Spiritual warfare #5

 Today’s spiritual warfare lesson is the claim that Satan can fill the heart of the believer. We see this in Acts 5:3, “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?” [ESV]

 

This example shows a man (and his wife) who decided to lie. Because they lied, they died. The issue was not that they kept back part of the sale of the land. Why did this happen? Barnabas had sold a field and given it to the church to care for the needs of others (see Acts 4:31). My suspicion is that Ananias and his wife perceived this gave Barnabas status and decided to follow suit. Or maybe they wanted to genuinely help others but did not want to give everything. What matters is these two are believers whom Peter identifies as “Satan filled your heart.” What does this mean?

 

The word translated as “fill” is the same word used for the filling of the Holy Spirit in Acts 4:31. We know Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44). When a believer lies, it’s a very dark place to be and a dangerous thing to do. Paul states in Romans 8:13 – 14, “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” [NIV]

 

Think about this for a moment. Every one of us will die physically, so that’s not what Paul is telling the Romans. Paul generally refers to death as “spiritual” death. Meaning being separated from God and subject to eternal Hell (see Romans 6:23).

 

Now we wade into deep theological waters. Does that mean Ananias lost his salvation? The Bible does not tell us, either way, so it is not legitimate for us to ask/answer that question. The Bible does tell us that he was influenced by the devil to the point that Peter uses the same word for being “filled” with the Holy Spirit.

 

Maybe you can identify with Paul when he states, “So I find that, as a rule, when I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me.” [Romans 7:21 CEB] For some reason God has allowed His people to struggle with sin and the mind behind sin, Satan. 

I think this does several things. First, it keeps us dependent on the Holy Spirit to fill us with the power (the ability) to overcome evil. Second, it makes us VESTED in our spiritual walk. This demonstrates the present and future benefits of our salvation. Finally, it reminds us that we are vulnerable and fatally flawed in our own strength. And that should keep us close to our Shepherd (Jesus). 

Spiritual warfare #4

One of the most dangerous teachings of the American church is “eternal security.” It’s dangerous because reduced to a mantra, it is misunderstood. It’s dangerous because it doesn’t line up with the Bible without serious mental gymnastics. It’s dangerous because it avoids the clear teaching of Scripture concerning basic spiritual dangers.

 

Maybe worst of all, the unexamined doctrine is dangerous because it ignores the potential impact of Satanic activity. Paul noted in 1 Timothy 5:15, “For some have already strayed after Satan.” Specifically, Paul advised the church on how to deal with widows in the church. Paul notes that some of the younger widows have “strayed after Satan.”

 

Satan wants to separate believers from Jesus and God. The word translated “strayed” means to turn aside [NIV]. It is a word picture of someone who walks behind someone. Just so we have a clear picture of what it means “to stray,” Jesus used the same word in Matthew 16:24. “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (ESV)

 

Make no mistake: We are safe in Christ. However, we cannot be blind to the warnings and indulge the sinful passions of our sinful nature. Paul warned the Roman believers, "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." [Romans 8:13 NIV] Why would Paul give the Roman church this warning, if it were not possible to spiritually die?

 

Perhaps the confusion comes because we are “message-oriented” (saying the correct words) or “method-oriented” (following the correct method) instead of “model-oriented (being like Jesus). [This idea comes from Dan Spader, “Walk Like Jesus] Just saying the correct things (theology) and following the correct methods (programs) does not make a person (or church) like Jesus.

 

Whom are you walking behind? If you are not walking behind Jesus, then you are walking behind Satan. 

Spiritual warfare #3

 There are five ways to understand God. Some deny God’s existence (atheism). Others dislike or reject God (agnostic). Others would ignore God (secularism). Some think that God exists but does not get involved (deism). Then there are those who believe that God interacts with humanity (theism). In the study of spiritual warfare, I am assuming the existence of a personal God who interacts with us. I also believe there is a personal devil who is a god-pretender and a bitter enemy of humanity.

 

Whether we like it or not, Satan (formerly called Lucifer) has abilities many Christians would ignore. Sometimes this is done by denial, and sometimes this is done by deliberately being ignorant. The thought process in denial is “proven” by 1 John 4:4, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” [NLT]

 

What John is saying is accurate. However, our interpretation of it is not true. Sticking our heads in the sand or saying “it ain’t so” doesn’t change the facts. Satan does have many ways to make life difficult for the Christian. Before I get into the next one, let me remind you that the enemy of your soul is on a leash. The devil can only go so far, as allowed by God, for your benefit. It stinks to think God would allow a dangerous adversary to cause His children problems, but let’s look at one of those abilities.

