Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. -- 1 Peter 5:8

Whatever the devil may be, he is no idiot.  Just as people can be talented, clever, knowledgeable, and even intellectually superior without being good or wise, our enemy is a genius of tactics and strategy.  He has been working the underground angle for a long time.  The forces of evil are like a guerrilla band that thinks they have won the hearts and minds of the general populace and are ready to come out and go conventional.    

It has happened a lot over the centuries in and among various nations.  Now it’s about to come to the whole world.  The devil can take the platform of international news, the internet, and social media and make his proclamation of victory to nearly everyone on the planet simultaneously.  The enemy thinks he has won. 

This is where mere intellectual power fails.  The devil lacks wisdom, as do his ministers and his minions, regardless of the world’s high opinion of them.   Together they have laid a trap for the faithful.  They have dug a pit to capture us, but they will fall into it. 

That doesn’t mean there won’t be suffering among us.  There always is.  Peter acknowledges that in this same fifth chapter, but he also reminds us that we are on the right side – not of history but of truth and righteousness. 

It is time, once again, to remind ourselves that our struggle is not against creatures of the flesh but against the spiritual powers that dominate and control the thinking of those trapped in a carnal mind. 

The enemy can be defeated.  The mouth of the lion can be shut.  Resist him, firm in the faith …

Flights of Fear

There was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah.  And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. – Jeremiah 26:20-21

I was just randomly reading earlier and came across this passage where the people of Jerusalem began to get rather hostile about all of Jeremiah’s negativity.  There was an outcry against the prophets, and Jeremiah was not the only one who was threatened.  I think there is a lesson for us here:  Don’t go back to Egypt. 

Uriah’s escape attempt ends unhappily (vv 22-23):  Then King Jehoiakim sent to Egypt certain men, Elnathan the son of Achbor and others with him, and they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people.  In biblical types, Egypt generally stands in for the world system.  Thus the threatened prophet’s flight into that nation could be interpreted as a warning to those who would resort to carnal means to defend themselves. 

As we read through the narrative of the Apostle Paul’s adventures in the Book of Acts, we see that he occasionally used his Roman citizenship and the laws of the empire to his advantage.  When he was arrested by Roman soldiers quelling a riot caused by his presence, the Apostle advised the centurion of his Roman citizenship to forestall being “examined by flogging” (Acts 22:23).  He was shipped out to Rome after his prolonged imprisonment by the governors of Palestine because he appealed his case to Caesar, as was his right as a citizen (Acts 25).  Yet this same Paul states that “ … the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh …” (2 Corinthians 10:4) and that “… we do not wrestle against flesh and blood …” (Ephesians 6:12).

We should always be careful about resorting to worldly and carnal means.  As Uriah found out, the world’s system is no protection against the world’s animosity.  We know that God uses doctors to heal, police officers to protect, lawyers to defend, and judges to decree justice – sometimes, but the kingdom is not ruled by such.  Again, we have the familiar words of Jesus to guide us, Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness … (Matthew 6:33).  Our only true protection and security is to be in Christ, clothed in the whole armor of God and protected by the shield of faith. 

The Rabshakeh was trying to instill fear in the hearts of the men of Judah and Jerusalem, but even the devil will tell the truth when it suits his case:  Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him (Isaiah 36:6). 

Far better to say with a shepherd boy … the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's … (1 Samuel 17:47).

The Grasshopper in the Mirror

And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them. -- Numbers 13:33

The entry of a Christian into the new blessed life of holiness, joy, and peace is paralleled – “parabled”, we could say – by the entry of the Israelites into Canaan, the Land of Promise.  We were never meant to live in slavery and misery until we die.  Israel’s Promised Land is not a type of heaven but of the heavenly life which must begin in our material existence and in time rather than eternity. 

As the children of Israel were camped in Kadesh Barnea, they sent spies into Canaan to see where strongholds might be and where they might first begin their assault.  Although the Lord seems to raise no objection to this effort, I’m not sure such a thing was in accordance with His plan.  When Israel did enter, forty years later, God sent them directly to that most impregnable fortification, the massively walled city of Jericho. 

I can’t blame them for wanting to know what they were getting themselves into.  I am a cautious, timid sort myself, hardly one to criticize those who would look before they leap.  What got those people into trouble was not sending the spies but accepting the majority report.  There were twelve spies – one from each tribe – sent out.  Two, Caleb of Judah and Joshua of Ephraim, said the Canaanites were ripe for conquest.  The other ten spoke fear, trepidation, and faithlessness, leading the people to conclude (as they had said before) that God was leading them to annihilation and destruction. 

We can take the slave out of Egypt, to paraphrase an old cigarette commercial, but we have trouble getting Egypt out of the slave.  A man who thoroughly believes in his freedom and individual sovereignty under God is very difficult, if not impossible, to enslave.  Conversely, it is nearly impossible to free someone who has the mindset of a serf.

America was once the Land of the Free.  We believed we could do about as we pleased.  Over the last hundred years, as more and more of us have become urbanized herd animals, we have lost our sense of independence to the point that a majority now say that we all belong to the government.  Everything must be done for the sake of the Collective, the Common Good -- which comes to mean for the sake of ruling class, our benevolent new pharaohs. 

The same is true in the spiritual realm.  Christ came to set us free from the world system, of which Egypt is a type, from the bondage to sin and to Satan.  Our deliverance begins when we accept Christ as Savior and believe the gospel, but it is not complete until we understand that we are free to live and walk in the Spirit in every area of our lives.  We are not slaves to anything.  We are willing servants of the Lord who, through the New Covenant established by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus, are adopted as children of the Father.  Like the Prodigal, we return as servants to find ourselves welcomed as sons.  We are in the House, and we are family.   

