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May 16, 2012 Taking Every Thought Captive Part 5 Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV).
Friend to Friend
In my last 4 devotions, I’ve looked at steps to taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. I’m proud of you for sticking with it! Today’s the last of the series. If you’ve missed any of the series, you can read them all on my blog at www.sharonjaynes.com. Let’s review:
Step One: Recognize the Enemy’s True Identity Step Two: Recognize Satan’s Lies Step Three: Reject the Lies
And today we’re looking at step four: Replace the lies with the Truth
Just as Satan tempted Eve in the Garden, he tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. How did Jesus fight the enemy? He fought him with Scripture – He conquered him with the truth. Each time Satan put an evil thought before Him, Jesus said, “It is written….”
It is not a sin to be tempted. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted and yet did not sin. It becomes a sin when we act on the thought or accept the lie as truth. As Martin Luther once said, “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hat.”
Let me give you this example. I believe that Satan sends us e-mails all day long (evil-mails). If you get a seductive e-mail on the screen of your computer, is it your fault? Not unless you’ve placed yourself on some bad e-mail lists. When does that e-mail become a sin? The moment you click on it and accept the invitation.
Likewise, when the enemy tempts you to believe a lie, the temptation is not sin. It becomes sin if you accept the thought as your own and act on it. Your responsibility is to delete the lie and replace it with the truth.
When it comes to defeating Satan, Dr. Neil Anderson said it well: “You don’t have to out shout him or out muscle him to be free of his influence. You just have to out truth him.”
Below are some common lies of the enemy and the truth that “demolishes” them. I have listed each lie in the first person, “I,” because that is how the enemy puts them into our thoughts.
Satan’s Lie Nobody loves me. God’s Truth For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son. (John 3:16)
Satan’s Lie I’m not able to do this job. I don’t have the right gifts. God’s Truth Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but
our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new
covenant. (2 Corinthians 3:5)
Satan’s Lie God couldn’t love me. God’s Truth How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be
called children of God! (I John 3:1)
Satan’s Lie I’m so worried about this. I can’t help it. God’s Truth Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving; present your requests to God. And the peace of God which
transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:6)
Satan’s Lie I’m a loser. God’s Truth I have been blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in
Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
Satan’s Lie I can’t help myself. God’s Truth Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
In order to win the battle for our minds, we must refuse the lies and replace them with the truth. The more we think on the truth quicker we will recognize the lies and replace them with truth.
Girlfriend, I’m proud of you for sticking with me these five days. T he Bible says “Wisdom brightens a [woman's] face and changes its hard appearance” (Ecclesiastes 8:1 NIV). I’d say you are absolutely glowing. Stunning.
Let’s Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, today I am choosing to believe the truth. Help me realize the enemy’s true identity, recognize the lies, reject the lies, and replace his lies with Your truth.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
- Bible Gateway.Com
Now It’s Your Turn
It’s seems the key to this entire process of taking every thought captive is knowing and applying the truth! So let’s commit 2 Corinthians 10:5 to memory. In this series, I quoted from several different translations. Chose the translation that is most comfortable for you and write this verse on a card. Put it on your dashboard, by your kitchen sink, or on your bathroom mirror.
See if you can name the four steps to taking every thought captive without looking.
Had to look? That’s OK.You might want to write them on the back of your 2 Corinthians 10:5 the index card.
Today’s Truth
“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB).
Friend to Friend
In my past three devotions, we looked at two steps for taking every thought captive. Today, let’s look at step three: Reject the Lie.
Once I had a door-to-door vacuum salesman come to my house. To my detriment, I let him in. Before I could convince him I did not need a new vacuum cleaner, he had his demonstration trash sprinkled all over my foyer floor. Almost two hours later, I finally got him to leave.
What was my first mistake? You know it! My first mistake was to let him cross the threshold of my doorway and enter my house. Once he was in, it was difficult to get him out. It is the same way with our thoughts. Once we entertain a thought, once we allow the “salesman” to scatter his “trash” in our minds, it is hard to dismiss it or push it back out again. The place of easiest victory is at the threshold; don’t even let the trash in the door. It has been said, “Every spiritual battle is won or lost at the threshold of the mind.” I think victory is possible once the thought has passed over the threshold, but it sure will save us a lot of heartache and pain if we begin to recognize Satan’s lies and reject them from the start.