 

Satan can cause incurable illnesses and pain. 2 Corinthians 12:7 records Paul’s struggle, "So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited." Notice the point that this illness, caused by a satanic agent (traditional understanding of "messenger") was allowed to keep Paul from becoming proud.

 

Paul prayed three times for this to go away (see 2 Corinthians 12:8). Then Paul records the lessons he has learned. 2 Corinthians 12:9a, Paul states, “He said to me, “My grace is enough for you because power is made perfect in weakness.” [CEB] One annoying tendency is to steal God’s glory by thinking that we have somehow accomplished something through our hard work and intelligence. Paul would rather that “Christ’s power can rest on me.” [2 Corinthians 12:9c CEB]

 

The next reason is that Paul learned to be content: “Therefore, I’m all right with weaknesses, insults, disasters, harassments, and stressful situations for the sake of Christ.” [2 Corinthians 12:10a CEB] Too many of us lash out at anything that disturbs us. We end up thrashing against the will of God.

 

Finally, Paul’s tagline for this illness is, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." [2 Corinthians 12:10b ESV] The word translated as "strong" gives the sense of "absolute." Imagine this: The enemy of your soul causes physical and emotional anguish only to watch God make you invincible.

Spiritual warfare #2

 Spiritual warfare #2

 

Christian mythology (a.k.a. “theology”) has created a toothless, clawless, and witless devil. Let me remind the reader that ultimately, Satan is defeated. He has only the ability that God allows. That does not mean he is not dangerous.

 

Paul tells us to know Satan’s tactics so we will not be outwitted (see 2 Corinthians 2:11). Let’s look at what Satan can do to a church. Believe it or not, Satan can HINDER the ministry. Paul noted, "For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked [hindered, prevented, obstructed] our way." [1 Thessalonians 2:18 NIV] The word translated "blocked" has also been translated "hindered," "prevented," and "obstructed."

 

Paul was not the only one hindered by Satan. Jesus also experienced the hindering abilities of Satan. "But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." [Matthew 16:23 ESV] Let that sink into your thinking. Jesus recognized Satan’s hindrance. If Jesus was unable to escape active satanic hindrance, what makes us think we can escape it?

 

In Paul’s case, he was hindered by prison. In Jesus’ case, the hindrance was the words of a person. My suspicion is that Peter did not mean to hinder Jesus. Rather, Satan used Peter. It’s hard enough to deal with hostile external forces, but when considering the hindering influence that can come from internal sources, the task becomes very difficult.

 

When the church works to influence people, evangelize, or speak truth, the process can be stolen. Jesus told His disciples a story and then explained it to them. In Mark 4:15 we read, "This is the meaning of the seed that fell on the path: When the word is scattered and people hear it, right away Satan comes and steals the word that was planted in them." [CEB] When someone hears the truth about Jesus, the enemy of our soul will do whatever is necessary to keep that seed from growing roots.

 

While it may not seem threatening, the ability to hinder church leaders and churches is discouraging for the health of the church in the long run. The ability to make the worker’s efforts fruitless has a discouraging effect. Discouragement is disruptive and can nudge some towards unwise actions and thoughts. The end of this disruption may be the destruction of a church leader, worker, or the church itself. 

Spiritual warfare #1

January 31 2023

 

Christians are drawn to myth. When we enter the realm of the spiritual, physical beings are stuck trying to understand something beyond their ability to understand. For truth, we need to turn to the pages of the Bible rather than trusting our myths. One myth is that the enemy of our soul, the devil, cannot touch us.

 

If you carefully read the Bible, another picture emerges. It is accurate to believe that Satan is on a leash and can only do what God allows. It is also accurate to understand that our lives are under fire from this adversary. Unless we accept unbiblical mythology, we are not unaware (ignorant) of Satan's schemes and devices. The Bible tells us, "so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs." [2 Corinthians 2:11 ESV]

 

Before we can understand Satan’s tactics, we must realize that we are in serious jeopardy. Underestimating his abilities and resources is a recipe for misery. On the other hand, we do not have to live in fear. I will cover several of our resources at the end of our series. Let’s take an honest look at the risk we face.

