Fight the Wiles

It is easy to get distracted by the things of this world that are going on around us.  One does not have to look too far to see that there are many things that are worth some attention.  The state of morality is definitely declining.  We are living in an age where good is being called evil, and evil is being accepted as good.  There is uncertainty in the financial world, as a collapse seems imminent, one wonders about the timing.

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:11 to "put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."  Wiles, (Grk; methodeia), are schemes that are intended to deceive and/or ensnare.  It would seem that one of the enemy's schemes is to distract God's people into focusing so much on what is happening in the natural world, that they (we) begin to fear the possibilities of fallout; to the extent that the battle begins, and is fought in the natural realm.  Ephesians 6 continues in verse 12 with "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."  The battle against the wiles is definitely a spiritual one, and should be fought in the realm of the spirit.

When we ignore the spiritual nature of our battles, it will often result in fear.  Fear of the enemy's potential, fear of his influence, or fear of the effects of both, can lead to becoming distracted to the point of falling into his traps.  Traps are hidden and meant to ensnare, keeping us distracted by the natural things.  One of his biggest traps is to distract us from doing battle where it matters most, in the realm of the spirit... in prayer!  The precaution to take in avoiding his wiles involves the armor of God.  "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Eph.6:13).

This does not mean that believer's should lie down and remain silent.  It does mean that when we stand and speak, it should line up with the realm of the spirit, being led by His Spirit.  Does it contain any evidence of faith, hope, and love?  Is the fruit of the Spirit evident when we move and/or speak?  If not, we must begin to question God's role in what we do and say, and what role He will take in our battles.

"When we ignore the spiritual nature of our battles, it will often result in fear."

I fight the urge to move in fear, out of love for my family and friends.  I do not want to see my children suffer from the world that a depraved society threatens to deliver them.  I do not want to see my friends suffer either; whether it be from financial struggles, torment, or persecution from an increasingly godless world.  I do realize; however, that when I succumb to these fears, the enemy wins that particular battle.  I am, and will continue, fighting the battle in the spirit to the best that I know how; in prayer.

Prayer to God and the proclamation of His Word leads to spiritual victory over the wiles!  It is vital that we win these battles in the realm of the spirit before we can effectively know the proper strategies for carrying out His plan for victory in the natural world.  It is difficult to act in accordance with what the Father wants when we are focused on carnal endeavors, or don't even ask Him what He wants.

Our weapon of choice should be "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (v.17)"  When I fall into the snare of fears, "I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust" (Psalm 91:2).  I will attempt to fight these snares by proclaiming, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2Timothy 1:7).  I will, in His strength, gain comfort in knowing "In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" Psalm 56:4

Remember that "the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3:3).  Even as you fight the wiles. 

Hope this helps,

PC

Grace for Grace

John 1:16 (NKJV) "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace."
[Grk] charin anti charitos = "Grace in place of grace"

Not only do we receive Him in full measure (Col 2:10), in Christ there is a love so full and complete that He gives His grace in waves measured with no lack. Before one wave of grace recedes, He replaces it with another one.  Whether or not your current state of mind acknowledges this, it is the truth if you are in Christ.  This state comes from washing you mind with the word of truth.  God has not given us the Holy Spirit in pieces here and there.  John 3:34 tells us that God does not give the Spirit by measure.  When we walk in the fullness of the Spirit, it is when our mind has overcome and aligned itself with the Word of God.

Grace Married Mercy

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," (Ephesians 2:4-6; NKJV)

God's grace is often defined in many ways. Undeserved favor works, however, the weight of His grace can be found in that "even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ." The demonstration of His grace is defined in His love. To think that He was willing, and did, die for us, even knowing that we were in the midst of our sins, going our own way, before we were even saved, goes against our mode of thinking. We are so used to rewarding those who have earned it and punishing those who deserve it. 

It is commonly said that life is not fair. I have to agree with this statement on account that in Christ, God has given me more than I deserve. Imagine for a moment if life was really fair. If we are honest with ourselves, especially those of us who believe, this should cause us to breathe a sigh of relief. For if we really received in proportion to our lives what we really deserved, life would be a lot more miserable than it may currently be. Enter mercy. His mercy is married to His grace. The grace we receive is an outpouring of His mercy. It is because of this mercy that we are seated (currently) with Him in heavenly places. His mercy triumphs over judgement (James 2:3).

If we are supposed to be like Him, what does this mean in this context. It means to show forgiveness not only to those who have asked for it, but to others, even if and when all they really deserve is our judgement. When we are merciful and graceful towards the "undeserving" we are demonstrating His love and thus being like Him. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Dying to ourselves may mean having a willingness to do it for the benefit of someone who does not deserve it. To show His love for others means to demonstrate grace married with mercy.

