In what follows we shall note significant scriptural passages in which waiting, watching, and/or patience are featured. A summary together with their importance will conclude the study.
Scriptural Lessons Concerning Waiting
Old Testament
In Psalm 27 David concludes his teachings by saying,
Wait for the LORD;
Be courageous and let your heart be strong.
Wait for the LORD. (Ps. 27:14; HCSB)4
Despite life’s many difficulties, the believer finds courage and strength to meet them in waiting on the Lord, for “God is our strong refuge” (Ps. 46:1).5A practical lesson for doing so is found in Psalm 104, where all creatures are said to wait for the Lord, “to give them their food at the right time” (v. 27; HCSB), for “You give them food and they receive it; you open your hand and they are filled with food” (v. 28). Such may well be a good lesson for humans, As Vance Havner said: “Simply wait upon Him. So doing, we shall be directed, supplied, protected, corrected, and rewarded.” 6
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Psalm 33 is designed for readers to give full praise to the Lord. David gives many reasons for doing so. He begins his psalm with a call to rejoice and praise the Lord (vv.1-3). He follows this with several reasons to praise the Lord (vv. 4-9). He then proceeds to contrast the Lord’s dealings with both the unrighteous and the righteous (vv. 10-12), before once again magnifying God’s sovereign control over all the earth (vv. 13-19). He brings the psalm to a climactic conclusion by urging all believers to place their full trust in the Lord and to pray for His continued and everlasting faithful love:
We wait for the LORD;
he is our deliverer and shield.
For our hearts rejoice in him,
for we trust in his holy name.
May we experience your faithfulness, O LORD,
for we wait for you. (Ps. 33:20-22)
David’s declaration of waiting for the Lord (v. 20) emphasizes the need for complete dependence on God. In so doing a believer can rejoice and trust “in his holy name” (cf. vv. 1-2).
By God’s “name” the psalmist intends complete trust in the Lord himself in accordance with what the term “name” entails when referring to God as the eternally existing source and sustenance of life. For as Strong declares, “God is the infinite and perfect Spirit in whom all things have their source, support and end.”7Christians may join with David’s praise because of all that they have in their Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Thus Martin remarks in his hymn,
The name of Jesus is so sweet,
I love its music to repeat;
It makes my joys full and complete,
The precious name of Jesus.8
David ends his psalm by beseeching the Lord, “May your faithful love rest on us” (v. 22; HCSB). By ”faithful love” (Heb. ħesed) is meant God’s loving-kindness toward mankind (cf. Pss. 116:1-2; 136), and especially his covenant people, Israel (cf. Deut. 7:9, 12; 1 Kings 8:23). God’s love is often attested in the Scriptures (e.g., Ps. 36:7). It is better than life itself” (63:3). It is an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3) so that God’s people may always call on Him with confidence in all circumstances (Ps. 86:7). The Lord is also faithful to His person and standards, and also in His promises to His people...Because of His faithfulness, God’s people may rejoice in His presence and praise Him with joyful hearts (Ps 92:1-4).9
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If God displays such concern and affection for mankind, should believers do less? Certainly not! Even all nature waits on God;
All of your creatures wait for you
to provide them with food on a regular basis.
You give food to them and they receive it;
You open your hand and they are filled with food. (Ps. 104:27-28)
Believers may also be assured that the Lord’s help and strength are available for any and all situations. Thus Isaiah observes:
He gives strength to those who are tired;
to the ones who lack power he gives renewed energy.
Even youths get tired and weary,
even strong young men clumsily stumble,
But those who wait in the LORD’s help find renewed strength;
they rise up as if they had eagle’s wings,
they run without growing weary,
they walk without getting tired. (Isa. 40:29-31)
Accordingly, Smith remarks that believers should and need to exercise genuine hope:
This hope is an active dependence on God that patiently awaits his timing with confident expectation. This trust in God will replace any false leaning on a person’s own strength. Placing hope in God implies that a spiritual bond exists that allows people to admit their own helplessness and commit their welfare completely into the hands of his strong power.10
The psalmist gives an example of the need of putting hope in the Lord in times of trouble:
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I long for your salvation; I put my hope in your word.
My eyes grow weary looking, for what you have promised;
I ask, “When will You comfort me?”
Though I have become like a wineskin dried by smoke,
I do not forget your statutes. (Ps. 119:81-83; HCSB; cf. Ps. 38:15)
As Leupold observes, till help comes he fixes his hope on the Word in which God has promised His children such help as may be needed by them.11Quite obviously the psalmist is in deep, troubling circumstances, but he knows that his only hope of deliverance lies with the Lord. Therefore, he puts his full trust in the Lord and remains faithful to God’s revealed standards. It is a good lesson for all believers.
Such is clearly expressed by the prophet Micah as well (Micah 7:1-6). Micah points out further that even the members of family or the best friends we may have may not be able to alleviate fully the overwhelming difficulties that may come upon us. Ultimately, it is the Lord in whom we must put our full confidence:
But I will keep watching the LORD;
I will wait for the God who delivers me.
My God will hear my lament. (Micah 7:7)
Micah’s trust was not in self—whether power, prestige, or wealth but in God. It was the Lord in whom he put his trust, for God was his help (cf. Pss. 27:9-10; 33:20: 40:17; 46:1; 63:7; 121:1-2). Without going into the specific background of the setting and or occasion of Micah’s prophecy, we nonetheless conclude that Micah reinforced the truth that the Lord is a God who cares for his own and is available for help in all circumstances.
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We note that Micah goes on to say:
My enemies, do not gloat over me!
Though I have fallen, I will get up.
Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. (Micah 7:8)
Likewise, though we may feel humbled or crushed by life’s unexpected or even unprecedented happenings, we can rest assured that the Lord is with us through it all.12 Indeed, the spiritually wise will not live for self or conduct themselves unethically toward others, but live in close fellowship with the Lord. Their desires will be fulfilled when they are in harmony with God’s desires for them.
