fall into is the belief that Satan is not real. This gives him an incredible advantage to work his demonic schemes in the lives of people. Like the alien in the movie Predator, Satan is able to reap havoc on humanity without people even realizing they are under attack. He also disguises his schemes through a world system that is driven by selfish ambition. Many people live on the treadmill of life pursuing the “things of the world” that never satisfy. Also, many people believe the deceptive philosophies and false religions that Satan purports.
God has given us the weapon of truth to defeat the deceptive schemes of the enemy. The belt of truth holds all other weapons as we engage Satan in battle. Jesus said, “The truth will set us free.” Only truth can deliver us from the bondage of an incorrect belief system. The way to keep free from deception is to stay in God’s word and stay in fellowship with God’s people.
Do you believe in absolute truth and do you believe the devil is real? Let me know what you think.
Our real enemy is not God or people, it is Satan.
1 Peter 5:8, 9 says, “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
The devil, or Satan, is a spiritual being totally committed to keeping us from living for the glory and pleasure of God. His goal is to divert glory from God to himself or to others. The devil, our enemy, has three main weapons he uses against God’s people.
The first weapon Satan uses is deception.
In 2 Corinthians 11:3 Apostle Paul writes, “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
The key to winning any battle is to identify the enemy. Satan has three advantages over humans in the war for souls. First, he is invisible. Second, he is a master of disguise. And third, many people don’t even believe he exits.
Do you remember the hit movie, Predator? The Predator was able to easily claim his human trophies because the people did not even know he was preying upon them. Once, they realized that there was an enemy in the jungle; it was difficult to wage warfare against the Predator because he was able to make himself invisible by blending in with the environment.
One of the greatest deception traps that people fall into is the belief that Satan is not real. This gives him an incredible advantage to work his demonic schemes in the lives of people. Like the alien in the movie Predator, Satan is able to reap havoc on humanity without people even realizing they are under attack. He also disguises his schemes through a world system that is driven by selfish ambition. Many people live on the treadmill of life pursuing the “things of the world” that never satisfy. Also, many people believe the deceptive philosophies and false religions that Satan purports.
God has given us the weapon of truth to defeat the deceptive schemes of the enemy. The belt of truth holds all other weapons as we engage Satan in battle. Jesus said, “The truth will set us free.” Only truth can deliver us from the bondage of an incorrect belief system. The way to keep free from deception is to stay in God’s word and stay in fellowship with God’s people.
Do you believe in absolute truth and do you believe the devil is real? Let me know what you think.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Get Cut (Part 3)
The third characteristic of “getting cut” is delight.
Psalm 1:1-3 says, “1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
Job is an example of a man who prospered because he delighted in God’s word. Job 23:12 says, “12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” During a conversation with Satan, God had such confidence in Job to do the right thing that he referred him to the evil one. Job 1:8 says, “8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Through hardships and trials it was the foundation of God’s word in Job’s life that sustained him.
Jeremiah was used by God to proclaim judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem, and yet he was also a prophet of hope, proclaiming oracles of salvation. Why did God use Jeremiah to be His mouthpiece? Jeremiah 15:16 gives us the answer to this question. It says, “16 When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.” Jeremiah was a man who delighted in God’s word.
Joshua was a man used by God to do mighty exploits, and lead the Israelites on the quest to possess the promise land. Before stepping foot on his new territory, God gave Joshua the key to his future success. And guess what; it was rooted in obedience to God’s word. Joshua 1:6-8 says, “6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Jesus resisted temptation and drove his enemy away from Him by quoting scripture as He responded to the devil’s enticements. Three times Jesus reminded the devil about God’s will by saying, “it is written”. Jesus not only recited Scripture, but He lived it also (Matthew 4:1-11).
All of these men did amazing things in their generation because they delighted in God’s word. What do you do when you wake up and realize that you hunger and thirst for God? You become a person of significance and a world changer!
God‘s word is as important to the nourishment of your soul and spirit as food is to your physical body.
Psalm 1:1-3 says, “1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
Job is an example of a man who prospered because he delighted in God’s word. Job 23:12 says, “12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” During a conversation with Satan, God had such confidence in Job to do the right thing that he referred him to the evil one. Job 1:8 says, “8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Through hardships and trials it was the foundation of God’s word in Job’s life that sustained him.
Jeremiah was used by God to proclaim judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem, and yet he was also a prophet of hope, proclaiming oracles of salvation. Why did God use Jeremiah to be His mouthpiece? Jeremiah 15:16 gives us the answer to this question. It says, “16 When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.” Jeremiah was a man who delighted in God’s word.
Joshua was a man used by God to do mighty exploits, and lead the Israelites on the quest to possess the promise land. Before stepping foot on his new territory, God gave Joshua the key to his future success. And guess what; it was rooted in obedience to God’s word. Joshua 1:6-8 says, “6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Jesus resisted temptation and drove his enemy away from Him by quoting scripture as He responded to the devil’s enticements. Three times Jesus reminded the devil about God’s will by saying, “it is written”. Jesus not only recited Scripture, but He lived it also (Matthew 4:1-11).
All of these men did amazing things in their generation because they delighted in God’s word. What do you do when you wake up and realize that you hunger and thirst for God? You become a person of significance and a world changer!
God‘s word is as important to the nourishment of your soul and spirit as food is to your physical body.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Get Cut (Part 2)
The second characteristic is discipline in God’s Word.
Acts 17:11 says, “11Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
Luke makes it a point to draw attention to two magnificent qualities of the Bereans. First, they had a desire, or eagerness, for God word. Second, they had a discipline that led them to examine the Scriptures everyday. They did not just rely on the preaching of Paul. They learned how to read and study the word on their own. The Bereans were not satisfied to live on Apostle Paul’s faith; instead, they demonstrated nobility of character and maturity by feeding themselves on God’s word.
