Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Part 4: Pride

1 John 2.16, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world."

Pride is the first and oldest sin. We read in Isaiah 14.12-14, "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’"

Satan, or Lucifer as he was called before his fall, wanted to be God. He was not humble enough to take his place as an angel and joyfully serve God. Instead he tried to take the place of God. His pride caused him to lose his place in heaven, and his opportunity to serve and worship God.

Pride caused the fall of man. Genesis 3.4-6, "The serpent said to the woman, 'You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate."

Adam and Eve, saw the opportunity to become more than what God had designed them for. They were deceived and lead into the same sin that Satan fell with, pride, and the desire of wanting to be like God. Wanting to advance themselves over God.

Pride in English is defined as, "a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc." The Greek word is alazonia and directly translated it means "vainglory". This is excessive elation or pride over one's own achievements, abilities, etc;"

It is pride, boastfulness, arrogance. It is seeing yourself as worth more or deserving more and better than everyone else. You see yourself above everyone else. You look down on others. I don't remember where I read this, "when you're looking down on everyone else, it's impossible to look up at God." Pride is taking the place of God.

We see this word several times in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is ga'on and it's used as an antonym for humility. We see it several times in Proverbs.

Proverbs 8:13, "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate."

Proverbs 11:2, "When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom."

Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling."

Proverbs 29:23, "A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor."

Each time it talks about how God hates pride, how pride leads to dishonor, destruction, and humbling.

Pride opens the door for Satan because it removes the need for God. Anything that removes the need for God is going to give Satan a foothold. We only have two options, serve and exalt God, or don't. If we choose not to, we, by default, choose to serve Satan. Anything that is not of God is Satan's.

In pride we take God's place from Him in our lives. We see no need for Him, because we can't see Him as we look down on everything else. Instead our intelligence, our abilities, our past achievements take His place. Our lives are not lived to the glory of God, but to the glory of self. We just live, we don't live fully alive. I've quoted this many times, "The glory of God is man fully alive." If we aren't living for the glory of God, then we live for the glory of Satan.

Pride leads to destruction as we read about in Proverbs. God hates pride because it takes the place that only He can occupy. As I've been writing this I've been thinking about Psalm 46.8-10, "Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 'Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'"

I think of Job 38.3-5, "Now gird up your loins like a man,and I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it?"

God calls for humility, Jeremiah 9.23-24, "Thus says the LORD, 'Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,' declares the LORD."

Humility is how we serve God and others, Philippians 2.3-8, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

We are to be humble, not proud in ourselves. We are to look at ourselves modestly and not arrogantly. We are to be proud of God, to boast about the greatness of God. Pride in God will keep us from pride in ourselves. Jesus set this example. Satan tried to get the foothold of pride in the life of Jesus, look at the temptation in the wilderness. But Jesus refused to allow Satan to have any access into His life. Jesus removed the foothold of pride, and so must we.

Jesus set the example, let's imitate Him.

Peace be with you

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Part 3: Fear

"I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid" Luke 12.4a.

I'm sure many of us have heard that the Bible says 365 times don't be afraid, one for each day of the year. I was curious so I did several searches, and I can say with some confidence, that that is a made up statistic. After playing around with different wordings I have only been able to find 118 places in the Bible telling us not to fear. Regardless, it's a lot. God tells us over and over again not to fear, not to be afraid, not to tremble, not to let our hearts be troubled, not to be dismayed or fainthearted. I think He tells us over and over because this is the foot hold that most controls us. I think this is the foothold that leads to all the other footholds. I think fear is at the root of everything bad.

In English, fear is defined "a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid." Fear controls us. Fear leads to worry and anxiety. Fear can lead to anger. Fear can cause ignorance and apathy. Fear could lead to pride as a defense mechanism, and fear could lead to greed. Fear is at the heart of so much, I would say that it's the strongest and largest foot hold that Satan can have. And I believe that is why God tells us so many times not to fear.

The word for fear is Greek is phobos, it means fear, terror, trembling or concern. It is fear caused by intimidation of an adversary. It's a negative emotion that controls our lives. Fear keeps people from so many things. How many things have you not done because of a fear? Fear keeps us from living our lives to the fullest, St. Irenaeus said, "The glory of God is man fully alive." God created us not to be in fear, but to live lives of adventure to His glory. We were created for life not fear.

When we talk about fear however, you can't simply address the negative side. As many times as we are told not to fear, we are given instructions about fear we need to have.

Luke 12.4-7, “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

God is able to destroy our souls. If our physical lives are ended that is the worst that any physical force can do to us. We have no need to fear men, animals, or natural disasters, because the only thing we can lose is physical life. And according to Paul in Philippians 1.21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Instead, we are told to fear God, because after this life is over, God has the authority to cast our souls into Hell.

