The Enemy’s Weapons and Yours

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” Isaiah 54:17.

The history of the world and the history of warfare are one and the same.  Vast empires have emerged and disappeared through war and conflict, and their fortunes were intrinsically tied to weaponry.  Every innovation of a weapon over which an enemy had no power allowed some alien army or some unlikely warrior—like an Alexander, Napoleon or Hitler—burst forth on the horizon and terrorize the world. 

In spiritual warfare, you must not be naïve in your assessment of the enemy and how he attacks the church. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9.  Satan has weapons that you haven’t even dreamed about.  Not bombs and guns, but psychological and spiritual weaponry.  He used them against Eve in the garden.  He came at her with probing, persistent questioning.  It was not a frontal assault, but an undermining maneuver that destroyed the foundations of her thinking and her relationship with God.  He asked, “Has God said …?”  It was an insidious shovel digging in the soil around her feet, softening up the ground where she stood. 

Satan has a long history of this tactic.  Many things considered harmless and even beneficial have become weaponized.  Radio looked harmless, but  Satan weaponized it with music that degraded and perverted decent living. He weaponized television with shows that have ravaged the moral code and put America’s mind in the gutter. Today, the internet is a seething cesspool of filth, porn, anarchy and sacrilege. Chatrooms, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Periscope, sexting and other abuses of the social media have become a cancerous tumor metastasizing throughout our population. 

All are affected.  We’ve been shot at, beaten up, kicked to the curb and left for dead. “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.” 1 Peter 4:12. But, hold on!  The devil may enjoy some initial success in his attack against us.  His schemes seem to work for a while. The Scriptures say, however, that no weapon formed against us will prosper! Satan may win some initial battles; his weapons may sting and confuse us for a while, but they won’t prosper.  Prosper means to flourish, to experience long, sustained success.  Regardless of how formidable the adversary’s weapons, God has a protective shield around us. “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair—struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9.   

Here’s the best news: not only will the weapons formed against us fail to prosper, God has formed an arsenal of weapons for the church that will prosper! “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.  Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day.” Ephesians 6:12-13.

You have the weapon of prevailing prayer. James 5:16. Stop complaining and start praying. Quit grumbling and get on your knees. Instead of calling your friends, start communing with God. You have the weapon of the Word of God! Hebrews 4:12. Open it up.  Read it out loud.  Commit it to memory.  Speak the Word.  Pray the Word.  Sing the Word.  You have the weapon of your testimony! Revelation 12:11. Have you been healed?  Have you been delivered?  Have you had answers to prayer?  Who are you telling about these things?  The devil will tell you that no one wants to hear about them.  Not true! Get your testimonies out.  Dust them off.  They are powerful weapons against doubt, unbelief and faithlessness.  Satan’s weapons won’t prosper, but God’s weapons will prevail if only you will use them!

Never Rush into a Decision

In creation, God equipped man with a uniquely human trait of decision-making.  Animals do not have the cognitive faculties to be able to consciously process decisions.  They act instinctively, as with a built-in, automatic reaction to anything that happens in the realm of nature.  Although we may love them and think they are thinking, especially when they look at us with their cute, quizzical expressions, they are really only acting to stimuli in the proximity of their environment.  

You, on the other hand, get up every morning and decide what you are going to do.  You decide what you are going to wear, what you are going to eat, if you are going to be early, late or right on time.  You decide the route you are going to take to get someplace.  You get the picture.  Hundreds of little decisions need to be made to do something simple. 

Then there are bigger decisions.  Are you going to buy that car?  That house? Get that insurance?  We have elevated decision-making to the point of being sacred.  Remember these words?  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  (It is ironic that the people who are for aborting life call themselves “pro-choice.”  They deny choice to unborn children that they hold dear for themselves.) 

Years ago, I had to obtain the power of attorney for my mother.  She was no longer capable of making her own decisions, so I had to take care of her.  Her condition required me to place her in a care facility.  Three years later, her health declined to the point that I was called to sign a Do Not Resuscitate document. Suddenly, it hit me that the decision-making power I had over another human being was one of the heaviest responsibilities ever laid on my shoulders.  I had to decide whether another human being should live or die.  It was terrifying! Decisions like these must be made with all gravity. “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” Joel 3:14. 

