Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…There is not a day that goes by when I don’t exclaim at least once, but more accurately, a few times, “How do people do life today if they are not in Christ?” I mean, “has the world gone mad? Is there any hope for our culture that has become spiritually and morally bankrupt? Surely, I’m not the only one grieving about this! Have we lost all semblance of honor and integrity, of right and wrong, of devotion to one another, of faithfulness or trustworthiness? Where can we turn for security; who can we believe? All of these questions are legitimate questions, and I suspect that at least one, or maybe all of them, have invaded your mind at one time or another. The danger inherent with entertaining these questions is the fact they are the building blocks for fear!
The dictionary definition of “fear” is: “A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, or pain, whether the threat is real or imagined; a feeling or condition of being ‘afraid.” (I would now like to add a Biblical perspective to that definition: “without hope”.) Fear is the root of these other unhealthy emotions: anger, hatred, depression, anxiety, jealousy, envy, lack of hope and stress, which can lead to these unhealthy behaviors: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasure, hostility, quarreling, selfish ambition, idolatry, and a dramatic increase in addictions, psychosomatic illnesses, higher divorce rates, suicides and many other forms of violence. The problem with these emotions and their resultant behaviors is…they open the door for satan to develop strongholds in your life.
What we see playing out all around us is nothing less than spiritual warfare. I know some of you reading this may think that statement is totally absurd, but the fact you don’t believe in it doesn’t make it any less true. Worldly teaching, which puts the emphasis on human nature, human resources and human intellect, has done everything it can to minimize and marginalize the existence of the spiritual realm as “foolish” talk. In MY book of truth, the Holy Bible, that arrogant condition is addressed in 2 Corinthians 4:4: “Satan, the god of this world, has blinded the minds and hearts of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News.” In order to understand spiritual truths, you have to have the Holy Spirit in you. Unbelievers do not possess that gift. (Hopefully this will open your eyes to who is pulling the strings behind the absurdity we witness playing out day after day.)
Look back at paragraph 2 and re-read the list of unhealthy emotions and resultant behaviors. Can you see this barrage of detrimental emotions and behaviors plaguing our culture today? Fear is one of satan’s favorite tactics, because it produces consequences that are in opposition to God’s Truth and His Will. That statement is substantiated by 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-control.” Now let’s look at the emotions and behaviors that result from being obedient to the Holy Spirit: love, confident assurance, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross, and left them there.” (Galatians 5: 24)
Quite simply, faith or fear is the result of the voices you listen to in your head. Galatians 5:16- 18 explains this perfectly. “So, I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives you desires that are opposite from what your sinful nature wants. These two forces are constantly battling each other and your choices are never free from this conflict. But now that you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer a slave to your sinful nature.” If you are in Christ, you have the indwelling Holy Spirit, which is God’s gift to you so you can rise above the wiles of your enemy, satan. Make no mistake, he has prepared an onslaught against you. He is ruthless, and he wants nothing more than to shipwreck your best effort at becoming a follower of Jesus Christ.
Your only defense against satan and his lies, schemes and accusations is being grounded in the truth of God’s word. Ephesians 6:11-13 describes your defense: “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor (The Word of God – the Truth) so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle, you will still be standing firm!”
Remember, if you let satan get you into a power struggle, he will win every time. Therefore, it is imperative that YOU take the reins to turn these battles into Truth struggles, the same way Jesus did when He was tempted in the wilderness. He stood on God’s Word and crushed satan three times. Notice that each of Jesus’ statements were preceded by the phrase, “It is written…” God’s armor is The Truth; Satan’s lies cannot stand up against God’s truth!
The two previous paragraphs should make it abundantly clear that spending time in the Holy Bible (the Word of God) is essential to growing in your relationship with Jesus. That Book is the source of God’s Truth, and it is by growing in, believing in, and experiencing those truths coming alive in your life that your faith grows. After all, the author of those magnificent words is God Jehovah of the Old and New Testament; He is the Creator of the Universe, the Godhead of the Trinity, the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, immutable, and the Alpha and Omega. That is also why the term “Bible” can also be viewed as an acronym: “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” Everything you need for sustaining a vibrant spiritual life is found in that book. What other source of claimed-to-be truths can possibly stand against this source? The author Himself said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will last forever.” (Matthew 24:35)
Spiritual warfare is an inherent part of living in this world. Non-believers think this talk is crazy, but the truth is, satan already has them in the palm of his hand; they are his pawns. His victory has been convincing them that he doesn’t exist. But now, consider this scenario. Unbeknownst to you, when you were born into this world, you were born into an eternal morality play entitled, “Good vs. Evil.” You didn’t ask for it, but like it or not, you are an actor in this play right now. The role you play depends on the choices you make throughout this life’s journey, and those choices have eternal consequences. You can choose to honor God (Good), or you can choose to honor satan by choosing “self” over God!. (Evil) At the end of your time on this earth, your eternal destiny – either salvation or damnation – will be determined by the choices you made while here.
Satan’s most powerful lies are rooted in fear. So, when he comes at us – and he will – he already knows each of us intimately. (Remember, we were in his domain before we saw the light.) Therefore, by knowing our every weakness, he knows just what buttons to push to bring us down. BUT FEAR NOT, because Jesus has overcome the world! Therefore, because we are in Christ, we too have overcome the world. Jesus has given us authority over all the evil schemes of the devil; we just have to believe that truth, then choose to walk in that victory. Rebuking satan (speaking boldly to him with Christ’s authority) might sound like this: It is written, “Satan, I am a Child of God!” It is written, “Satan, Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior!” “It is written, “The Spirit that is in me is greater than the spirit in this world!” It is written, “You are a liar, satan! I choose to stand on the Truth of God’s Word.”
Feel free to respond to this message, and please like and share with other social media friends.
May God Bless You Abundantly,
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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