The author of Proverbs gives a further lesson, “Do not say, ‘I will pay back evil!’ Wait for the LORD so that he may vindicate you” (Prov. 20:22). As McKane points out, the truly righteous man, the genuine believer, “Has no need to take the law into his own hands, since he can rely on Yahweh to avenge evil and should await his retributive action.”13
In so doing believers may then echo the psalmist’s testimony:
I waited patiently for the LORD,
and he turned to me and heard my cry for help.
He brought me up from a desolate pit,
out of the muddy clay and set my feet on a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD. (Ps. 40:1-3)
No situation, however desperate, is beyond the Lord’s sustenance for those who wait patiently for the Lord’s intervention and help. As John Sammis remarks:
Not a burden we bear, Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He does richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, Not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.14
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David’s praise of the Lord and petition to him in Psalm 25 (a psalm that is built around the Hebrew alphabet) demonstrates the high value of waiting for God’s assistance. Having declared his hope and confidence in God, (vv. 1-3), David prays to the Lord that in accordance with His “faithful love” (vv. 6-7) God will enable David to understand his situation and fully rely on the Lord (vv. 4-5). Thus David declares, “I wait for you all day long” (v. 5b; HCSB). David continues to point out his full trust in the Lord’s leading and help in the following verses (vv. 8-14), in which he says,
All the Lord‘s ways show
faithful love and truth
to those who keep his covenant and decrees. (Ps. 25:10; HCSB)
The Lord is indeed a God who teaches his faithful followers “the way they should live” (v. 12), with the result that they only live so as to experience God’s favor and guidance (vv. 13-14).
David begins the final section of the psalm (vv. 15-22) by reaffirming his continued confidence and dependence on the Lord: “I continually look to the LORD for help, for he will free my feet from the enemy’s net” (v. 15). Therefore he can pray for God’s help in his present distress (vv. 16-20). He caps all of this off with a petition to the Lord for so living as to gain God’s protection (v. 21a), for indeed, “I wait for you” (v. 21b; HCSB). David closes his psalm with a plea to the Lord that not only David himself but all Israel will be rescued “from all their distress” (v. 22).
Psalm 25 thus stands as a strong acknowledgement of and testimony to the necessity and high value of waiting in full reliance on the Lord as well as the need to live in compliance with the Lord’s revealed standards. As Perowne rightly observes, the psalm is also that “God is the teacher of the afflicted and the guide of the erring.”15
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Psalm 27 serves as a fitting conclusion and climax to Old Testament instances of the necessity and importance of waiting on the Lord (cf. vv. 1-9). It also confirms the basic underlying source of being enabled to do so, namely, living out a faith that is permeated by a whole soul commitment to God: intellectually (v. 3), emotionally (v. 4), and volitionally (vv. 5-6). Our mind, emotions, and will should be in full compliance with the Lord’s will as revealed in his Word. When such is the case, the believer may “wait confidently for him” (v. 7). As I have pointed out elsewhere,
When real faith resides in an individual, it enables the believer to “rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (v. 7; NASB; NKJV). Where such strong faith and trust exist there is a proper perspective on the issues of life. Rather than envying the seeming successes and state of the wicked or worrying needlessly concerning various matters, the believer can be assured that the Lord’s way is the best way. God’s plans will ultimately succeed and the believer’s faith will be fully rewarded.16
In distinction from the unbeliever or unfaithful (vv. 8-10), “The oppressed will possess the land and will enjoy great prosperity” (v. 11). Indeed, a bright and glorious future awaits the faithful believer who lives in full faith and compliance with the Lord’s revealed standards. Thus the Old Testament teachings display the necessity and blessings associated with living a life in full dependence on the Lord, namely in genuine, continuous waiting on him. Such becomes magnified in the New Testament, especially in association with faith in God’s Son and man’s Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
New Testament
Paul tells the Philippian Christians that in sharp contrast with those who are anxious and obsessed with the things of this world, “Our citizenship is in heaven—and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). Why should believers, then, be overly concerned with things that ultimately will not endure? Quite the opposite, we believers await the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who will “transform theses humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself” (v. 21). Indeed, when Jesus returns and sets up his eternal kingdom, believers will share in a glorious everlasting life with him (cf. 1 Thess. 4:16-17). As O’Brien remarks,
The particular of the Lord’s saving activity at his parousia here singled out by the apostle is his transformation of our weak mortal bodies into the likeness of his own glorified body…. So in place of earthly bodies characterized by frailty, physical decay, weakness, and mortality, believers will have bodies that are suitable to the life of heaven (1 Cor. 15:38-49 and thus imperishable, spiritual, glorious and powerful.17
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What a blessing awaits us! This does not mean that we should be idle. Quite the opposite, Paul reminds his readers that even a chosen apostle like himself needed to keep spiritually maturing while living in consecrated, dedicated service to the Lord: “I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let those of us who are ‘perfect’ embrace this point of view” (Phil. 3:14-15a; cf. Rom. 12:1-2; Phil. 2:3, 13-18; Col. 3:17). As the hymn writer expresses it,
Give me a faithful heart, likeness to Thee,
That each departing day, henceforth may see
Some work of love begun, some deed of kindness done,
Some wandr’er sought and won, some-thing for Thee.
All that I am and have-Thy gifts so free—
In joy, in grief, thru life dear Lord for Thee!
And when Thy face I see, my ransomed soul shall be,
Thru all eternity, some-thing for Thee.18
Elsewhere Paul commends the Thessalonian believers for their salvation and service to God, while watching for Christ’s return: “For… you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:9b-18). As Comfort reports, “This categorically expresses the fervent expectation of the early Christians who believed the Jesus, who only recently ascended to heaven (20 years prior), would soon return (1 Thess. 1:3; 2:19; 3:13; 4:14; 5:10, 23; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:1,8).”19 It is of further interest to note as Morris observes, “The word for ‘to wait’ is found only here in the New Testament, and Grimm-Thayer suggest that in addition to the thought of awaiting someone expected, it includes ‘the added notion of patience and trust.’”20As Fanny Crosby asks in song,
Have we been true to the trust He left us?
Do we seek to do our best?
If in our hearts there is naught condemns us,
We shall have a glorious rest.