Let this sentence soak in.  God gives us the privilege, the responsibility, the opportunity and the obligation to choose our eternal destiny.  We decide whether we are going to obey the Word of God.  We decide who is our God!  Consider for a moment the awesome privilege afforded us.  God leads us to an old rugged cross and tells us to gaze upon the sacrifice of His sinless form as the blood drains away and asks us what we are going to do about it.  We decide if we are going to take salvation seriously or brush it aside as immaterial to living real life today. “Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian.’ And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.” Acts 26:28-29. Two grave warnings are in order here:   

First, you must know enough before you decide.  Research, don’t rush.  Shouldn’t you get as much information as you can before you choose a college?  Shouldn’t you explore all the angles before you move across the country for a job?  What about marriage? Or, going into business?  But, when it comes to the soul, why do people handle the decision so casually?  Your eternal destiny is at stake!  How can you possibly know the best choice to make?  This is how: When you can’t know the circumstances, you have to know your God! “For this reason, I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”  2 Timothy 1:12. Doubt dogs every decision.  Let go of your doubt and grab hold of His hand!

Just Say Jesus

“They commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus.” Acts 5:40 

Jesus Christ forms the centripetal point of the law—everything converges upon Him, and the centrifugal point of grace—everything emerges from Him. He is the theme of both testaments, the raison d’être to every dispensation of time, the reflection of every great personage and the substance of every great type. He is the arch-superlative. Jesus is the best, highest, greatest, biggest, farthest, widest, richest and finest. 

Peter, James, John and the rest kept speaking Jesus when they were forbidden.  They knew something the Jewish leaders refused to know.  Jesus healed the sick, made the blind to see, unstopped deaf ears, cleansed the lepers—and they exalted his name!   The name must not be hidden, silenced, muted, ignored, changed or compromised.  It must be spoken, pronounced, invoked and expressed. God has a bias in favor of speaking. In the beginning, He spoke everything into existence.  There is power in speaking something that has God’s attention.  Jesus said, “Whoever shall say unto this mountain, be removed.”  Mark 11:23. Some stare at their mountain but don’t say a word.  Don’t stare and keep your mouth shut.  Speak to your mountain!  There is a name that explodes into the realm of men, angels and demons.  Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”  It is the name of Jesus!  This name must be spoken.  It is not enough to think the name. It is not enough to envision the name.  God wants it spoken.  If you need an anatomical explanation, read this: 

“Words are produced when air expelled from the lungs passes through a series of structures within the chest and throat and passes out through the mouth.  Air leaves the lungs and travels up the trachea into the larynx and reach the vocal cords. When a person speaks, the vocal cords tighten up. Air that passes through them begins to vibrate, producing sounds. The nature of that sound depends on factors such as volume and tightness.  The moving air passes upward and out of the larynx. The epiglottis at the top of the larynx opens and closes for air to enter and leave the larynx. The tongue and lips then form the words. (Encyclopedia.com).  In case you were wondering, that’s how you speak the name! 

The Bible teaches us to speak the name, not just think or understand the name.  We don’t just mean the name.  We speak the name.  We speak the name when we baptize, when we pray, and when we preach and teach.  The name of Jesus contains the power and the authority, might and dominion.  The name of Jesus that commands the attention of Satan.  It means “Jehovah has become our Salvation!”  Some say this is too simple.  They want long, complicated explanations and treatises on various aspects of spiritual metamorphoses.  They want answers in education, politics, activism, mind power, and high finance.  They want us to analyze, scrutinize, categorize, pasteurize, downsize, revise, stylize, theorize—anything but baptize—the message of the name of Jesus.  Let’s not fall prey to their desire to find something deeper, or more enlightening, or more palatable for the twenty-first century mind.  No. Come back to the name. In trouble? Speak the name.  Sick? Speak the name. Tempted? Speak the name. Discouraged? Speak the name. It is our covenant relationship, our family identification, our sin-remitter, heaven’s attention getter, the devil’s worst nightmare.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!  There is just something about that name!

Do We Have Repentance Wrong?

Did God repent? Jonah 3:10 says yes.  Was He forced because He did something wrong?  This question has led to some speculation that God might be wrong about other things as well.  In fact, some have abandoned almost all vestiges of discipleship, turning the church into a feel-good, no-rules collection of doctrinally diverse individuals.  Let’s clear the premise up immediately.  God exists in moral perfection.  In Him, there is no sin.  He cannot lie.   If these statements are true, then it is impossible for God to do wrong.  The Psalmist said, ‘For the righteous LORD loves righteousness; his countenance beholds the upright.”  Psalm 11:7.  So, what do we make of the expression that God repented?  Our confusion is that sin must precede repentance.  Not true, especially in this case.  God simply saw that Nineveh, at the behest of their king, showed great remorse over their wickedness and put an end to it.  They fasted, prayed, sacrificed animals and turned from their evil and violence.  Therefore, it was no longer necessary that they be destroyed.  God simply retracted His threatened judgment in the light of the Ninevites response.  “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them … And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”  Jonah 3:5-10. 