 

Peter warns, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." [1 Peter 5:8 ESV] Why would Peter issue this warning? Because this is a reality. There are generally two circumstances under which a lion will roar when it comes to a meal. First, the lion will roar as it attacks to disorient the prey. Second, the lion will roar after the kill to alert competitors to stay away. When we sense danger, as we should, the attack has already begun or has just finished successfully.

 

Paul advised, "In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;" [Ephesians 6:16 ESV] Paul is describing the various pieces of armor available to the believer when fighting spiritually. He notes the evil one, our enemy, is attacking with "flaming darts." Paul would only give this advice if he believed, as directed by the Holy Spirit, that Satan (the evil one) was on the attack. 

 

In battle, the lion is in close quarters. This melee tactic involves confusion and brute strength. Flaming darts are an image of the Roman plumbata. This was essentially a short spear and a short-range weapon. While the front lines were engaged in a melee, those behind the lines could make use of these to clear out those that would reinforce those engaged in battle.

 

Satanic attacks can be direct, brutal, close-quarter melees, or they can be sneaky attacks that seem to come out of nowhere while we are engaged with something else. Next time we will look at how Satan can attack a church and its work. 

Detox for the soul #2

April 21, 2020

Today is Tuesday. I normally take Tuesday off, but I promised a follow up yesterday. (Thank you "K" ;)

To know how to detox from sin, we must understand what the toxin is and how it works. How did the devil lure, entice, and seduce Eve? I am sol glad you asked!!!

Genesis 3:6 describes the divide between eternal life and physical and spiritual death. “The woman saw that the tree was beautiful with delicious food and that the tree would provide wisdom, so she took some of its fruit and ate it, and also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” [Genesis 3:6 CEB] The divide occurs with disobedience.

Eve rated the tree and its fruit as “beautiful.” Another way to put it, “it was a delight to the eyes.” [ESV] The eyes are a problem because what you see is not always what it is. Magicians often fool the eye with repetitive hand movements. They will toss a ball in the air several times, then finally hold the ball while making the throwing motion. The mind will see a ball in the air when there is really nothing. Eve’s imagination kicked into gear, giving her permission to disregard God’s word. Paul advised the carnal minded Corinthian believers to break this habit, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” [2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT, CEB, NIV, etc..]

Eve judged the fruit of the tree as “delicious.” Once the imagination is ignited the cravings of the body can be set in motion. In the world of fine dining there are three keys to making a good meal according to one top chef: “presentation, presentation, presentation.” If the eyes see an ordinary meal dressed up, the mind will elevate the expected and possibly realized taste. Eve fell for a bait and switch, she anticipated what the experience would be, and was conned out of a loving relationship with her world, her husband, and her God. Throughout the Bible, when referring to God, the sequence is flipped. “Taste and see that the LORD is good.” [Psalm 34:8 NIV, NLT, BSB, ESV, KJV, CSB, ISV, etc…] 

Eve, finally, determined the fruit would give her the wisdom she desired. Once the cravings of the body take hold, foolish desires kick into gear. The reasoning process has become interrupted by the desires (craving, lust) of the eye and flesh. The mind is attacked. King Solomon, who learned the hard way, advised, “Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life.” [Proverbs 4:23 CEV]

Our desires (cravings, lusts) expose, measure, and determine the heart’s path. Point them in the right direction and we are safe. Allow ourselves to be distracted, and we are into the ditch. 

The toxin is sin. Genesis 3 is where John came up with the toxin's  formula, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” [1 John 2:16 NLT]

The power of desire is the destruction of reality. What is left is a construct. Adam and Eve already knew good and evil. To obey God is good. To disobey God is evil. They had each other in a beautiful world, they had rightful stewardship of a beautiful world, and they walked physically with God every day in a beautiful world. What more could one want? The real desire (craving, lust) they fell to was “…you will be like God…” [Genesis 3:5] Ever since this event, humans have either played god or tried to invented a god (or gods). At that moment, in that act, catastrophe struck with one rebellious act.

Notice Adam was “with her” in Genesis 3:6. In the Hebrew, it means Adam was physically present during Eve’s conversation with Satan. Adam failed to correct an error, raise an objection to a lie, or take a big stick to the serpent. When Eve offered him the fruit, he ate. He ate knowing he was violating the one, and only, law God had given him. He ate knowing the consequences. Eve was tricked, Adam sinned willfully. Sin spread like a plague with an 100% infection rate and an 100% mortality rate. “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” [Romans 5:12 NLT] 

The consequences for Adam and the rest of humanity are catastrophic. What are those catastrophic consequences? I’m glad you asked!!! Tune in tomorrow.