It is impossible to maintain greatness in any activity without discipline. The Berean’s eagerness (desire) led to their discipline of examination. Tiger’s love for golf results in countless hours of practice. Even after playing great rounds of golf, he has been known to stay on the driving range until dark perfecting his swing.
In his first and second book to Timothy, Apostle Paul exhorted his spiritual son to be a man of discipline and conscientious study. 1 Timothy 4:7 says, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly." In a world where there are many philosophies competing against the will of God, just like in the days of Timothy, it is imperative that we are trained and equipped with a Biblical worldview.
2 Timothy 2:15 says, “15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” He also reminded Timothy about the importance and purpose of Scripture. 2 Timothy 2:16-17 says, “16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
One day while working out, I began to think about all the hours I have trained trying to attain those illusive six-pack of abs. Instantly, I became convicted about the fact that I had spent more time conditioning my body than strengthening my soul and spirit. Also, the reality that my physical body is “wasting away” daily made my out of balance regimen even more troubling. It was in this moment that I added spiritual disciplines to my daily workout routine.
While riding the bike, I read my Bible for twenty minutes. After riding the bike, I do the elliptical machine for seven minutes. This is enough time to read a Psalm, a Proverb, 2-4 chapters in the Old Testament, one chapter in the New Testament, and memorize one verse of Scripture. Then, I finish my cardio workout by running 5-10 minutes on the indoor track. While running, I pray the Lord’s prayer, meditate on what I just read in the Bible, and recite my memory verse in my head. In 2006, this discipline allowed me to read the Bible in a year, and memorize 1 John, 2 Timothy, James, 1 Peter, Philippians and Ephesians. Before this, I used to doubt I could memorize one scripture a week. This year I have already read the Bible through Deuteronomy and I have memorized 3 John, Luke 17:1-10, Hebrews 11, Matthew 7:24-27 and Romans 8.
I am convinced that the key to my consistency in my walk with the Lord is my diligence to read, study, memorize and meditate on God’s word. I am being regenerated inwardly day by day as God’s word transforms me and renews my mind. After seventeen years of being a Christian, I have not “lost that loving feeling.” I have often hoped that I would run into that lady during my travels and let her observe me still reading God’s word and still excited to gain wisdom and revelation about my Lord.
My workout routine is how I tell my body who is the boss. What do you do when you wake up and realize that you don’t hunger and thirst for God? You tell your body who is the boss! God‘s word is as important to the nourishment of your soul and spirit as food is to your physical body.
Stay tuned for part 3.
Acts 17:11 says, “11Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
Luke makes it a point to draw attention to two magnificent qualities of the Bereans. First, they had a desire, or eagerness, for God word. Second, they had a discipline that led them to examine the Scriptures everyday. They did not just rely on the preaching of Paul. They learned how to read and study the word on their own. The Bereans were not satisfied to live on Apostle Paul’s faith; instead, they demonstrated nobility of character and maturity by feeding themselves on God’s word.
It is impossible to maintain greatness in any activity without discipline. The Berean’s eagerness (desire) led to their discipline of examination. Tiger’s love for golf results in countless hours of practice. Even after playing great rounds of golf, he has been known to stay on the driving range until dark perfecting his swing.
In his first and second book to Timothy, Apostle Paul exhorted his spiritual son to be a man of discipline and conscientious study. 1 Timothy 4:7 says, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly." In a world where there are many philosophies competing against the will of God, just like in the days of Timothy, it is imperative that we are trained and equipped with a Biblical worldview.
2 Timothy 2:15 says, “15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” He also reminded Timothy about the importance and purpose of Scripture. 2 Timothy 2:16-17 says, “16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
One day while working out, I began to think about all the hours I have trained trying to attain those illusive six-pack of abs. Instantly, I became convicted about the fact that I had spent more time conditioning my body than strengthening my soul and spirit. Also, the reality that my physical body is “wasting away” daily made my out of balance regimen even more troubling. It was in this moment that I added spiritual disciplines to my daily workout routine.
While riding the bike, I read my Bible for twenty minutes. After riding the bike, I do the elliptical machine for seven minutes. This is enough time to read a Psalm, a Proverb, 2-4 chapters in the Old Testament, one chapter in the New Testament, and memorize one verse of Scripture. Then, I finish my cardio workout by running 5-10 minutes on the indoor track. While running, I pray the Lord’s prayer, meditate on what I just read in the Bible, and recite my memory verse in my head. In 2006, this discipline allowed me to read the Bible in a year, and memorize 1 John, 2 Timothy, James, 1 Peter, Philippians and Ephesians. Before this, I used to doubt I could memorize one scripture a week. This year I have already read the Bible through Deuteronomy and I have memorized 3 John, Luke 17:1-10, Hebrews 11, Matthew 7:24-27 and Romans 8.
I am convinced that the key to my consistency in my walk with the Lord is my diligence to read, study, memorize and meditate on God’s word. I am being regenerated inwardly day by day as God’s word transforms me and renews my mind. After seventeen years of being a Christian, I have not “lost that loving feeling.” I have often hoped that I would run into that lady during my travels and let her observe me still reading God’s word and still excited to gain wisdom and revelation about my Lord.
My workout routine is how I tell my body who is the boss. What do you do when you wake up and realize that you don’t hunger and thirst for God? You tell your body who is the boss! God‘s word is as important to the nourishment of your soul and spirit as food is to your physical body.
Stay tuned for part 3.
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