Three principles emerge from this verse. 1) Human actions can change the mind of God; 2) God cannot be manipulated by our feelings and emotions; and, 3) true repentance is incomplete without the change of behavior.  This brings the problem of the discipleship crisis clearly into focus.  In repentance, God doesn’t “mess around!” First, we can change the mind of God through our actions.  God operates within the context of human behavior.  “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14. Although Jonah did not mention the possibility of repentance in his short, eight-word sermon to Nineveh, the king must have understood what he should do.  How does this work?  Because God is omniscient, He knows the sincerity of our hearts and designs his response accordingly. Jeremiah 17:10 says, “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”  When we do His will, he rewards us with blessing as promised in His Word.  If we cast His will aside in favor of our own will, He leaves us to our own devices.  

The second principle is that, unlike man, God will not be manipulated by human emotion.  Traditionally, the church has linked repentance to the mourners’ bench, remorse, and deep regret.  While these reactions are important, there’s more.  Beyond remorse, God looks for subsequent actions, not words alone. “Don’t be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, he also reaps.” Galatians 6:7. This is a solid principle. 

Finally, real repentance calls for a change of behavior.  If this is not true, then the new birth experience has lost its meaning.  Conversion must entail a visible, marked change in a person’s life.  There can be no doubt about this if we read the scriptures with intellectual integrity.  We must deliberately, intentionally abandon our ways and adopt God’s ways.  “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17.  We have repentance wrong if we think it is only to feel sorry for our sins; or if we see it only as a formality with little real meaning; or if we do not allow it to precipitate a radical change in our behavior, our life’s direction, our values and our decisions.  Without this emphatic first step towards conversion, we can never experience the full impact of living the Christ life.  Discipleship begins with complete repentance.

Getting Forgiveness

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:9-15 

Not to be negative, but all of us are losers in some way.  In fact, we may have so many chinks in our armor that we’ve got more chinks than armor!  The salient point is that we all need forgiveness, desperately.  Many have come to terms with that truth intellectually, but not emotionally.  We can be intellectual giants, but emotional babies!  To emote is to act.  We tend not to act out of our intellect; rather, we most often act out of our emotion.  In forgiveness, too many take it not as an act of grace, but an entitlement.  We don’t view it as a favor, but as a fulfilled obligation.  Have you ever suffered from mistreatment, injury, assault or abuse?  Maybe you have heard these stinging statements at some point in your life from someone who has done you wrong: “I thought you were going to forgive me.  How much longer are you going to hold this over my head?  How can you love God when you can’t even let me get past this?  Some Christian you are.” 

Often, these statements or questions throw us into gut-wrenching, soul-searching convulsions.  We wonder whether the charge is true.  “Am I so callused, so bitter, so deeply offended that I refuse to truly forgive?  Don’t I have a genuine experience with God?  Don’t I understand Calvary?”  The questions don’t relent.  Is the victim the perpetrator?  The transgressor succeeds once again in deferring the blame to the innocent.  

So, how do you get forgiveness?  Know this: when you play mind games with the person you have hurt by making him or her out to be the attacker instead of the victim, something is wrong.  Forgiveness can be far more complicated than most people expect it to be.  The way it actually works differs greatly from some popular assumptions we hold.  Some of these assumptions are either categorically or partially untrue.  For example, the following beliefs about forgiveness demonstrate how many people have distorted it:  Forgive and forget.  (In fact, the opposite is true.  If we could forget, we wouldn’t need to forgive!  The opposite is true.  The reason we have to forgive is precisely because we can’t forget!) “If you don’t trust me, you haven’t forgiven me.  You are obligated to forgive me.  If you don’t overlook my repeated offenses, you haven’t forgiven me. (After all, Jesus said to forgive people seventy times seven!) You must forgive me whether or not I ever make things right.  You must forgive me even if I don’t ask for it. And the worst one of all:  You’re going to go to hell, if you don’t forgive me!”  All of these distort forgiveness. 

