Don't Give Him an Inch

{Ephesians 4:26, 27; ESV}

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

The intended audience for much of the New Testament is Christians. From Romans to Revelation each of the books were written to different Churches. The book of Ephesians likewise was written to the Church at Ephesus. The Apostle Paul warned Christians about letting the Devil get a foothold in their lives. I believe this is a warning we need take very seriously.

For much too long we have lived our lives clueless about the power of the Enemy we face. We watch whatever we want, listen to whatever we like, allow our emotions to rule the choices we make, and put God into some corner of our hearts where He isn't very accessible. Because we underestimate the power of the Enemy we don't even notice the fact that he is building a fortress in our lives.

The Apostle warns the Ephesians about anger, and encourages them not to allow their anger to fester and stew, but to deal with disagreements in a loving manner. I believe that angry is not the only way we allow Satan to get a foothold in our lives. Any time we don't handle the situations in our lives the way God has instructed us to we allow Satan to set up shop in our lives.

John Eldredge in Waking the Dead wrote; "The major ways we give claim to the Enemy in our lives are through sin and through making agreements with him" (pg. 175). Starting with this truth found in Ephesians 4:26, 27 about giving the Devil a foothold in our lives, let us take a moment and consider how we have been allowing Satan to stake a claim in our lives.

The obvious one is sin. That is what Paul plain states in this passage "don't sin." We all have sin in our lives, and when we don't take steps to remove that sin from our lives we give Satan a place to dwell. When God, through the Holy Spirit, reveals to us a sin that is in our heart, it is our job to level every resource we have against it. If we don't and the sin continues to be a part of our lives then we have allowed Satan to stake a claim in our hearts.

The second way we allow Satan to dwell in our lives is by making agreements with him. I don't mean that we come to an arrangement with Satan, such as giving him our soul for a doughnut (like Homer Simpson), but rather agreeing with him about who we are. We give the Devil a foothold in our lives when we agree with him that we are dirty rotten sinners rather than believing God's promises that we are His children and that we are new creations. Those nasty things you believe about yourself are not reality of your life, rather they are lies of Satan. Agreeing with Satan about such things gives him a foothold into our lives.

We long to experience the life God has promised us. We long to have a life of significance and purpose, but our current lives are so far from what we desire. The reason is because we have ignored the Enemy, and we have given him a place to dwell in our lives. If we want to experience the life God created us to live we need to fight for it.

It is time to start cleaning house and kicking Satan out of the strongholds that we have allowed him to build in our lives. We do this by changing the way we live and believing in the promises of God. Get serious about the Enemy who wants to destroy your life, don't give him an inch of your life, because if you do he will do his best to ruin the life God has planned for you. Don't let the sun set on another day without beginning to fight for the life Jesus died for you to enjoy.

We Happy Few

Daily Reading for 10/21/2009

(I don't know if this is legal, but I wanted to share with you the reading Ransomed Heart Ministries sent out last Wednesday.)

Once more, lend a mythic eye to your situation. Let your heart ponder
this:

You awake to find yourself in the middle of a great and terrible war. It is, in fact, our most desperate hour. Your King and dearest Friend calls you forth. Awake, come fully alive, your good heart set free and blazing for him and for those yet to be rescued. You have a glory that
is needed. You are given a quest, a mission that will take you deep into the heart of the kingdom of darkness, to break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron so that your people might be set free from their bleak prisons. He asks that you heal them. Of course, you will face many dangers; you will be hunted.

Would you try and do this alone?

Something stronger than Fate has chosen you. Evil will hunt you. And so a Fellowship must protect you.

Honestly, though he is a very brave and true Hobbit, Frodo hasn't a chance without Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. He will need his friends. And you will need yours. You must cling to those you have, you must search wide and far for those you do not yet have. You must not go alone. From the beginning, right there in Eden, the Enemy's strategy has relied upon a simple aim: Divide, and conquer. Get them isolated, and take them out.