Let’s go back to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 and dig a little deeper by discovering the rich meaning of some of the key words in the original Greek language of the New Testament.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
This verse tells us that through Christ, we have the power to demolish strongholds. What is a stronghold? The Greek word for stronghold is echo, meaning, “to hold fast.” A derivation of that same word, echuroma means “a stronghold, fortification, fortress.” Bible teacher, Beth Moore, describes them as “anything in our lives that we hold on to that ends up holding us.” They are formed when thoughts or habit patterns “echo” time and time again in our minds. They are negative thoughts that are burned into our minds through repetition (such as verbal abuse) or a one-time traumatic incident (such as a rape). These thought patterns have the potential to grab hold of a mind and rule a life. Many strongholds are built brick-by-brick for protection, but inevitably they become prisons. Beth goes on to say, “No matter what the stronghold may be, they all have one thing in common: Satan is fueling the mental tank with deception to keep the stronghold running.”
The word demolish implies a kind of destruction requiring tremendous power – divine power. One reason many Christians have remained in a yoke of slavery to past sins and lies of the enemy is because they swat at strongholds like they are mosquitoes instead of blasting them with the truth like they are concrete fortresses formed by years of construction.
We cannot destroy demonic strongholds on our own strength even on our best days. The Holy Spirit can destroy strongholds with His power even on our worst days. The power of the Holy Spirit is the Greek word dunamous, which is where we get the word dynamite. “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
The verse goes on to describe another area that needs to be destroyed.”We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.” I don’t know about you, but on a few occasions, (OK, on more occasions than I can count) I have argued with God and against the knowledge of God. Guess what? God always wins.
The Greek word for arguments is logismos, meaning “a reckoning, calculation, consideration, reflection.” A calculated thought might be a conclusion that you are a failure, after you have failed at something. That seems logical. It all adds up. Upon reflection, it seems highly probable. However, that’s not what the Truth says. It is against the knowledge of God. Regardless of your calculations, God says you are a saint who has been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, a child of God, and a co-heir with Christ. You are not a failure and you need to reject the lie. When the thought comes into your head, simply say, “I reject that thought. It is a lie of the enemy and not the truth of God. I failed in this instance, but I am not a failure.”
So far we’ve looked at three steps to taking every thought captive:
Step One: Recognize the Enemy’s True Identity Step Two: Recognize Satan’s Lies Step Three: Reject the Lies
Join me next time as we look at the final step to taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Let’s Pray
Dear Father, I’ll admit that I toy with thoughts that I know are not true. I feel sorry for myself, entertain thoughts of rejection, and sometimes even feel like nobody loves me. Those are lies. All of them. Right now, I commit to reject the lies of the enemy as soon as the thought comes into my head. Thank you for the truth that sets us free from feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength – and that’s the truth.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
I want you to write down five lies that you tend to believe about yourself and leave some space between them. Now, I want you to write down a truth from the Bible for each one that lets you know it is a lie.
Let me get you started.
Lie: I can’t do anything right.
Truth: I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
Lie: Nobody ever prays for me.
Truth: Jesus said: “I pray for …those you have given me. John 17:9
Isaiah 6:1-3 “Above him stood the seraphim. …And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’” ( vv. 2-3).
As we have seen, Matthew 12 includes several instances of our Lord’s encounter with demons and His teaching about these wicked spirits (vv. 22, 43-45 ). The forces of evil, however, are not the only supernatural agents at work during the ministry of Jesus. Matthew also writes of the role of angels in the life of Christ (for example, 1:18-21; 4:11). In order to examine the nature and activities of these figures, we will now take a short break from Matthew and follow Dr. R.C. Sproul’s teaching series Angels and Demons as our guide.