Detox for the soul

April 20, 2020

Today is Monday. As Americans, we traditionally think of it as the beginning of the week. Beginnings can be scary. At the beginning of any new adventure things can go wrong. Typically, because we are seeing, listening, and believing faulty sources.

When we think of humanity, from a theological point of view, the “first impression” I have is “sin.” Sin, in the Bible is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, sin refers to our “sinful nature.” As a verb, sin refers to what we do (commit) or what we do NOT do (omit) that violates the law of God. This “sinful nature” is inherited from Adam, the first man.

“The Fall” is descriptive of the event that brought all humanity under condemnation and chained us to the self-destructive sinful nature. Simply put, sin is toxic. How do we detoxify ourselves from sin? I am so glad you asked!!!

Speaking about “the Fall,” John Wesley suggested self-will (selfishness) leads to foolish desires. James put it this way, “Everyone is tempted by their own cravings; they are lured away and enticed by them. Once those cravings conceive, they give birth to sin; and when sin grows up, it gives birth to death.” [James 1:14 – 15 CEB] When we exercise unbelief, rebellion, and pride; we put our desires above what is right. Wherever there is sin, there is selfishness. These “cravings” start a chain reaction resulting in sin and death (both spiritual and physical). Or as another translation puts it, “Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead.” [James 1:5 CEV]

When Adam sinned, the divine moral image (the "imago dei" for the scholars out there) was lost, rendering us unable to love and obey God as we are designed to do. Our refusal to return God’s love is at the heart of Wesley’s description of the fall of humanity into sin. We become like the ungrateful child, who rather than thinking about the free food, the free clothes, the free place to stay; become focused on what we perceive to be limits place on us. We do not understand God has built the fence to section off the dangerous, harmful, and toxic things of life. God's desire is to keep us safe. The sinful nature demands we live chained, choking inside the toxic confines of the fence, while life and freedom are just outside our reach.

In Genesis 3, Satan began the temptation with a question: “Did God really say that you shouldn’t eat from any tree in the garden?” [Genesis 3:1b CEB]  Notice the devil misquotes God. On top of misquoting God, it is an exaggeration. The exaggeration reframes God’s intent from freedom to restriction. Casting God as someone who wishes to restrict, Satan suggests God is unreasonable. Basically, the power of doubt it the destruction of belief.

“The snake said to the woman, “You won’t die! God knows that on the day you eat from it, you will see clearly and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [Genesis 3:4 CEB] Satan then lies, suggesting God has lied. The challenge is, who are you going to believe? Continuing to plant doubt, the devil hints God is keeping something good from us. Satan challenges God’s authority to do what is promised and God’s character in wanting the best for us.

Eve made three mistakes. Eve talked to Satan. Notice Adam did not say a word. Adam became passive when his wife needed him the most. Eventually Adam sinned willfully. Eve was tricked, so she is not blamed for the sinful nature of humanity. The second mistake she made, Eve misquotes God. The original prohibition about the tree was given to Adam. It’s reasonable to conclude the origin of the misquote came from Adam. Also notice, Adam did not correct her. Finally, Eve believed Satan. “Unbelief” is not believing God, instead believing the lies Satan tells.

What were the desires that lured and enticed Eve. I am so glad you asked!!! But fortunately this is a blog not a book; so check back tomorrow for the answer!

Genesis 3 Toxic sin and the detoxification from sin.

Genesis 3  

Toxic sin and the detoxification from sin.

Wesley’s progression of thought on the events of “the Fall:” 1.) Unbelief begot pride 2.) Pride begot self-will 3.) Self-will begot foolish desires.

When Adam sinned, “the life of God was extinguished in his soul.”  The human moral image is lost, rendering humankind no longer “capable of God” (able to know love and obey God as we were designed to do).  Thus we become dead to God.  Our refusal to return God’s love is at the heart of Wesley’s description of the fall of humanity into sin.