Blessed are those whom the Lord finds watching,
In His glory they shall share;
If He shall come at dawn or midnight,
Will He find us watching there?21
As we shall note below, a dedicated believer not only waits for the Lord but watches patiently for Christ’s blessed return. How is this accomplished? Peter gives his readers a splendid example. It is found in no less than God himself. After Peter Speaks of Christ’s self-sacrifice for the sins of mankind, he tells of Christ’s preaching to a generation of disobedient people in the days of Noah:
Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust,
to bring you to God by being put to death in the flesh
but by being made alive in the spirit.
In it he went and preached to the spirits in prison,
after they were disobedient long ago
when God patiently waited in the days of Noah
as an ark was being constructed. (1 Pet. 3:18-20)
For our purposes it is important to focus on God’s great patience with those who were disobedient during the 120 years of Noah’s constructing of the ark, before the flood overwhelmed the earth.22 Thankfully, the Lord still exercises patience with mankind. If God can be patient with mankind, should not believers show great patience, regardless of their trouble, as they await the second coming of Christ and his putting an end to sin? Moreover, as they do so believers should display a distinct contrast with the disobedient (cf. 1 Pet. 4:7) even in the midst of any possible suffering as did their Savior. Then, they may “rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad” (1 Pet. 4:13). As Osborne observes, “We never enjoy our afflictions, but we rejoice because God is in charge and because we know what the future holds.”23 May we bear this in mind so as to reflect God’s “awaiting patiently” for the Lord’s return.
Moreover, as Jude challenges his readers, believers should reflect God’s love in their relations with one another:
But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit. Live in such a way that God’s love can bless you as you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. (Jude 1:20-21; NLT)
Living a Christ filled life thus has great benefits not only for this earthly life, but “The believer receives eternal life at the Second Coming (also Matt. 19:29; Rom. 2:7; Titus 3:7).”24 Thus regardless of our tribulation here and now,
It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrows will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.25
Scriptural Lessons Concerning Watching
Old Testament
Solomon advises his readers to:
Watch the path of your feet,
and all your ways will be established.
Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
turn your foot from evil. (Prov. 4:26-27)
Beneath the surface reading of these words lies the deeper wisdom that Solomon wishes to convey. As Schwab points out, “Understanding circumstance and situation, one puts this into practice, actually doing the deeds consistent with wise counsel (4:26), careful not to turn aside to the right or left (4:27).” 26 Thus Solomon challenges people to consider carefully the things they do and places where they go. One is reminded of the song that encourages people (especially the young ones):
Be careful little feet where you go,
Be careful little feet where you go,
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love,
So be careful little feet where you go.
We should put a watch not only on our feet but all of our being. As David says,
“I will watch what I say
and make sure that I do not sin with my tongue.
I will put a muzzle over my mouth
while in the presence of an evil man. (Ps. 39:1-2)
The psalmist in Psalm 141 pleads with the Lord:
LORD, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips. (v. 3)
The psalmist was apparently in some great difficulty, in which only God could help (cf. vv. 1-2, 8-10). The psalmist’s prayer to the Lord is that he would keep the psalmist from responding rashly or in an ungodly fashion (v. 4). Cohen suggests that, “His enemies had resorted to language of a blasphemous character; may God withhold him from allowing similar words to pass his lips!”27 May this be a timely warning for all of God’s people. One must trust in the Lord and not speak or act rashly even in the most oppressive of situations, such as being accused falsely of some sinful word or act. The believer must seek never to bring discredit to the Lord or worship any other god (cf. Deut 4:23). Indeed, “When harassed, the wise trust in the Lord as guard ‘Over the door’ of their lips.”28
This in turn is reminiscent of Job’s pleading with the Lord: “
If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
Watcher of mankind?
Why have you made me Your target,
so that I have become a burden to You?
Why not forgive my sin and pardon my transgression?
For soon I will lie down in the grave,
You will eagerly seek me, but I will be gone. (Job 7:20-21; HCSB)
Job is concerned. Has he committed some sin so that the Lord has brought on his troubles? Is this the reason that the Lord, who supervises all things, is treating him this way? Later Elihu will remind Job of his further remarks, which have been misguided (cf. Job 33:8-11):
I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,
since God is greater than man.
Why do you take Him to court
for not answering anything a person asks? (Job 33:12-13)
After all, Job is a mere human being and as such had no right to summon God to court. Moreover, if he has sinned, he cannot find fault with God. Still further, God is gracious and forgiving to all who follow Him (cf. vv. 14-31). Let us learn a lesson from Job. Rather than living self-righteously or failing to follow God’s will and revealed standards, let us live in close fellowship and dependence on the Lord. Assuredly, the song writers are correct in affirming:
I trust in God wherever I may be,
Upon the land on the rolling seas,
For come what may, from day to day,
My heav’nly Father watches over me.29
The old proverb is also most specific: “The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who watches his way preserves his life” (Prov. 16:17; NASB). Living in accordance with God’s standards is a key to a far better life, even here on earth. As Kidner remarks, ”The highway consists in shunning what is wrong; and by keeping on this straight course, one is guarding one’s whole being.”30 This includes one’s social life and especially one’s spiritual life, which is infinitely most important. As McKane remarks, “The upright man who walks along a road with an even surface, built up from a good foundation, keeps out of harm’s way.”31
The psalmist adds to this truth that not only should a person watch his course of life, but even more so he should look to God for guidance and strength, even in the face of harsh adversaries:
I will keep watch for you, my strength,
because God is my stronghold
My faithful God will come to meet me;
God will let me look down on my adversaries. (Ps. 59:9-10; HCSB; cf. Ps. 18:1-3).
Thus after God had delivered Israel from the mighty Egyptian army that had pursued them, Moses could sing, “The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation” (Exod. 15:2). Moses’ song of redemption (Exod. 15:1-18) is echoed in several other scriptural texts (cf. especially Ps. 77:16-19: Hab. 3:3-15). Similarly David declares:
The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom should I be afraid?