You see this sort of thing at the center of every great story. Dorothy takes her journey with the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Lion, and of course, Toto. Maximus rallies his little band and triumphs over the greatest empire on earth. When Captain John Miller is sent deep behind enemy lines to save Private Ryan, he goes in with a squad of men. And, of course, Jesus had the Twelve. This is written so deeply on our hearts: You must not go alone. The Scriptures are full of such warnings, but until we see our desperate situation, we hear it as an optional religious assembly for an hour on Sunday mornings.

Imagine you are surrounded by a small company of friends who know you well (characters, to be sure, but they love you, and you have come to love them). They understand that we are all at war, know that the purposes of God are to bring a man or woman fully alive, and are living by sheer necessity and joy in the Four Streams. They fight for you, and you for them. Imagine you could have a little fellowship of the heart. Would you want it, if it were available?

That is our destiny.

(Waking The Dead, 186, 187 )

"Anyone can attend church. Only truly devoted followers of Jesus can
change the world." - Aaron Brockett

Sent from my iPod

It Explains A Lot

In preparation for The Wild at Heart Boot Camp I am attending at the end of April, Ransomed Heart Ministries has been sending out, via e-mail, daily readings. These are excerpts taken for John Eldredge’s books. Since I was on my computer fast I am behind in my reading, so one of the ones I read today is from March 15. I would like to share it with you:



Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days, we will not understand life. We will misinterpret 90 percent of what is happening around us and to us. It will be very hard to believe that God’s intentions toward us are life abundant; it will be even harder not to feel that somehow we are just blowing it. Worse, we will begin to accept some really awful things about God. That four-year-old little girl being molested by her daddy— that is “God’s will ”? That ugly divorce that tore your family apart—God wanted that to happen too? And that plane crash that took the lives of so many—that was ordained by God?

Most people get stuck at some point because God appears to have abandoned them. He is not coming through. Speaking about her life with a mixture of disappointment and cynicism, a young woman recently said to me, “God is rather silent right now.” Yes, it’s been awful. I don’t discount that for a moment. She is unloved; she is unemployed; she is under a lot. But her attitude strikes me as deeply naive, on the level of someone caught in a cross fire who asks, rather shocked and with a sense of betrayal, “God, why won’t you make them stop firing at me?” I’m sorry, but that’s not where we are right now. It’s not where we are in the Story. That day is coming, later, when the lion shall lie down with the lamb and we’ll beat swords into plowshares. For now, it’s bloody battle.

It sure explains a whole heckuva lot.

You won’t understand your life, you won’t see clearly what has happened to you or how to live forward from here, unless you see it as battle. A war against your heart. (Waking the Dead , 17–18)

On Monday evening I helped a man out who has an embarrassing problem, the lack of bladder control. He was out of money and needed some pads to function at some level, so I went to Wal-Mart and picked him up some. When I delivered them began to tell me his story (you have to understand I don’t know who this man is, he called the church looking for help and I helped him out). He told me that he had been asking God why He was doing this to him. The man also told me that he was toughing it because people kept telling him that “everything happens for a reason.” But I could tell from the sound of his voice and the alcohol on his breath that he was in pain. What do you tell a guy who believes that the evil that is happening to him is the will of God?

I told him that everything that happens doesn’t have a reason and that we have to remember that there is an enemy, Satan, who is out to destroy our lives. Then I told him that the awesome thing about God is that He is so powerful that He can use these evil things Satan throws at us to harm us for good. I suggested that he pray differently, rather than blaming God, asking God to redeem the pain in his life.

Understanding that we live in a world at war and that we have an Enemy out to get us makes life and this world a whole lot more understandable. Otherwise, we start thinking so awful things about God, and blaming Him, rather than turning to Him to redeem our lives.

Live Right and Follow Jesus

Living Right: Part 4

Life is tough. We all have stories about how our lives have been turned upside down and made difficult. When I look at the world, and at my life, it helps me to remember that there is an Enemy out there who hates us. He hates God and fears what we can become when we faithfully follow Jesus.