How you should behave if you are the offending party?  Never taunt a person we have wronged about his or her obligation to forgive.  Forgiveness was never meant to become a weapon! Its purpose is restoration, not a way to turn justice inside out.  Forgiveness gives a chance make amends.  No reconciliation without forgiveness.  To those who have hurt someone else, whether it was physical, verbal, psychological or emotional: It is a gross error to think you’re in the driver’s seat when you’re actually a piece of junk in the trunk!  Do the following: 

1.  Never minimize your transgression.  2.  Keep a humble attitude.  3.  Expect to make or accept changes.  4.  Make a real attempt at restoration.  5.  Live so that the offended party will forget.  This is the capstone of forgiveness.  Do you really want all to be forgotten?  Do you really want to go back to square one and start all over again? If you do, then show such a turnaround in your behavior and attitude that the person you hurt will grow to love you.  Be so grateful for a second chance that you will virtually erase the memory of the sin.  God blesses contrition.

What We Want and What We Need

Have you ever daydreamed about designing your own life? If we could create a life for ourselves, creature comforts would undoubtedly top the list. Perfect weather, breath-taking scenery, pain-free and forever youthful bodies, good looks, superior intelligence, boundless wealth and secure, rewarding relationships would all be prized commodities. The most delicious food, from steak and potatoes to chicken and dumplings, from banana pudding to turtle pie or honey-soaked baklava would be cholesterol, calorie and fat free. 

If we could, we would surround ourselves with delightful, sensitive people who would constantly entertain us with a bevy of really funny jokes, would never bore us and would always hold us in highest esteem. We would plan excitement-packed vacations, fly to exotic and romantic tropical islands. We would indulge ourselves in endless golf, tennis or whatever sport we liked. We would leave the house in the morning without turning a hand, and return home to a spick-and-span dwelling, smelling of potpourri and lemon-freshness. 

We would win every race, pass every test, hit a home run every time we stepped up to the plate and clear every high hurdle. Trophies would line our shelves and our names would be on the lips of news reporters and media personalities. Gold-leafed invitations would overflow our mailboxes to attend gala events and hobnob with celebrities. Think I ought to stop?  Oh, come on, I haven’t even got to the mansions, clothes, cars and boats yet. And what about the kids? Just think of the kind of kids we would have if we—okay, I’ll stop.  All pleasure, no pain. All rights, no responsibilities. All getting, no giving. Given the choice, most people would go with what feels good and wouldn’t cause any problems. I find it absolutely amazing that, even though this entire idea is ludicrous, many people still assume they have the right to these things. When they can’t get them, they pine, moan, throw tantrums, get mad at God or plunge into depression. 

Most wants grow out of imagining how something will make us feel. Needs, on the other hand, come from the conviction of what something will make us become. The things we want are seldom needed, and their acquisition often paves the way to spiritual poverty. John wrote, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world— the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does— comes not from the Father but from the world.” I John 2:15-16. (NIV).   The world would be a lop-sided place had we the power to design our own lives. Who would choose fiery trials, lion’s dens, prison houses or beds of affliction?  Thus, there would be no perfecting, no tempering, no seasoning nor proving. True spirituality would vanish. 

The other amazing fact is that God has a way of meeting our wants when we ask for our needs. Afflicted saints discover sufficient grace. Financially challenged Christians live like spiritual millionaires. Stressed out believers enjoy a peace which passes all understanding. Lonely pilgrims find themselves accompanied by a precious Friend.  “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6.  

Next time your wants get out of hand, lay them down, go to Jesus and ask Him for your daily bread. His bread and His water will become a banquet feast for you.

Discern Your Conflicts of Interest

“Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.”  James 4:8 

Getting close to God sounds so simple.  It’s like standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon and drinking in the vast panorama of copper, clay and sand-toned artistry, compliments of Creative Landscaping, Inc.  Or, like feeling the moist, pre-dawn air in your face as you slowly penetrate the rising mist and head toward yesterday’s prime fishing spot.  Aren’t those the times when we get closest to God?  Not really.  It’s much more brutal than that. 

David said, “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.”  Psalm 73:28. When we are close to God, we feel better.  When we are close to God, we obtain his blessings.  When we are close to God, He soothes our feelings, He cleanses us from sin, He brings peace to our lives.  Close is good.  Close is also costly.  Each step that draws you closer to God makes you forego alternative choices.  This is where conflict of interest comes in.  An age-old law states that you cannot have stock in a business if you hold a public office that exerts control over the business.  The temptation to shape legislation for personal benefit cannot be risked.  Umpires and judges must step aside from situations involving a relative.  The principle of conflict of interest applies in every case.  