…
Though an army is deployed against me,
my heart is not afraid;
though war break out against me.
still I am confident. (Ps. 27:1, 3; HCSB)32
The prophet Habakkuk, having uttered two complaints to the Lord (cf. Hab. 1:5-17),wisely steps aside and looks to God for wisdom:
I will stand at my watch post;
I will remain stationed on the city wall.
I will keep watching, so I can see what He says to me
and can know how I should answer
when He counters my argument. (Hab. 2:1)
As I have commented elsewhere, the prophet
is not so much challenging God with a complaint as he is desiring to have his perplexities alleviated and his viewpoint corrected.
Habakkuk also probably wanted to know God’s will and wisdom that he might respond properly to God’s correction and also communicate God’s intentions to others.33
Knowing that God is keeping watch over all things, including our lives, believers should be encouraged to seek God’s wisdom and his approval in all that they do. As in the case of Habakkuk, such will have a proper effect on their spiritual condition and their daily lives.
New Testament
The theme of watching is also found in the New Testament. One of the most significant places is in association with Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was just after what has become known as the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:26-35) that Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him as he went into the garden to pray. Having told his disciples to “remain here and watch with me” (v. 38; ESV), Jesus went apart from them a little way and began to pray for the Father’s will with regard to his own life (v. 39). After doing so for awhile, he came to the three and found fast asleep: “And he said to Peter, ‘So you could not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak’” (vv. 40-41; ESV). Not only should they have been concerned for their master’s life but their own spiritual condition, especially at this crucial time. Interestingly, France suggests: “To his earlier instruction to ‘keep awake’ Jesus now adds “Pray.” Their prayer is not to be for him but for themselves, who have been shown to need it even more than he does.”34
Believers should learn from all of this that being spiritually alert and prayerful are key elements in spiritual growth. Where such is realized, “A sure remedy is set before us, which is not far to seek, nor sought in vain. Christ promises that [people] earnest in prayer, who can fully put away the idleness of their flesh, will be victorious.” 35 Let us, indeed, be faithful and consistent in our prayer lives.
The author of Hebrews says that such is particularly essential for Christian leaders. For it is their responsibility to, “Keep watch over your souls and will give an account of their work” (Heb. 13:17; NASB). Thus Bruce remarks, the
Readers are invited to cooperate with their leaders, to make their responsible task easier for them, so that they could discharge it joyfully and not with sorrow… [for local leaders] had a real concern for the welfare of the church and a sense of their accountability to God in this respect. If the discharge of their responsibility and the ultimate rendering of their account were made a burden to them, the resultant disadvantage who fall on those who were led as well as on the leaders.36
Although this was designated especially for conditions in the early church, where good leadership was an essential commodity, it is still applicable to today’s churches. Such should be accompanied by Christian love and fellowship in the assembly, which radiates in the community. Where such is the case, “It will be found that not only does love promote fellowship but also that fellowship stimulates love, because it is by meeting together as a true community that Christians have the opportunity for encouraging one another by mutual support, comfort, and exhortation.”37
Underlying the command is the spiritual truth that in good and proper Christian living, especially in the church in its work and witness, is the need for spiritual togetherness. Where a genuine concern for God’s name and standards is lived out, there will doubtless be spiritual growth in the church, in the community, and in personal lives. Thus the author’s closing charge is still relevant today:
Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, equip you with every good thing to do his will working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. (Heb. 13:20-21; cf. 2 Pet. 3:18)
Spiritual Lessons Concerning Patience
The high value of patience has often been attested. An old Chinese saying declares, “One moment of patience may ward off great disaster; one moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.”38 Tolstoi remarked that, “The strongest of all warriors are these two: Time and Patience.”39 Ste. Theresa adds that, “Patient endurance attaineth to all things.’40 The high value of patience is also mentioned in the Scriptures. Thus it is listed among several fruits of the Spirit such as, “Joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). Paul points out that not only is personal patience an admirable quality (Col. 1:11), but living in loving unity entails honesty, gentleness, and a patience while, “bearing with one another” (Eph. 4:2; cf. Col. 3:12).
As noted above, such a character quality originates in God himself (1 Pet. 3:20). Indeed, “Patience is a characteristic of God we may often overlook, yet…God’s patience with his people is an outstanding example of the virtue.”41 Personal patience may be said to begin with a person’s constant waiting for the Lord’s guidance. Thus having reminded his hearers of the necessity of a whole-soul committal to the Lord (Ps. 37:3-6), David adds: “Wait patiently for the LORD! Wait confidently for him! (v. 7).42
While instructing Timothy, Paul points out that a good Christian, especially a leader, should show distinct patience with all people, including those who oppose him (2 Tim. 2:24). Lashing back when wronged or criticized by others is not a proper response. Thus Laansma remarks,
Quarreling is beneath the dignity of the King’s representative, it misrepresents and demeans the Good News, mistakenly believes that the power resides in us rather than in God’s work, empowers the lie, distracts from the truth, and entangles and discredits the messenger. In every way it is counterproductive.43
A fitting example of human patience is that of Abraham:
When God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by, He swore by Himself:
I will most certainly bless you,
and I will greatly multiply you.
And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise. (Heb. 6:13-15; NASB)
God had promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation that would prove to be a blessing for many (Gen. 12:2-3). The citation here in Hebrews 6, however, is from Genesis 22:16-17, where God promised him that because he had not withheld the possibility of sacrificing his only son, Isaac, “I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore” (v. 17; NASB). So it would prove to be that while he was still alive that Abraham began to see the fulfilling of God’s promise (cf. Heb. 6:15).
The author of Hebrews goes on to say that God’s promise through Abraham is available also to Christian believers. For as Westcott points out:
This promise partially, typically, yet not exhaustively fulfilled, has been handed down to us doubly confirmed so that we cannot doubt as to its uttermost accomplishment (16-18); an accomplishment which is presented to us in the exaltation of the Son, whom hope can follow now through the veil (19-20).
Moreover, that promise has eternal rewards. As Olivers declares:
The God of Abraham praise, at whose supreme command,
From earth I rise, and seek the joys at His right hand.