I.             The Temptation:

                A.            Satan questions the Word of God (“Did God really say…?”) [v 1]

1.                   Notice that Satan MISQUOTES God.

2.                   This misquote is an EXAGERATION.

3.                   This exaggeration REFRAMES God’s intention from freedom to restriction.

4.                   Casting God as someone who wishes to restrict, Satan claims God is UNREASONABLE.

*****The power of doubt is the destruction of belief. ***** [me]

B.            Satan contradicts the Word of God.

1.                   LIE: No you will not die. [v 4] (Challenge to God’s authority to do what is said.)

2.                   LIE: God is keeping something good from you. [v 5] (Challenge to God’s character as wanting the best for us.)

C.            Mistakes in dealing with temptation.

1.            Eve talked to Satan.  (Notice Adam did not… becomes a passive player in the story.)

                        2.            Eve misquotes the Word of God. (Notice Adam did not correct her.)

                        3.            They believed Satan.  (Unbelief is not believing God… believing Satan.)

II.            The desires:

                A.            [v 6] The eyes: Eve saw the tree and fruit was beautiful.)

                        1.            The eyes are a problem because what you see is not always what it is…

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” [2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV, ESV, etc.]

                        2.            This got Eve’s imagination and feelings going…

            3.            Doubt of God’s Word leads to a disregard. 

*****The power of disregarding belief is the destruction of trust. *****

(The lack of trust creates false sense independence.  This false independence is PRIDE.)

                B.            [v 6] The flesh: Eve thought the fruit would taste delicious.

1.            Once the eyes touched the imagination then the passions of the body were set in motion.

2.            Interesting that sin started with eating… God’s response was also in eating (The Lord’s Supper).

C.            [v 6] The desire: Eve’s self-will kicked into gear.

                       1.            We see this foolish desire moved her to action.

“Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life.” [Proverbs 4:23 CEV]

               

·         “Thoughts”… typically translated “heart” meaning what is the kernel, the center, the substance of the person.

·         Not the physical heart… it is the ethical, moral, emotional, intellect place were decisions are made.

2.            Our desires measure the heart:  Want to know what’s in the heart?  Check the DESIRES.

***** The power of desire is the destruction of reality. ***** (me)

III.           The Consequences:

               

A.            Self-determination to find happiness in our hands.

                1.            Notice there is a direct correlation between becoming unholy and unhappy.

                2.            Degradation, slavery, and ruin of the soul in sin.

                3.            General discontent… (e.g. complaining)

B.            Separation from God (“spiritual death”) and from each other.

                1.            [v 7] Shame from being naked.

                2.            [v 7] Attempted to cover themselves… unsuccessfully.

                3.            [v 8] They hid from God.

                4.            [v 10] They became afraid of God.

C.            Straight- out refused responsibility by blaming someone else.

                1.            [v 12] Adam blames the woman (who was a gift of God… blaming God).

                2.            [v 13] Eve blames the woman (“tricked me”)

D.            Sin’s curse is pronounced.

                1.            To Satan: crawl and eat dust [v 14], contempt and total failure [v 15]

                2.            To Eve: painful pregnancy [v 16], ruled by men [v 16]

                3.            To Adam:  struggle to survive [v 17], physical death [v 19]

***** The power of a reality broken by sin is the destroying pain of every kind. ***** (me)

IV.          Salvation is offered.

A.            Satan would be crushed by the “seed of the woman.” [v 15] 

1.            “Proto-evangelical”

2.            Jesus, born of a virgin… crucified (heal) but resurrected and returning (head).

B.          God clothed them in leather [v 21].  

1.            The first death they had seen.

2.            This became the foundation for the “blood sacrifice” to atone [meaning “cover”] for sin.)

3.            BECAUCE the consequence of sin is death (spiritual and physical) then the redemption of sin would also be death (the blood of Jesus).

“…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”  [Hebrews 9:22b ESV]

C.            God drove them out of Eden [v 24].  

1.            The irreversible loss of Eden puts in us the feeling this world is broken and unnatural.  (It’s why we ask “why?” when something bad happens.)

2.            The desire is to find or make Eden on earth… which is not possible since only God could create Eden.

3.            So we live with this uneasy discord between the unlimited potential of what we were created to be and the reality of the grip and slavery to sin.  (Death is a mercy in dealing with that life-long frustration.)

4.            This should motivate us to seek salvation from sin (consequences and power) in Jesus (who happens to be “the Word.”).

5.            It’s here we discover that our potential is fulfilled in being loved by God and loving God back (no matter how imperfect our love may be).

***** The power of God’s love, demonstrated on the cross, is the destroying of sin’s control of our daily lives, our eternal destiny, our current potential. ***** (me)