Thanks for your thoughts; hope this helps,

Chuck

Arguing for the Faith

"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their own craftiness'; and again, 'The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.'"
(I Corinthians 3:19 NKJV)

It's not always worth debating your convictions. If God leads you to a stream uninhabited by others, especially those who approach with worldly wisdom, be honored that He trusts you enough to bring them your way. We should not be abhorred by their presence. Debating spiritual principles with those NOT of the spirit, is a fruitless endeavor that, more often than not, assists them in becoming more convinced of their stance, even if it's blatantly wrong. Try loving them or, more appropriately, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you almost must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection." (Colossians 3:12-14 NKJV)

It is rare to experience a heated debate that results in the other person coming to the conclusion that "you know what, I think you're right!" Most of the time, both sides walk away more convinced of their position. But that's not all...both sides will also commonly leave the discussion further away from accepting the other position. If "the other position" happens to be the Gospel, or godly principles, arguing does not build the kingdom.

The way we present what we are convinced of will determine what the listener hears, many times, irrelevant of the words spoken. In this day and age, it is nearly impossible to sway public opinion when it's mixed with judgement and intolerance. Our battle is spiritual and is better left fought in the spirit, unless we can fight in the natural with conduct and speech that confirms the message we are trying to convey. Love and forgiveness (the Gospel) is rejected when it's served with a side order of hatred and judgement.

Hope this helps!

Chuck

Matthew 6:31-33

Matthew 6:31-33--"Therefore, do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

I was recently in a conversation with my son, talking about God's provision.  We were discussing the difference between needs and wants and what prosperity means in the eyes of God, that he supplies our needs, not always our wants.  A few days later, I was praying with the kids about our financial situation.  I was considering applying for food stamps.  When I shared with that same son that I was thinking about food stamps but didn't have complete peace about it because I thought that maybe God wanted to provide for us in a different way, he told me to, "Just wait, then, Mom."  I decided to hold off and wait a little longer.

Two days later (this past Sunday night) on our way home from church, I came to a wounded deer in the middle of the road.  She was alive and suffering.  Her nose had been ripped, and presumably she had some kind of brain damage as she wasn't moving her body except for banging her head on the ground and grunting.  I stopped and called the police.  The officer arrived and started trying to get the deer to move off the road.  He didn't want to have to shoot her.  Then, a hunter stopped to help.  The officer had told us we could have the deer meat if he had to kill her, but when the hunter came, I offered some to him.  He said we could have it all because we had gotten there first, to which I told him how thankful I was, that we have a family of 8, and the deer meat would definitely be appreciated! He helped the cop move the deer off the road and showed him where to shoot her for a clean kill.

When the officer asked me if I was going to be able to take care of the deer right then and there, I told him I had someone coming to help, and I thought we could maybe strap her to the roof of my van to move her. The hunter heard and offered to transport her to my mom's house in the back of his truck.  He then decided to field dress the deer right there on the side of the road before moving her, teaching our oldest son how to do it as he went along.  After taking her to my mom's, he decided to stay and "help"--meaning that he helped hang and then skinned the deer and cut off the feet and head by himself, again, teaching our son how to do it in the future.  I kept insisting that he take some of the meat, and he refused saying, "I only want to help!"  He then offered to take our oldest son hunting with him this year, and he told us we could bring some meat over to his house if we want him to make it into sausage or jerky because he loves doing that and has all the necessary equipment.

Incidentally, there was absolutely no damage to any of the meat because the deer was hit in the face by a car.  The cop shot her in between the ribs, so we didn't lose any meat at all to damage.  She was about 3 years old, so she was a good size.  We got quite a bit of meat from her (34 pounds-decent for a deer).  I am amazed at God's goodness.  What an awesome testimony to our children of the power of prayer and the provision of the Lord!  Not only did He provide food, but he provided a man to transport and prepare it.

I am reminded of I Kings 17.  The prophet Elijah had just given a harsh prophecy to Ahab, that God was stopping the rain and dew from the land, except by the word of Elijah.  God told Elijah to go hide from Ahab at the Brook Cherith.  As Elijah obeyed God, he was provided with water from the brook, and God caused ravens to bring him food.  When the brook dried up, God instructed Elijah again, telling him to go to a widow's house.  As he obeyed, he was provided with sustenance yet again, this time, through the widow.  The widow and her son were also provided for miraculously, as a result of her obedience in giving to the Lord's prophet, even as it appeared her own food had run out.  When her son fell ill and died, he was miraculously raised from the dead.

I also think of Matthew 6 and Luke 12.  We are told not to focus on material possessions or worry about what we will eat or wear.  He provides for the birds and flowers.  He provides for His creatures. We are much more important to Him than the flowers and birds.  If we focus on God's kingdom instead of on material gain, then He will provide our needs.  The key is to obey God and have faith in Him, following His leading and focusing on our relationship with Him.  As we understand and walk in our position as His children, we will begin to live with peace and not worry, and we will experience our Father's provision in our lives.

In Christ,
Lori