I all on earth forsake, it’s wisdom, fame and pow’r;
And Him my only portion make, my shield and tow’r.44
Such may include helping others in their time of need. As Paul tells the Thessalonian believers, “Admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all” (1 Thess. 5:14). Morris makes Paul’s instructions very explicit by saying,
The Christian should not be putting his own interests first, and taking a strong line with those who do not agree with him. Rather, must be patient with all men, bearing their manners and patiently seeking to lead them in the way of the Lord. It is more important for him that he be able to render some service than that his ego should be satisfied.45
Rather than satisfying our own desires, above all else we would be advised to follow the time honored observation of C.T. Studd: “Only one life, ‘Twill soon be past; Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Indeed, it has often been said, “Patience is an admirable quality.” May it be one that believers seek and is vastly appreciated by all.
James (probably the brother of Jesus) urges his fellow believers to be patient, “Until the Lord’s return” (James 5:7). As a further encouragement he adds, “Be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near”(v. 8). Theirs was to be a warm fellowship (v. 6) despite whatever they were experiencing. Still further, he reminds them of the old prophets: “As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name” (v. 10; cf. Heb. 11:32-38). No matter how difficult the times, believers may rest in the Lord, while waiting patiently for Christ’s return, which can come at any moment. James’ advice serves as solid instruction to serve in the face of whatever good or troubles they encounter. The believer may indeed endure all things with patience, confident of a blessed future with the Lord Jesus Christ. “The path to blessing, therefore, is patient endurance.” 46 As the hymn writer expresses it:
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.47
Concluding Thoughts
We noted above that there is a distinct need to wait confidently for God at all times, especially in times of trouble (Mic. 7:1-7; cf. Ps. 40:1-3). Indeed, God is ever available to all (Ps. 104:27-28). Therefore, we may take courage and find our strength in God, for he alone can provide true deliverance and protection, A we saw in Psalm 33, David serves as a prime example of one who placed full trust in a holy, righteous and sovereign God. The Apostle Paul points out the high value of waiting expectantly for Christ’s return to set up his everlasting earthly kingdom (1 Thess. 4:16-17). In support of all of this, David clearly points to the need for believers to wait in full reliance on the Lord and live in accordance with his standards (Pss. 25:27:1-9).
The Scriptures also challenge believers to watch how they carry on their lives before God, for the Lord watches over all things (cf. Ps. 141:1-3; Prov. 4:26-27). Such will enable believers to fulfill the charge that God communicated through the author of Hebrews to do the Lord’s will (cf. Heb. 13:20-21).
Waiting and watching should be accompanied by distinct patience, even as exemplified in the life of Abraham (cf. Heb. 6:13-15). This entails not only striving to live a righteous life before God, but doing so in whole-soul committal to him, as well as desiring to be of help to all, especially to those in need. Because true patience and strength exist and originate in God, believers should “also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near” (James 5:8). This should be done with a whole-soul commitment to God in genuine heart-felt patience (Ps. 27:1-7).
What great truth underlies all of this? It is simply that believers should wait for the Lord’s guidance and direction, keep a distinct watch to be certain that they reflect the character of God and his holy standards, and live patiently and expectantly before Him who is their deliver, refuge, and guide as they await Christ’s return.
1 See John Bartlett, Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, ed. Justin Kaplan, (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 16th ed. (1992), 431: note 2.
3 Lloyd Cory, Quotable Quotations(Wheaton, IL: Victor Books (1989), 276.
4 Unless otherwise cited (as here), all scriptural citations are taken from the Net Bible.
5 See further, my remarks in, “The Source of True Strength,” Biblical Studies Press, 2013.
6 Vance Havner as cited in QuotableQuotations, 421.
7 Augustus Hopkins Strong, Systematic Theology (Philadelphia: The Judson Press (1907), 52.
8 W. C. Martin, “The Name of Jesus.”
9 Richard D. Patterson, “Singing The New Song: An Examination of Psalms 33, 96, 98 And 149,” Bibliotheca Sacra164 (2007), 419.
10 Gary V. Smith, “Isaiah 40-66,” in The New American Commentary, ed. E. Ray Clendenen (Nashville: Broadman and Holman (2009), 122.
11 H. C. Leupold, Exposition of The Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House (1969), 841.
12 See Richard D. Patterson in “A God Who Cares,” Biblical Studies Press (2014), 13.
13 William Mc Kane, Proverbs(Philadelphia: Westminster Press (1970), 548.
14 John H. Sammis, “Trust and Obey.”
15 J.J. Stewart Perowne, The Book of Psalms (Grand Rapids: Zondervan (1966) 2 vols. in one) 1: 258.
16 Richard D. Patterson, “Rest in Troublesome Times,” Biblical Studies Press (2014), 6.
17 Peter T. O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians, in The New International Greek Testament, eds. I. Howard Marshall and W. Ward Gasque (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, `991), 463, 465.
18 Sylvanus D. Phelps, “Something for Thee.”
19 Philip W. Comfort, “1-2 Thessalonians” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary; 18vols. (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2008) 16: 340.
20 Leon Morris, The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959), 63-64.
21 Fanny J. Crosby, “Will Jesus Find us Watching?”
22 For a full discussion concerning the problems associated with these verses, see E. Schulyer English, The Life and Letters of Saint Peter (New York: “Our Hope,” 1941), 202-212.
23 Grant R. Osborne, “James, 1-2 Peter, Jude,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, 18 vols. (Carol Stream, Il: 2011) 18:248.
25 Esther Kerr Rusthoi, “When We See Christ.”
26 George M. Schwab, “The Book of Proverbs,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, ed. Philip W. Comfort, 18 vols. (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House (2009) 7:495.
27 A. Cohen, The Palms, in Soncino Books of the Bible (London: Soncino Press, 13th ed. (1985), 458.
28 Willem A. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, eds. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, 13 vols. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008) 5:972.