This is not to say that the Christian life is without its battles and difficulties.  Entering into the Land of Promise means declaring war on whomever or whatever is holding that ground.  It will require standing in faith against all the lies and illusions that will try to keep us, if not in bondage, at least out wandering hopelessly in the wilderness, impoverished and homeless. 

A lot of us are willing to be wanderers.  It’s not Egypt.  It’s not so bad.  It’s a little dusty and dry and boring.  We really can’t get settled any place.  We end up looking forward only to death to set us completely free.  I wonder if that will even do it.  It might be that we will find ourselves always in the desert until we are willing to face our enemies, face our fears, and change our perception of who we are.  Will there be grasshoppers in heaven? 

War Machine

Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle -- Psalms 144:1

Thought, memory, knowledge, and wisdom are not limited to the brain.  The brain is certainly a processing center for learning, but it is not the only or even in many cases the primary data storage center.  A wide receiver running a route and a quarterback throwing to him are not relying all that much on brain power to complete a pass on third and long.  Harvard and MIT are usually not playing for the NCAA championship.  The same is true on the side of the defenders, the pass rusher and the cornerback.  A lot is happening that has nothing to do with what we usually mean when we talk about thought.  Yet all of the actions are learned and the result of hours of practice and training as well as game experience.

Muscle memory is a term that has become popular in a lot of areas over the last couple of decades.  It has replaced, to some extent, the older term of hand-eye coordination.  Rhythm, timing, grace, all these are functions of knowledge that reside in the body.  No one can think fast enough to hit a 95-mph fastball.  No one can think fast enough to tap dance, or dance in general.  You can watch someone like me try to dance and realize that it is a long way from the brain to the foot. 

I remember well my first quail hunts as I tried to think through all the pointers I had been given after the covey flushed.  Most of the time I never even got off a shot, and, when I did, it just gave the bird a little tail wind.  It wasn’t until I could stop thinking that I started hitting.  The same thing is true of skeet shooting or shooting a basketball, driving nails or driving a car.  Your brain knows quite well right from the start what needs to be done to ride a bicycle.  It’s your body that is not going along with the program.

Sometimes we can be disparaging of religious rituals, spiritual disciplines, kneeling in prayer, raising hands in worship, and other external forms.  Christianity, though, is more than mental assent.  Faith is more than thinking something is probably right.  Ritual, ceremony, and forms put knowledge into the body as well as the soul and spirit.  The body is passing away, to be sure, but it will be resurrected, saved and glorified.  We were talking about Elisha yesterday.  It might be well to remember that a dead man thrown into Elisha’s grave touched the prophet’s bones and was brought back to life (2 Kings 13:20-21). 

A body that is disciplined in righteousness helps us to live righteously in all areas and enables us to war more effectively against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 

Cease Striving

He makes wars cease throughout the earth.  He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces; He burns up the chariots. 

"Stop your fighting — and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth." - Psalm 46:9-10 (HCSB)

Every once in a while a particular translation while open up a new door on a familiar passage.  Almost every translation except Holman's says something like, "Be still and know that I am God ...", but in the context of the Lord making wars cease, the command to stop fighting does make sense.  The very accurate NASB is good, too, "Cease striving...".  One could say, "Be at peace."  Peace is a vital, essential concept in the Bible.  We should be at peace with God, have the peace of God, and, as much as possible, be at peace with one another.  I was talking to a Christian recently regarding a fairly important decision, and he talked about the necessity of having "peace about it."  All other signs aside, I would say that peace of mind and heart is the primary indication of the Holy Spirit having control in our lives.  

God urges us to stop fighting, and I think that applies as much to internal conflicts as to external.  His will for us is peace in every situation.  Conflict is meat and drink to the devil.  Ah, but aren't we supposed to be fighting for truth, justice, and the American way?  We are told to "fight the good fight of faith" certainly.  But what does the fight of faith involve?  Mainly it means struggling to stay in faith.  And what does faith provide?  Peace.  As contradictory as it sounds we really are fighting for peace. 

Even the well-known instructions for spiritual battle from Ephesians 6 center on standing, holding firmly to one's ground behind the shield of faith.  In other words, we can trust God despite the outward appearance of things.  Our "war" is to maintain that perspective, to recognize that none of the weaponry of the enemy can do us harm so long as we stand in faith and do not waver.  In the midst of the most intense conflict, in the most oppressive attacks, we may be at peace.  Peace through strength - not my strength but God's strength which is limitless. 

What about struggling against sin and imperfection in my own heart?  That struggle, too, can be won through ceasing to fight.  Sin and failure arise from my old nature, as the new nature received through Christ and the Cross is not capable of sin.  If I attempt to suppress sin, who is laying down suppressive fire?  The same one who did the sinning in the first place.  Again, victory is won by standing in Christ.  I confess and acknowledge my imperfections before God without any attempt at justifying what I have done.  And that is it.  I return to peace and resume my place in the line. 

If you think that's being too easy on the sinner, I would argue that, most of the time, failure comes from trying to operate like the world does, from over-thinking things, from trying to figure out what the future holds, from fear, from condemnation, from living in the past or getting dragged down by past sins and regrets -  i.e., from not being at peace in the present moment.  There is a difference between conviction and condemnation.  Conviction says humbly, I have failed.  Condemnation says hopelessly, I am a failure.  Conviction leads to a correction and deliverance.  Condemnation has never saved nor helped anybody. 

At the end of my time here, I would like to say with Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."  We should not wait for the graveyard to rest in peace.