John Eldredge in his book Waking the Dead wrote:

“Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days we will not understand life. We will misinterpret 90 percent of what is happing around us and to us. It will be very hard to believe that God’s intentions toward us are life abundant; it will be even harder not to feel that somehow we are just blowing it. Worse, we will begin to accept some really awful things about God. That four-year-old girl being molested by her daddy--that is ‘God’s will’? That ugly divorce that tore your family apart--God wanted that to happen to? And that plane crash that took the lives of so many--that was desired by God?” (p. 17)

War is the context of our days, and the brutal assault that has been carried out against us is evidence to this fact. It is tough to follow Jesus. Life isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean God has abandoned us or that Jesus isn’t worth following. It means that we are being attacked and opposed by someone who hates us and wishes to see us dead.

Because we live in a world, a universe, at war adds value to our lives. Who we are and how we live is how we fight this war. Consider what the apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:

27 The only thing that matters is that you continue to live as good citizens in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come to see you or whether I stay away, I may hear all about you—that you are standing firm in one spirit, struggling with one mind for the faith of the gospel, 28 and that you are not intimidated by your opponents in any way. This is evidence that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved—and all because of God. 29 For you have been given the privilege for Christ's sake not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. 30 You have the same struggle that you saw in me and now hear that I am still having. (Philippians 1:27-30; ISV)

We are in a struggle and Paul tells the Philippians that in order to be victorious in the struggle that they have to live right, as good citizens of God’s Kingdom. When we remain strong, when we don’t give up, and when we bring honor to Christ through the way we live, then we show the world that God’s victory is insured. Our enemies will be destroyed, and we will be saved. Make not mistake about it, this is not easy. That is why Paul uses the word struggling.

If we are honest with ourselves at times it seems like it would be so much easier if we just gave up. I don’t know you, but I have been to that point. Not because I don’t think God exists, but tired of the constant struggle to do right and live up to expectations. I wanted to throw in the towel and follow the path of least resistance. It was only through the grace of God, the encouragement I received from His Word and follow believers, that I didn’t.

That is part of what is behind John’s writing which we have looked at through this series (1 John 2:28-3:10). He wanted to offer his readers a reminder of why they should stick it out, why they should continue to struggle to do what is right. That reason is Jesus. The promises of Jesus give us hope that this struggle is just temporary and that better days await us when Jesus returns and makes all things right. The mission of Jesus gives us an example to follow. It helps us understand the dangers of sin and provides us with a purpose to give our lives away to as we follow Jesus into the unknown of the future.

Here is what I want you to remember from this series: To know Jesus is the only way to live righteous lives. Without knowing Jesus there is no way we can live lives that please God. This isn’t about living up to a certain morality, but it has everything to do with living a life of faith. Giving our lives away to doing good rather than just avoiding evil. It is joining Jesus in His mission to proclaim the Gospel and set the captives free. We can live a “moral” life without Jesus, but we cannot live a righteous life, a life set on doing God’s will, apart of Jesus.

Right now your life is being opposed. Jesus said that the thief has come to steal, kill, and destroy. Don’t be surprised if you are struggling right now, because Satan wants nothing more than for you to suffer. Yet we also have to remember what Jesus promised, I have come so you can have life, and have it abundantly. Our lives may be opposed, but the promise of Jesus is when we stick with Him we will find a life beyond our wildest imagination. It starts here today and contains into eternity. It is time to live right. It is time to follow Jesus.

• Point to Ponder: To know Jesus is the only way to live righteous lives.
• Passage to Remember: Philippians 1:27-30
• Question to Consider: How can you receive strength to continue to struggle to live right?

We Are Opposed

Living Right: Part 1

Jesus has come to us with the offer of life. That is the promise of John 10:10; “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly” (NET). Now we can be certain that we have access to this life when we remain in Jesus (John 15:1-8). To remain in Jesus means that we live our lives in faith. Our lives should be a reflection of Jesus’ life.