It would be hard to discount the role of angels in the history of redemption. As an indication of their importance, note that the Greek word for angel, angelos, occurs more frequently in the New Testament than hamartia, the term for sin, and agape , one of the words we translate as “love.” Although angels are frequently mentioned, we must also admit that there is not as much information about them as there is on other topics like salvation and ethics. Angels are mentioned frequently, but the focus is often more on the messages they bring than the nature of the angels themselves. Nevertheless, we can learn much from the descriptions of angelic activity found in Scripture.
Today’s passage illustrates that at least some of the angels are tasked with the continual worship of God in heaven. The seraphim described have six wings: two for flying, two for covering the face, and two for covering the feet ( Isa. 6:1-2). In the Bible, men and women are often blinded when in the presence of the Almighty (Acts 9:1-9), presumably because of the glorious light of His splendor. Thus it would seem that the angels in Isaiah 6 cover their eyes to protect themselves from this light. This underscores just how different the Lord is from His angels. These angels have not sinned and are holy, yet they must shield themselves from God’s transcendent and majestic holiness.
These angels worship the Creator, emphasizing His moral perfection and otherness with the threefold repetition: “Holy, holy, holy.” (v. 3). In our corporate worship we are privileged to enter heaven and join with these magnificent creatures in praise of God’s glory and grace ( Heb. 12:18-24).
Coram deo: Living before the face of God
Hebrews 12:18-24 tells us that worship is more than just the gathering of saints in an earthly sanctuary. When we praise God alongside His people we actually enter heaven itself, bearing witness with the angels to our Lord’s holiness and beauty. We should, therefore, never consider worship as something dull and dreary, for we enter into the gates of heaven and join the angels in God’s throne room singing praises of His majesty.
Some say that this conclusion only makes sense if the speaker has been transformed or is someone completely new.
Others say that this is simply the final conclusion of the Teacher’s hard, unblinking look at life. They say that though this book asks the difficult questions and is often cynical, it also shows sparks of faith. Indeed, this is not the first time we are urged to fear God (see Ecc 8:12-13). Now, however, faith is clearly favored over doubt.
Some think this conclusion was written by a wise man or editor other than the Teacher. They suggest he uses the writings of the Teacher primarily to demonstrate how futile they were. His intent, then, is to teach his son (or disciple: “My son” was a conventional way for a teacher to speak to his student, see Ecc 12:12) the better way-to fear God (see Ecc 12:13-14).
Either way, the doctrine of the Old Testament is summarized in a few short phrases. The reader is urged (1) to have a right relationship with God (“fear God”); (2) to maintain that relationship by following the law (“keep his commandments”); and (3) to anticipate a final and future judgment (“God will bring every deed into judgment”).
…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.Hebrews 12:2-3
The letter to the Hebrews was written to first century Jewish background believers who were being severely persecuted. Some were even considering giving up their faith in Jesus. The unknown author pens what many Bible scholars feel was originally a sermon about the superiority of Jesus over anyone else and everything else.
He slowly builds his case to culminate in the great faith chapter. In this chapter, he also points out that some great men and women of faith lived to see the fruit of their faith while many others—also men and women of faith—died prematurely because of persecution. Now in chapter twelve, the author makes what I think is his critical statement or main point of the letter.
How do we walk by faith? We walk by faith by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus ! Not fixed on our problems or difficult environment of opposition. Jesus was the pioneer and perfecter of faith. He endured opposition to the point of crucifixion. So we follow His example and we will also patiently endure because of the joy we know that is yet to come.
In a communist country, a Christian girl named Viorica was beaten harshly in school because she had invited her schoolmates to church. She fainted during the beating, and an ambulance had to take her to hospital. Two days passed before she regained consciousness. When she did, the doctor at her bedside said, “You poor girl, at last you’ve opened your eyes. All this time I’ve been thinking of the cruelty of the director who beat you like this. My heart has been bitter with hatred. I wish I could take revenge on him.”
Viorica smiled. “There is no need to hate him,” she replied. Jesus taught us to love everyone. Just before I opened my eyes, I saw Him and talked to Him. He asked me whether it still hurts. And He told me that in heaven I will receive a very beautiful crown, which is reserved only for those who have suffered for Him. He told me to pray for those who mistreated me, and to love them, because our influence will help them to give their lives to God and so become His children.”
From the mouths of children! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus!