This aspect of fear is different though. This is not fear out of terror, but fear out of reverence. It is respect not simply of God's power, but for His holiness. God has the authority to cast us into Hell not simply because He has the power to do so, but because He is so Holy. He is the Judge who has committed no crime, the only one worthy to judge. He is perfect, and no imperfection can stand before Him. That is what we fear in God. And again, it is not out of terror. God is not waiting for us to mess up so that He can punish us. God does not desire for any to perish, 2 Peter 3.9. God cares for us.

Luke tells us that five sparrows are sold for two pennies. Matthew said that two sparrows are sold for one penny. If you spent an extra cent you got not only the four you had paid for, but an extra one thrown in that wasn't given any value. This fifth sparrow wasn't forgotten by God, and we are worth more than many sparrows. God has numbered the hairs on your head. God knows you, you're never just a face lost in a crowd to God. He knows your name and everything about you, and He cares for you.

Joshua 1.9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 46.10-11, "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold."

Psalm 56.3-4, "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?"

God cares for me, so what can man do to me? God cares for you, what can man do to you? What do we have to fear? Satan will use fear to control us. I believe that this is his firmest foothold because it is so deeply rooted.

Wesley said, "Give me 300 people who fear nothing but God and hate nothing but sin and I will set this world on fire." Fear nothing but God, He is Holy so we fear Him out of respect for His holiness and power. He is the only one we need to fear. Respect God, trust Him, and fear nothing but Him, and pull Satan's firmest foothold our from underneath him.

Peace be with you

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Part 2: Anxiety

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4.6, the second foothold of the devil is anxiety.

The word used here is merimnate and it means to be anxious or solicitous. Anxious in English is, "full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear, danger, or misfortune; greatly worried; solicitous." Solicitous is a word I had never heard before. it means anxious or concerned.

As I looked at both of these words in the Greek we see that the word functions both as a noun and a verb. As a noun it means "to draw in different directions; distract." As a verb it means, "to be anxious about, to have a distracting care." In this we can begin to see how this is a foothold of the devil.

Anxiety, or worry, leads to distractions. We aren't fully focused when there is something distracting us. When we're worried, or anxious, our attention isn't fully present on what we are doing. English says that this is mental distress because of fear, danger, or misfortune. It is being greatly worried. All of these things are negative, showing that I'm not fully focused on God, that I'm not trusting God.

God says in Philippians 4, "Be anxious for nothing" He says don't worry, don't be anxious, don't be distracted, don't fear anything. Instead of those things focus on Me. Praise me with thanksgiving. Pray to Me, talk with Me. And He gives us a promise when we do those things. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4.7-9.

God says that when we aren't distracted and are focused fully on Him, His peace will guard our hearts and minds. Verse 8 is a list of characteristics that are true of God and only God, our focus is to be on those things, and when we dwell on them, and live them out, the God of peace is with us. When the God of peace is with us, the Peace of God is with us.

This isn't just any peace, it's God's peace. It's peace that passes all comprehension. Comprehension is the capacity of the mind to perceive and understand. It's the power to grasp ideas, the ability to know. God says that His peace is beyond comprehension. It's beyond the power of the human mind to grasp and also to produce. It is peace that is only possible from focusing on God. His peace is so great, so incredible, and so overwhelming, that the only way to receive it is to focus fully on Him. It is peace that doesn't make sense because it comes at times in our lives when there shouldn't be peace. It is the peace that God gives us when we hear the word cancer. It is the peace that God gives us when September 11th happens. It is peace that is unexplainable apart from God.

God says don't focus on anything but Me, because that takes your focus off of Me. If your focus isn't on Me Satan can get into your life. Don't take your focus off of God, because when we do that, even for a second, we drop our guard. 1 Peter 5.8-9, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world." My mind goes back to the Spartan phalanx, one weak spot in the wall of shields, and the entire thing falls apart. We have a real enemy, the devil, and he is searching for someone to devour, we can not afford a single distraction because he is a hungry lion looking for a straggler to pick off, looking for a weak spot in the phalanx.

God warns us and says "Be anxious for nothing" instead pray. When we pray we are in a conversation with God. If you are actively engages in a conversation with someone you have to be focused on them. In prayer we are to be engaged in a conversation with God, sharing our requests, praising Him and thanking Him, and letting Him talk, letting Him speak to us. When we are focused on God we aren't distracted by anything because we know that God is with us and that He can and will handle any situation that comes. I don't have to worry because I know that as the poem Footprints in the Sand says, "My precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

When we are focused on God, trusting God, our anxiety is gone. When I am fully focused on God and I am surrounded by His peace, through the blood of Jesus Christ, guarding my heart and mind, my emotions and my thoughts, I have no distractions, no worry, and Satan has lost this foothold.

Peace be with you

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Part 1: Anger

"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity." Ephesians 4.26-27 (NASB).

I want to begin this study of the footholds of the devil with the verse people immediately think about when they hear that phrase. The first foothold I want to look at is anger.