Yet, we know that just because we have this life-giving connection doesn’t mean our lives will be easy. Remember our lives are being opposed and that we are living in a world that is at war. Jesus reminds us of this fact before making His promise in John 10:10. Satan is in opposition to the will of God and that means he is opposed to us having life. The Enemy is going to do everything in his power to oppose us and to keep us from living the life God created us to live. That means life will be a struggle. I want you to consider this question: How has Satan opposed your life?

Perhaps you can relate to this couple’s Paris vacation:

“Some dear friends of mine just returned from a three-week vacation in France. It had been their dream for nearly twenty-five years. What could be more romantic that strolling the Champs Élysées in the evening, as lovers do? It seemed an ideal way to celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. They’d both served God faithfully for decades, but over the years a European rendezvous seem about as reachable as the moon. Then, late last fall, things suddenly came together.

“Friends of theirs were headed to Europe and offered two tickets to come along. TIme off was available. They were going to France. And right after they made it to Paris, it all fell apart. Craig down with walking pneumonia; Lori wanted to leave the third day. All sorts of issues in their marriage surface, but since they were with friends, the issues mostly played themselves out in their own thoughts--which tended toward divorce. It wasn’t romantic; it was hard. Afterward, as we talked on the phone about the whole thing, Lori said, ‘Life never seems to turn out the way you think it will, about 90 percent of the time.’ No kidding. Haven’t we all got a story that goes with that little bumper sticker?” (John Eldredge, Waking the Dead, p. 6)

Our lives are being opposed. Satan doesn’t want you to live life, he wants you life destroyed. Doesn’t this help us make sense of the world? Why do the evil seem to prosper and the good struggle? Why do tragic events happen that erase the joy of life? Only when the answers are built upon the fact that our lives are being opposed do we even begin to make sense of what is happening.

Put this in the context of your life: You have tried to become more obedient to Jesus, but you can’t seem to break free from the habit of gossiping. You just need to be “in the know”. You want to be more loving to your next door neighbor, but then he knocks on your door to let you know all the things that are wrong with your yard and house. He leaves and you are seething inside as you visualize putting your fist through his face. You want to be certain about the truth of the Bible, but last night’s program on the Discovery Channel has you wondering if naturalistic evolution isn’t right after all. It seems so ridiculous to believe in God the Creator in the face of “scientific evidence”.

The more we try to follow Jesus, the more we will be opposed by Satan. Things don’t go as planned because Satan is out to steal, kill, and destroy our lives. Because life is hard we will be tempted to give up and do our own thing. Please remember to do so would allow Satan to win the fight for our life.

Why should we continue our struggle against the opposition of the Enemy? The writer of Hebrews wrote:

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed in your struggle against sin. (Hebrews 12:1-4; NET)

The inspired author of Hebrews tells us that there are two reasons why we should continue our struggle against the opposition to our lives. The first reason is because of the faithful people who went before us. Hebrews chapter 11, as many of you know, continues a list of men and women who remained faithful to God. He reminds us that not one of these people received everything God had promised them, but that they looked forward to the time when God would make everything right. We too must follow their example and look forward to Heaven.

The second is Jesus. Jesus experienced hardships, trials, and opposition, yet in the end He was obedient and faithful. Because Jesus endured so much for us, we should endure through the opposition that we will face. The life God created us to live is not going to be easy, it is going to filled with opposition, but if we endure we will discover it is the best life that we can possible live.

• Point to Ponder: The more we try to follow Jesus, the more we will be opposed by Satan.
• Passage to Remember: Hebrews 12:1-4
• Question to Consider: How has Satan opposed you?

Sunday Quote: Following Jesus

"Only by walking with God can we hope to find the path that leads to life. That is what it means to be a disciple. After all—aren't we 'followers of Christ'? Then be all means, let's actually follow him. Not ideas about him. Not just his principles. Him." ~ John Eldredge, Waking the Dead, p. 97