RESPONSE: Today I will take my eyes off my surroundings, my problems, my fears and my suffering. I will keep them fixed on Jesus my Lord.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me keep my focus on You and in so doing bring glory and honor to You.
Today’s Truth “[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), (2 Corinthians 10:5 AMP).
Friend to Friend
My neighbor, Michael, was a stand-in for Samuel, the nine-year-old son of Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) in the movie The Patriot. For months, Michael wore his hair long with extensions, donned Italian knickers and knee-high stockings and acted the part of an American colonial boy. He traveled to rural South Carolina where part of the movie was filmed and received an education in the production of the silver screen. Michael saw how producers and makeup artists made something appear as though it were real when it wasn’t.
The movie was rated R for violent content, but his parents let nine-year-old Michael watch it upon release. It was a bloody realistic reenactment of the horrors of the Revolutionary War. However, during the guts and gore, little Michael didn’t even bat an eye. Why? He knew it wasn’t real.
During one scene, Mel Gibson pummeled a British soldier and landed a hatchet square in the middle of his bloody forehead. I covered my eyes. Michael watched nonplussed. His comment?
“That guy walked around the set with that hatchet in his head for three days. We even ate lunch together and he had that hatchet with fake blood glued to his face. It isn’t real.”
Michael knew what was true and it removed all fear. That’s the power of the truth. Yesterday we looked at step one to taking every thought captive. Today let’s look at step two:
In 2 Corinthians 2:11 Paul says, “For we are not unaware of his (Satan’s) schemes.” So let’s take a few moments and look at his battle plan.
If Satan came to you in a little red suit with a pitchfork and announced himself as the devil, you wouldn’t believe a word he said. But he is cunning and disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14 ). When he deceived Eve, he even quoted Scripture – albeit twisted and distorted. He has a collection of old tapes from your past and pushes rewind and play, rewind and play. Oh yes, he knows just which buttons to push. He also uses personal pronouns like “I” instead of “you.” The thoughts sound something like this: “I am a failure. I am a loser. I can’t do anything right. I am ugly.” The thoughts sound like you, feel like you, and before you know it, you think it is you. He did this all throughout Scripture and he still does it today. (See 1 Chronicles 21:1 as an example.)
Satan knows exactly which lies to whisper in your ear. He has watched you over the years and is well acquainted with your insecurities, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. Do you tend to get discouraged? He will plant seeds of discouragement in your mind. Do you tend to feel rejection and loneliness? He will put ideas that you are rejected in your mind. But are they true? No they are not. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. You are loved and chosen by God. That is the truth.
Here’s a simple exercise. If you aren’t sure if a thought is of the enemy, attach, “In Jesus Name,” to the end of it. For example: “I can’t stand that woman, in Jesus’ Name.” “I don’t love my husband, in Jesus’ Name.” “I am a loser, in Jesus Name.” Just doesn’t fit, does it? That is not a fail-safe method for detecting the truth versus a lie, but it is a quick litmus test that takes us in the right direction.
Step two in taking every thought captive is Recognizing Satan’s Lies.
Join me next time as we look at step three to taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. But before we get there, you’ll get to visit with another one of the GiGs.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, Help me to recognize Satan’s lies. I know the only way to recognize a lie is to know the truth. I pray that the Holy Spirit will convict me when I am believing a lie and that He will help me see Your truth.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Think of some of the negative thoughts that have run through your mind this week. Now attach “in Jesus’ Name” to the end of that thought. What does that reveal?
What are some lies that you have believed about who you are? For example: I am a loser. I can’t do anything right. I am used goods. I can never be forgiven. I am too far gone.
Today’s Truth “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV).
Friend to Friend
In my last devotion, we looked at 2 Corinthians 10:5 and the idea of taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. We compared it to roping a calf in a lassoing contest. Every spiritual battle is won or lost at the threshold of the mind; right as the calf comes bursting through the door. Let’s look at four simple steps for taking every thought captive and lassoing those runaway thoughts.