29 W. C. Martin and Chas. H. Gabriel, “My Father Watches Over Me.”
30 Derek Kidner, The Proverbs, in Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove: InterVarsity (1964), 120.
32 The psalmist’s words have been adopted and set to music. See, Frances Alliston, “The Lord is My Light.”
33 Richard D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (Richardson, TX. Biblical Studies Press (2003
God has been teaching me, obedience through suffering, and His grace is sufficient enough in the worst of circumstances.
Jesus said if you love mother, brother, husband, business, dog, ANYTHING more than Him you are not worthy to be His disciple.
Jesus woke me up.
As good as I wanted to be and do, if it is not from God then it is from the devil, and then you must ask yourself who’s will was this then, did you want to do XYZ?
Then what is the problem for me: i glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. So when I say yes ye believe me not, when I say no ye believe me not, you just look at me and look away, disrespect; the more time I spend in the word and in the LORD (always duh) the less you like me and the more I get revered.
So the problem lies within your personal issue with submission and proper authority. People don’t want to hear the truth, they have itching ears and would rather believe a lie and that’s not good. I can only do so much and only what Christ has placed me on this earth to do and that’s first and foremost be a witness and proclaim the gospel.
So if you don’t want to hear your wrong and you need the truth of the gospel, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; and Matthew 12:40; most people are operating from a place of lying and it’s because 1.) they have not been regenerated and have not received the love of the truth or the truth
2.) most people have believed “Good Friday-Sunday” and it’s not 72 hours and it’s not the gospel and people would rather go about in unbelief of the truth, call themselves Christian’s, but when God calls you to stand by faith and in the truth you celebrate December 25th and Easter? Bunnies don’t lay eggs but snakes do.
Snakes also slither around, and are cunning, and Satan is the father of lies so if he knows he can get you to doubt God’s word, his wiles never change.
If you are doing business with a person, and they are trapped in lies, you better believe they will mess you up in business. Sin is like leaven, so when you’re surrounded by it if people are not living by the gospel, it will mess you up too.
It’s better to obey God rather than man in any instance. If people won’t listen to you, being more spiritual, and if they won’t repent and change their ways and seek Christ, then you dust your feet off publically as a witness against them, pray for them, and move on.
Love always protects; so if people around you “say they love you” yet, where were you when so and so undermined my authority and you said you have my back, yet when it comes down to it, you laugh and mock me to my face.
I do not want to be around people who are living a lie, not building their faith in Christ; because then you are doing the opposite.
God’s standards and ways are much better and higher than mine.
I’m not the bad guy, because I chose peace, I chose Jesus, and I chose to deny myself to pick up my cross and follow Christ.
As a manager/steward- I have learned:
I can’t force others to change. Your relationship with the LORD is a direct reflection of how you treat others and do business.
Having the Holy Spirit within, also means having a level of discernment, that requires me to first inquire to God what should I do?
(Well, I see that was my first error; of course the devil sends me someone from the past, unequally ungodly yolked and I messed up; I trust the LORD to bless me for being obedient to Him).
And these are very simple questions:
If you lie and cannot be honest (b/c you are not saved) then we have a bigger problem on our hands, you don’t want me to go there but I am required by the LORD Jesus Christ to give you the gospel, how else would you know?
So, the old self is used to lying and lies because we had not the truth/Holy Spirit
Lying is a very serious sin, and we must put it off; so you won’t listen to me, you won’t respect me do what I simply ask, I do it myself to show you hey look you can do this without complaining, you can be grateful God has given you these dishes to polish and yes I would LOVE to help you, instead of scoffing in my face and just operating from a place of hate and no love no peace.
If I am going to be the boss and manager of someone’s business, then I need to inquire of the LORD how He wants me to operate, hire and fire and train; all of the things.
If you’re not doing that, then you’re on Satans side. Do you see how easy that is?
It is lust, and greed, and murder/hate by which these people operate.
Men who think godliness is gain, run away from. It is a sin problem people deal with, and some people are in fact under a curse.
Are you trying to please men? Or the LORD?
When I realized, I was being made influenced to sin and do things contrary to sound doctrine and my beliefs, I stopped right there.
Nothing is more important than your walk in Christ and with Christ. His love conquers all. Wait on Him for guidance, not mammon and not man.
Sometimes, if people really actually heard the voice of God, they would be utterly consumed.
Withdraw yourself, and keep your commitment to God first and foremost.
Men who allow greed and lust and lying and their own bellies to ruin them to destruction, it doesn’t matter how hard you work or what you do; there’s a higher calling and a larger and deeper problem. Sometimes all you can do is really pray for people in the snare of the devil, pray they get out of bondage and they seek repentance.
Some people unfortunately need to learn the absolute hard way; not to mess with the LORD’s anointed and take advantage of others for greed and gain… and I’ve felt more peace in letting go of my wrath and anger and vengeance and give them over to the LORD and His vengeance because that hits harder.
When your heart is pure and intentions are pure, the devil will send someone to try and lure you away, deceiving you, he wants worship.
Come out from among them and be ye separate; I am learning. How can a born again believer even work in these conditions???? I have no idea. But I had to get out where I was and I learned a lot once again.
Love doesn’t act that way. Love doesn’t delight in evil. How can you even run a business called love language, if you don’t even know how to speak it? The irony-
The wrath of God is revealed against those in error and suppressing the truth in unrighteousness… and i don’t want to do that. I don’t want to displease the LORD.
If we don’t act as though the word is real and literal and from a place of urgency and of seriousness, then you’re just playing pretend?
You just pretend and act as though everything is fine and it’s not fine???=lying
Coming out of this divorce, someone from my past came to me wanting me to run a business, and not realizing my self will and God’s permissive will, when it came with confusion and not peace, and all these other things not of God, Jesus woke me up and I ran out of there and ran home in repentance. And realized this is pride, pride of life, and the devil knows his time is short.
So then why am I sacrificing everything, for someone and people, who can’t even sacrifice themselves for the sake of the gospel? How come I became your enemy by loving and doing and believing the truth? I came to show and prove to you that this isn’t what you need to be doing; living in the lusts and will of men is not getting right with God.
This is the year I truly forsake lusts of the flesh pride of life, and seek God’s perfect will for me.