We have this verse in Ephesians 4. It tells us first to be angry, but in our anger not to sin. It then says that our anger needs to be dealt with, and that we must deal with it before the sun sets. Be angry, but don't sin, and don't be angry for long, deal with it.

In this verse the word anger appears twice. In English it's the same word, anger, meaning "strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong." But the New Testament wasn't written in English. In Greek there are two different words used here. The first word is orgizesthe. This word is any natural impulse, desire or disposition. It was originally the strongest passion or emotion that people had. It later came to signify anger specifically.

Anger is a strong emotion, it can do both good or harm depending on it's source and guidance.

In this case we are told to be angry. We are told to feel this strong emotion. Jesus did in John 2.13-22 when the Temple had been turned into a marketplace. He makes a whip out of cords and drives out the sellers and over turns the money changers tables. This is righteous anger, anger that is good, anger that is angry about the right things. Jesus is not taking revenge for some wrong that has been done against Him, He never does, not even for the cross. Anger is good when it is motivated by righteousness, when it is used to protect the things of God. We have to be careful with taking this too far though, or we could end up with something like the Crusades, and the killing of people in the name of God.

Orgizesthe an active emotion, and it can easily lead to revenge. But in revenge we sin. God says "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." (Romans 12.19b). Revenge is never good when it is taken by humans. Revenge is never justified for humans. I know this is hard to accept, there are people that I would love to hand out vengeance to for things they have done. I am allowed to be angry about the things that they have done, but it is not my place to take vengeance, that belongs to God. It is my role to hand them over to God, and to trust that He will deal with it in a way that glorifies Him. I must not desire for them to suffer, but for the will of God to be done in their lives. This is difficult at times.

God doesn't say don't be angry, He created us with a wide range of emotions, anger being one of them, but anger for the right reasons, angry at the right things. And in my anger I am not to sin. I am not give in to the desire for vengeance, because it is not mine to take. That belongs to God. Anger that leads to vengeance destroys relationships. It destroys our relationship with God. When I am focused on taking revenge, on getting even, my focus isn't on God. When my anger is focused on righting a wrong through building the Kingdom, for example, being angry about millions of children dieing each year from hunger and preventable diseases, and therefore I sponsor a child to help end the problem, then my anger is righteous. When my anger causes me to stand up for the Kingdom in a way that is Bionically grounded and leads to the Glory of God, like Jesus in the Temple, then my emotion is righteous.

"Be angry, and yet do not sin;" there's the first part. Secondly, "do not let the sun go down on your anger," here we have another word, parorgismoi (long o at the end). In the King James version this word is translated as wrath, which in English is "violent anger; strong, stern or fierce anger; deeply resentful indignation." The Greek word is a stronger form of our first word, it is anger that is provoked to wrath. It is provoked to violence, to vengeance, if it isn't dealt with.

The Bible say, don't let the sun set on anger that is being provoked into something bigger. If it isn't dealt with right way it becomes out of control. The longer we wait to deal with it, the harder it becomes to deal with. If we allow it to take root and grow it begins to rule our lives. It guides the things we say, the way we act, the way we think. It destroys relationships because walls begin to be built and bullets begin to be fired.

Both of these words for anger are emotions that we must be in control of. We must never take revenge for a wrong, we must not allow our anger to be able to take root and fester. Either of these situations gives the devil his foothold. Taking revenge takes my focus off of God, it allows Satan to have an opportunity to damage a relationship, or several relationships for a long time, if not forever. If anger is allowed to stew unchecked, he can move in and begin to build walls. Relationships are destroyed because a situation is not dealt with.

Anger that is not controlled is never good, so how do we control it? Romans 12.9-21,

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.


We control our anger by building relationships. If our relationship with God is strong and healthy, He will be our focus. Our desires will be for Him and His Kingdom. My anger will not be over trivial things that do not matter but over things that have eternal significance. When I am wronged, as difficult as it may be, I will be able to hand the situation over to Him. I will be able to receive healing and to offer forgiveness, desiring that the will of God will be done.

I build and strengthen my relationships with others, I love people. I let my love be genuine, I bless those who persecute me, I wish them well, not harm, and this can be difficult, but we are told to live at peace with all men as much as it depends on us. I don't take revenge, I don't focus on evil, but on good. I serve my enemy and take care of him if he has a need. I overcome evil with good. I show love, I live for the glory of God.

We overcome anger through relationships. Satan wants us to be alone, alone we are weak, alone we are defeateable. But together we can not be overcome. Together we form an impenetrable wall, my mind thinks of a Spartan phalanx, all the warriors stand side by side with their shields overlapping, protecting everyone. Relationships protect they don't destroy. Relationships are crucial, and anger destroys them.

Don't allow the devil to destroy your relationship with God or with those closest to you by giving him the foothold of anger.

Peace be with you.