STEP ONE Realize the Enemy’s True Identity
On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, after I got my son off to school and my husband off to work, I took a long walk through my neighborhood. The sky was crystal clear blue with a gentle breeze. It was a gorgeous cool North Carolina fall day with just a hint of color on the leaves. There was nothing special on my schedule – just the ordinary. However, one hour later, because of a horrendous terrorist attack on our country in New York City and Washington, DC, by evil personified, the day turned into anything but ordinary. I watched in horror as the television played and replayed the airplanes crashing into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon.
Amazingly, we never saw it coming. As I thought about that, God reminded me: That’s how the enemy always attacks. When you least expect it.
Let’s think about another monumental day in our country’s history. On December 31, 1999, the country and the world braced for the potentially disastrous effects of Y2K. Families and businesses alike prepared for months for what might occur as the clock ticked past 11:59 PM and into the new millennium. We held our breaths, clasped our hands and braced ourselves. Yes, we were ready. What happened? Nothing. The new millennium came without incident.
Oh dear friends, do you see the correlation? There is an enemy who seeks to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). His name is Satan. He desires to destroy us just as sure as the hijackers drove those airplanes into, and toppled, the twin towers in New York City.
Satan has other names – the devil, the accuser of the brethren, a liar, the father of lies, and the deceiver. A deceiver is someone who presents a lie in such a way, it sounds like the truth. He can make you believe something is not true when it is and make you believe something is true when it isn’t. He speaks in your own voice. The thoughts feel like you, because they are the old you that he has memorized so well. He’s not very creative, but he is very effective and he uses the same methods with us he’s used since the beginning of time.
The first step to changing the way we think is to recognize the enemy’s true identity. It’s not your mother; it’s not your father; it’s not the person who abused you as a child. The real enemy is Satan himself and he uses your past hurts and failures as cannon fodder to wound you. If you don’t have sufficient ammo in your past, he concocts some of his own.
In my next three devotions, we’ll continuing look at the steps for taking every thought captive. Mary and Gwen’s devotions will be interspersed. I don’t want you to miss them. I couldn’t go a week without these gal pals. But when I return, I’ll pick right back up where we left off and move on to Step Two of taking every thought captive.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, I know that I cannot win a battle if I do not know who I am fighting. Help me to recognize the enemy’s true identity. Spiritual warfare is very real. Today, I put on the armor of God and stand firm against the powers of the enemy. I am more than a conqueror through the power of Jesus Christ.
In His Name I pray and stand,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Can you think of a time when you blamed someone for a difficulty in your life when it might have been an attack of the enemy?
Go back and read John 10:10. What does the enemy desire to do?
Today’s Truth “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB).
Friend to Friend
Several years ago, my family went on an excursion out West. We flew to Nevada, rented a car, and then proceeded to log in 2500 miles in ten days. One of our stops was Jackson Hole, Wyoming – Cowboy Country.
On Saturday night, we attended the local rodeo. There we sat, three city slickers among whoopin’ hollerin’ locals. The cowboys’ skills entertained and amazed those of us who thought a Bronco was a 4-wheel drive. Cowboys, young and old, rode bucking broncos, raced around barrels, and conquered angry bulls. But the most thrilling event was the lassoing contest.
We all sat on the edge of our seats as the cowboy waited, poised in his saddle, anticipating the calf’s release from the chute. The corral door swung open and the calf burst from the gate. The cowboy exploded through a second door with lasso in hand, and pursued the bucking, twisting, galloping animal. He lassoed the calf’s neck, threw him to the ground, quickly wrapped the rope around his legs, tied them securely in place, and immediately jumped up and raised his arms in victory. As the victor stood receiving his applause, his trained steed took three steps backward to secure the rope in place.
The timer continued to run for a few seconds to make sure the calf was indeed captive. Then the cowboy’s time was posted on the scoreboard. Time and time again, cowhands lassoed little calves, secured their captives, and raised their hands in victory. Only a few times did a calf escape the rope and make his way out the door on the other end of the corral.
I’ll admit that I was feeling a bit sorry for the little calves, even though they were released as soon as the time was logged. The first time one escaped the lasso, I applauded wildly. Angry onlookers let me know with a glare that cheering for the calf was not acceptable. As I continued to watch the contest, the Lord prodded my mind and told me to look and learn. Suddenly it hit me. This event was a perfect picture of what Paul described in today’s truth.