God’s standards for getting close to him have to do with eliminating the competition, not exhilarating feelings, enjoyment of nature or aesthetic appreciation.  He doesn’t ask if you like him, enjoy him, feel good about him, respect or honor him.  What God wants to know is if you love only him, and he won’t take your word for it—He judges your credibility for himself.  You have to cut off all competition.  Once you begin to give up things supremely significant to your flesh, God pays attention. 

Abraham found the secret.  “Take your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah to offer him there for a burnt offering.”  Genesis 22:1-2.  God forced a brutal, horrific choice upon Abraham.  His request seemed cruel, even despotic, but Abraham complied.  He journeyed to Moriah, built an altar, bound Isaac and lifted the knife to plunge it into his son’s chest.  Only then did God stop him and provided a ram for the sacrifice.  He brooked no conflict of interest in Abraham’s relationship with him. “But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ So, he said, ‘Here I am.’ And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’”  Genesis 22:11-12. When Abraham drew nigh to God through the divestiture of his conflicts of interest, God drew nigh to Abraham.  

Stated another way, God’s presence in your life is inversely proportional to the status of all other interests you possess.  Less of you means more of him.  Don’t measure closeness to God by seeking a mystical, divine ambience in the sanctuary.  Don’t confuse it with the resonating chords of a worship chorus.  Don’t even mistake a dynamic and anointed service with your personal closeness to God.  Only when you set aside any cherished possessions and relationships that displace God’s priorities in your life, does God draw nigh.  

Necessary Things

“For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.”  Acts 15:28 

If I were to make a list of unnecessary necessities, how many items would be on it?  A brief look inside many ladies’ purses would reveal a lot about what the women folk think is necessary, like a cell phone; Chapstick; Kleenex, keys, perfume, eyeglasses, nail clippers, nail file, compact, drivers’ license, credit cards, McDonald’s or Wendy’s coupons, a pen and a notebook.  Many men carry a few things like a cell phone, pocket knife, a set of keys and credit cards.  If a person was lost in the wilderness, however, many things thought necessary would be totally useless. You might think you would be ok if you only had your cell phone.  After twenty-four hours and no place to recharge it, forget it.  (Here’s where that pocket knife might come in handy!)  The list of necessary things would change.  It would be back to the real basics of life: food, water, protection from the elements, protection from predators, plus a compass.   It’s strange how much we complicate our lives with stuff that hurts us rather than helps us.  We anoint the accessories, secure the superfluous and fall for the fluff, but, somehow, we manage to overlook the actual things we need.  

After Pentecost, a huge debate raged over whether the Gentiles should be included in the church.  Racism, bigotry and prejudice fueled the fire between Jewish and non-Jewish converts.  A church conference was called to settle the dispute.  Finally, the church leaders ruled that the Gentiles should only observe some “necessary things” which turn out to be differences between the Jewish religion and Gentile practices, not the requirements of salvation.  Yet, the idea of necessary things rings true. 

Salvation is a necessity! An old song says, “Above all else, I must be saved!” Twenty-two major groupings of religion exist in the world.  Christianity is only one grouping.  Under the umbrella of Christianity, you have hundreds of denominations, sectarian beliefs, branches and divisions.  Some hardly believe anything; others live in communes or caves.  Some have compromised away whatever truth they had: others have isolated themselves and dropped out of circulation because of fear.  The point is that we cannot trust our eternal salvation to man and his potpourri of beliefs.  

Search the Scriptures for necessary things.  You will find everything you need to know.  Faith.  “But without faith it is impossible to please God.”  Hebrews 11: 6.  Gospel. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is the gospel of your salvation. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.  Holiness.  “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”  Hebrews 12: 14.   Belief in the deity of Christ.  “I said therefore unto you, that you shall die in your sins: for if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.” John 8: 24.  

In an eyedrop of sarcasm, Dr. W. E. Deming said, “It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”  Of course, if you do want to survive, you must change.  You have to change from the superficial to the comprehensive; from the easy and convenient to the tough and complex; from the popular to the proper. An old saint once told me, “Serving God hard is easy, but serving God easy is hard!” That’s a rewrite of the words of Jesus.  He said, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39. Just know that the most important things are also the best things!