If you don’t get right with Christ now and slow down and listen, I’m just saying the rapture is right around the corner-
Judgment begins with us.
Jesus has been tugging on my heart to get my attention.
He’s been using pain to get my attention…
Taste and see the LORD is good and gracious to all who call upon Him in truth!
The first two verses are major, whopper, power verses. These first two verses are specifically telling us that God can be a Man of War if He needs to be, and that He can actually be stirred up to go into battle for you if He has to.
- “The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name … Your Right Hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces. And in the greatness of Your excellence you have overthrown those who rose against You; You sent forth Your wrath which consumed them like stubble.” (Exodus 15:3,6)
- “The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.” (Isaiah 42:13)
- “I will go before you and make the crooked paths straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.” (Isaiah 45:2)
- “For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 52:12)
- “Therefore understand today the Lord your God is He who goes before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.” (Deuteronomy 9:3)
- “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:14)
- “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” (2 Chronicles 32:7)
- “… For I will contend with him who contends with you.” (Isaiah 49:25)
- “… since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you …” (2 Thessalonians 1:6)
- “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, ‘Destroy!’ ” (Deuteronomy 33:27)
- Do not say, “I will recompense evil;” Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.” (Proverbs 20:22)
- “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you …” (Genesis 12:3)
- “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me … The Lord is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.” (Psalm 129:2)
- “It is God who avenges me, and subdues the peoples under me; He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man.” (Psalm 18:47)
- “Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help. Also draw out the spear, and stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.” (Psalm 35:1)
- “When my enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at your presence. For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.” (Psalm 9:3)
- “Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 1:8)
- “God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If He does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.” (Psalm 7:11)
- “He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed. (1 Samuel 2:9)
- “… For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You … Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel … thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s … You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!” Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12-17)
- “Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them – those who contend with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.‘ ” (Isaiah 41:11)
- “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19)
- “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.” (Psalm 20:6)
- “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and You right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me …” (Psalm 138:7)
- “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” (Isaiah 43:2)
- “For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them.” (Psalm 44:3)
- “You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled the nations in anger. You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked.” (Habakkuk 3:12)
- “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)
- “And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord Your God has done to these two kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.’ ” (Deuteronomy 3:21)
Really meditate and chew on these verses so they can get down deep into your mind and spirit. Believe what they are telling you. Our God is a mighty, powerful and awesome God – especially when you see Him go into major battle to protect one of His own.
I have many aggressive enemies; they hate me without reason. They repay me evil for good and oppose me” (Psalm 38:19-20). Do you ever feel the way David did here?
People speak against you for no reason, betray you, or try to keep you from success. Enemies are something each of us has to deal with in this life, and they can try us in every possible way.
Our natural response to enemies is often to fight back, get even, put them in their place, or demand justice. We can even find ourselves distressed as we try to figure out why they are against us in the first place. The next thing we know, it’s consuming all our thoughts and causing us torment.
When you obey Jesus and respond to your enemies with love, prayer, forgiveness and blessing, you take yourself out of satan’s line of fire and make room for God to handle justice as only He can. You don’t have to worry about your enemies. God says He will handle them on your behalf. How? Here are five ways God promises to deal with your enemies.
- He will bring everything hidden into the light. Enemies can be sneaky. They will say cutting remarks to you no one else notices, threaten you when others aren’t around, or try to quietly cheat you out of money, opportunities or relationships. Even so, there is One who sees everything that is done in secret, and He says, “Nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17, NKJV). Next time you have an enemy coming against you, obey Luke 6:27-36, then pray Luke 8:17 and thank God that He will bring everything hidden into the light.
- He will avenge you. That desire you have for justice? That comes from the One in whose image you were created. He is the God of justice, and He loves justice. It’s good to want justice in the world, but when you try to get it for yourself, you’ve put yourself in His place. Romans 12:19 says, “Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (ESV).
Under THE BLESSING, God has promised to deal with our enemies. Gloria Copeland says, “The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before your face. This is THE BLESSING; this belongs to you. They will come against you one way but flee before you seven ways. When you are under the curse, you run from your enemies, but under THE BLESSING, they run from you.” You may not see it firsthand, but you can count on Him to carry out what He has promised.
- He won’t let enemies succeed against you. Your greatest enemy has come to steal, kill and destroy. And he doesn’t work alone. He’ll use other people (even Christians) to carry out his plans. Sometimes, it even seems like those plans are succeeding. Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn” (NKJV).So, if you have people trying to sue you or harm you in some way, you just walk in love toward them, and stand on that scripture. Faith has no fear.
- He will prepare a table before you. When you’re walking in love and in obedience to God’s Word, no matter who comes against you, they can’t stop the blessings God has in store for you. Satan uses people to try and get us into offense. He knows if he can get us in strife and out of love, we’re out of position to receive the blessings of God. So, stay on the love line and don’t budge. No matter how much wrong is done to you, forgive, love and pray. Then, declare and receive His promise to prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5).
- He will help you defeat the real enemy. At the end of the day, you might think your enemy is your co-worker, your neighbor or your mother-in-law, but the true enemy is the one pulling all the strings. Ephesians 6:12-13 tells us that we do not fight against flesh-and-blood enemies but against evil spirits. Most of us know this truth, but it takes a constant reminder when flesh and blood are right in front of us causing so much trouble! God has given you all authority over the enemy. So, when he tries to send people your way, rebuke him, send him packing, and remind him that he must go back where he belongs—under your feet!
These are five ways God promises to deal with our enemies. Remember, like any other promise, they require obedience on our part. If we are unforgiving and unloving toward our enemies, the promises are off the table. If we are worried, trying to take justice into our own hands, or gossiping about the situation—no deal. Stay in obedience, and let God deal with your enemies.