Those calves reminded me of wild and wooly thoughts that burst forth from the stable of my mind at times: negative, rebellious, fearful, angry, worrisome, jealous, degrading thoughts that are untamed and unruly, bucking, jumping and running wild across pleasant plains. And when my thoughts are ungodly, my reaction should be like the cowboy’s: ride up hot on the thought’s heels, lasso it with the truth, tie it up securely, and throw it in the dust. My response should be just like the cowboy’s trusty trained horse who, automatically, because of practice, takes three steps backward to make sure the deceptive thought “ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
Trained because of practice. Taking every thought captive. Yes siree. Let’s lasso those thoughts little sister, tie ‘em up, and throw em’ back in the dust where they came from in the first place. Then we can raise our arms in victory with all the heavenly hosts applauding in victory. And believe me, the faster we do it, the better.
In my next four devotions, we’ll look at four simple steps for taking every thought captive. Mary and Gwen’s devotions will be interspersed. I don’t want you to miss them. I couldn’t go a week without these gal pals. But when I return, I’ll pick right back up where we left off in taking every thought captive.
My prayer is that you’ll put these steps into practice in your own life and light up the scoreboard with victory in lassoing those runaway thoughts.
See you next time!
Let’s Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, sometimes my thoughts run wild. I believe things are true when they aren’t and don’t believe things are true when they are. Help me to take every thought captive that is not of You. Fill me with Your Truth.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
When is the last time you had a runaway thought that was not godly?
At what point did you realize the thought was not of God?
Look up Philippians 4:8 and meditate on this litmus test for our thoughts.
Today’s Truth God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6, NIV).
Friend to Friend
C.S. Lewis called pride a “spiritual cancer” that devours love and contentment. Pride is a sign of our own insecurity and feelings of inferiority. Pride and inferiority are actually opposite sides of the same coin and are both sin, a preoccupation with self that leaves little room for God’s spirit of humility.
We all struggle with pride and must constantly battle the tendency to measure every circumstance and relationship against the narcissistic viewpoint of “What’s in it for me?” Pride has no place in the life of a Christian because pride steps between God and us. To think that God stands in opposition against prideful people is a strong and sobering statement that should send us all running to the place of humility. Because He is a loving Father, God opposes pride, in part, for what it does to His children. “Pride will destroy a person; a proud attitude leads to ruin. It is better to be humble and be with those who suffer than to share stolen property with the proud” ( Proverbs 16:18-19). Learning to deal with pride is an important and essential part of spiritual growth.
Pride will prevent us from seeing others as God sees them. Pride will hold us back from laying down our expectations and rights in order to reach out to those who cross our path. Pride will slowly erode the humble spirit God so wants to see in His people and in their relationships. I suspect that a good dose of humility would cure many of our failing marriages, broken family relationships and struggling friendships. Then the question becomes, how can we eliminate pride and prevent it from carving out a destructive stronghold from which relationship problems arise. The answer is found in a passage of scripture written by the apostle Paul and directed to the church in Rome.
Romans 12:3 -6;10 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Paul certainly understood what it meant to struggle with pride. Before his encounter with Christ, Paul had been a man of great arrogance. After all, he was a power broker in the Roman government as well as a highly regarded and chief persecutor of anyone following Jesus Christ. Little did Paul know what the road to Damascus held for him that day when God interrupted Paul’s life with His blinding love and His unparalleled power. Everything changed. Paul became a humble man, the walking definition of a servant, delighting in his new role of striving to be last among the least. Paul understood that he was a trophy of grace; that his heart had been captured by grace and his life completely transformed in the process. God’s grace was Paul’s starting place and finish line and the very reason Paul was so humble and so powerful. It is such a paradox in God’s economy of life that in order to be strong we must choose weakness and in order to be first we must be content with last.
The amazing truth is that grace is ours for the asking. God stands ready to pour His priceless grace into every heart and soul while watching grace work to generate an unexplainable peace, eternal life, unending joy, and freedom from sin through unconditional love. Grace offers us the riches of God, at the expense of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross.
Pride’s goal is to make us independent of God, duping us into believing that we are in control of our own fate and are able to call our own shots. What audacity we possess as humans to think we can live life on our own when, whether we admit it or not, we are totally dependent on God and even our very next breath is a gift from His hand. Pride convinces us that we can play God, worshipping ourselves while erecting false idols shrouded in rebellion and sin. Pride is the universal religion of hell and a deadly poison. It’s antidote? Grace.
A friend told me about a new product she found listed online. “Disposable Guilt Bags” first appeared in a few select stores to test the market. I could have told the inventor that guilt exists in abundance and that people will go to any lengths to assuage their guilt. My friend explained that you could buy a set of Disposable Guilt Bags, ten ordinary brown bags on which were printed the following instructions: “Place the bag securely over your mouth then take a deep breath and blow out all of your guilt. Close the bag and dispose of immediately.” The amazing part of this story is that the Associated Press reported that over 2500 kits had sold immediately at $2.50 per kit.
Nothing on this earth is powerful enough to erase guilt. We try to “fix” ourselves but fail. The only power that makes it possible to be forgiven is God’s grace. “In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death. And so we have forgiveness of sins because of God’s rich grace” (Ephesians 1:7). When our lives are lived against the backdrop of grace, pride will die from a lack of attention.
Let’s Pray
Lord, please forgive my arrogant heart. I am so sorry for the pride I see in my life. Today, I ask You to search my heart and destroy the strongholds of pride and ego. Help me to recognize prideful thoughts and actions in my life. Give me the discernment to be honest and transparent before You and before others. I, too, am a trophy of grace. Help me to live like one.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now it’s your turn Read the following verses and answer each question:
Psalm 10:4 “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God” (NIV). How does pride affect our relationship with God? Is this true in your life?
Proverbs 16:5 “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished” (NIV). What is God’s attitude toward those who are proud?
Psalm 40:4 “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods” (NIV). How does pride encourage idolatry? Do you have any idols in your life? Name them and eliminate them.
What decision do you need to make today in order to choose grace over pride? What would that look like in your daily life?
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Genesis 15:1)
You lived before monotheistic religion existed. How did you know there was a God?
I’ve always believed in God, even when others didn’t. I remember getting up early as a young boy and watching the morning sun light up the mountains as if they were on fire. It stirred something inside me, and I remember thinking, “There must be something that made all this beauty.” Or I’d see the moonlight dancing on the ripples in the Euphrates River at night, and local people would say it was a moon god, but that didn’t quite sit right with me. So it didn’t surprise me when the Lord showed up on my doorstep one day. Looking back on it, I think he’d been calling to my heart for a long time.
One of your defining moments was when God made a covenant with you. What do you remember about that moment?
Actually, I remember my fear more than anything else. Looking back, I wish I’d had more faith. But the Lord had promised so many things that seemed, in my mind, impossible. Most of my life I’ve been afraid. Afraid that things were too good to be true. Afraid that my land or my wife or my life would be snatched by desert raiders or evil foreign leaders. I’m ashamed to admit this now, but I had trouble believing that the covenant promises would come true.
So what changed?
It all changed that night. I brought the cow, goat, ram and birds and cut each in half as God directed. Traditionally, I would have walked between the two sections as a pledge to keep my promise. But I fell into a deep sleep and saw a vision of a blazing torch passing between the animal pieces. It was God taking the covenant walk, telling me that he would never break his promises! My heart leaps with joy whenever I remember that vision.
Another defining moment of your life had to be the near sacrifice of Isaac. How did you know that God was going to come through when he told you to kill your son?
I can’t begin to put into words the anguish I felt on that long, three-day journey. And tying Isaac to the altar was more difficult than you could ever imagine. But I had courage because God had already proven to me that he was a God of life. He had helped my wife Sarah-who had never been able to have children-to have a son. I knew he was a miracle-working, life-creating God. The only way I was able to fathom the thought of driving a knife into my son was that I knew Yahweh was fully capable of bringing life back into being.
Back to the Future
What tests of faith are you facing right now?
In what ways has God been faithful to his promises to you in the past?
How can you develop a greater trust in God and his promises?
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