Expose the enemies, the first being Satan
Once you fully grasp the truth that there is a real struggle for the souls of mankind upon this earth you must then expose the enemies, the first being Satan. Christ clearly speaks of this enemy (Luke 10:18) and the Apostle Peter warns of this raging lion who has only one purpose. Peter writes, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
The “devil” (diabolos) or “Satan” (Satanas) is present in the world and tempts both believers and unbelievers. (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33; Luke 22:3; Acts 5:3; 1 Kings 11:14, 23, 25) He is also called “the dragon,” “the old serpent” (Revelation 12:9; 20:2) “the prince of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30) “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) “the god of this world.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
The distinct personality of Satan and his activity among men are thus obviously recognized. He is “the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). He tempted our Lord in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:1–11) He is “Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.” (Matthew 12:24) He is “the constant enemy of God, of Christ, of the divine kingdom, of the followers of Christ, and of all truth; full of falsehood and all malice, and exciting and seducing to evil in every possible way.” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary; Harper’s Bible Dictionary; New Bible Dictionary) His power is very great in the world. He is a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Men are said to be “taken captive by him.” (2 Timothy 2:26) Christians are warned against his “devices,” (2 Corinthians 2:11) and called on to “resist” him. (James 4:7)
I have a great concern that people do not take Satan and his abilities serious enough. 2 Timothy 2:26 tells us that Satan takes unrepentant mankind and takes them captive to do his will. Satan’s strategy is not to convince mankind that he does not exist, for he knows that everyone understands that there is good and evil in this world. His chief work after accusing the brethren is to cause people to have a wrong concept of his true nature. The Apostle Paul says that “…Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
Paul even teaches that the servants of Satan masquerade as servants of righteousness, pretending to be workers for the Lord, introducing false teaching associated with teachings about Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:13,14)
Satan is not a comic character who is dressed in red with horns on his head and a tail dangling behind him. This is the symbol of a character we all know to run from. Barnes Notes give us these thoughts, “The phrase ‘Angel of light’ means a pure and holy angel, an emblem of purity and holiness.
We learn here, Satan can assume such an aspect as he pleases, he is a prince of duplicity as well as of wickedness. He is long in the practice of deceitful arts and well practiced in the art of delusion.”
I would like to add, Satan is a master of presenting false teachers as being sincere as well as making evil be desirable. This is why the Apostle Peter warns us to be on our guard. We should not listen to any suggestion that appears religious or good, but only that which is birthed from the whole council of God’s Word, taught by those who are mature in the faith of Jesus Christ.
Twice in the Book of Revelation, Satan is referred to as the “ancient serpent.” (Revelation 12:9, 20:2) Many believe that the comparison to snakes is an appropriate prototype of Satan. A rattlesnake only two-minutes-old can strike effectively. Snakes can engulf prey on the ground, through water, or hidden in perfect camouflage so that their presence is not detected. Night-foraging snakes have eye pupils that are vertical like a cat’s, enabling them to see in the dark. (Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustration) Snakes that are hungry to devour their victims give no warning and neither will Satan.
There was a story told of a lady who made it a practice in life to say something good about everyone she had come to know. She was challenged to say something good about the devil. She thought and then said, “He is at least persistent.”
The devil - the Bible tells us his resources, one being the world
The Word of God exposes our most persistent enemy, the devil and the Bible tells us his resources as well, one being the world.
1 John 2:15-17 says, “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. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”
The “world” (kosmos) here is the present world system or order of things that by human nature oppose the kingdom of Christ. This world order moves the lifestyle of man toward evil both physically and morally. It is the temptation found in this world system Satan uses to keep unrepentant man from a vibrant relationship with the Lord and draws Christians away from the perfect will of God. As a matter of fact this world system is hostile toward God, is embarrassed to give God the praise He deserves and literally those of this world system despise true worship to God and Christ Jesus.
Pastor Allen Skiles was working in his home town, Baltimore, Maine, handing out free the “Jesus” film door to door. People literally slammed the door in his face while cursing him. A few years ago I was talking with a mother of a young man who was a great athlete. I asked her to share with me all her son was doing. She excitedly told me about his accomplishments. I simply closed our conversations by saying, “I thank the Lord for gifting your son and for the open doors offered to him.” She got so mad that she turned red in the face and walked off.
John teaches us about three truths found in this present world system that keep mankind from receiving Christ and can keep the children of God from giving proper praise to God.
The first truth is, “the cravings of sinful man.” This phrase describes the principle of worldliness producing focus on self which pursues its own ends in self-sufficient independence apart from the Lord. (The Expositors Bible Commentary) The lady to whom the Lord gave an athlete wanted recognition for the producing her son and to hear the Lord get the praise set her anger toward God ablaze.
The second truth is, “lust of his eyes.” This is that tendency to be captivated by outward, visible splendor and show. It breeds a desire for the things aroused by sight. (The Expositors Bible Commentary) This is the channel that feeds mankind’s acquisitive nature and covetousness. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)
I thank God for those He has given tremendous ability in athletics, especially for Christian coaches and athletes. I thank God for all that is available to enable every athlete to achieve his best. We are blessed to have wonderful sports facilities of which we can enjoy all that comes with the huge business of athletics. I thank God for the privilege to be a part of the wonderful horse world and everything that can be enjoyed in that business. However, like everything else that has been influenced by this world’s system, there is much visible splendor that arouses covetousness which robs God the glory and worship due to Him.
It was this “lust of the eye” that kept the lady I spoke to from taking her focus off the splendor of the sports world which can only be enjoyed down here for a short while.
The third truth is, “the boasting of what he has and does” (he alazoneia tou biou) or “the pride of life.” It is that attitude that is lived out that says, “my reputation, my public image matters more than the glory of God being revealed in and through my life.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)
It was this “pride of life” that caused the lady I spoke to about her athletic son that caused her to want recognition given to her son for kicking his own doors open, rather than hear praise given to God for opportunities given.
Charles Swindoll wrote, “The world system is committed to at least four major objectives, which I can summarize in four words: fortune, fame, power, pleasure. First and foremost: Fortune, money. The world system is driven by money; it feeds on materialism. Second: Fame. That is another word for popularity. Fame is the longing to be known, to be somebody in someone else’s eyes. Third: Power. This is having influence, maintaining control over individuals or groups or companies or whatever. It is the desire to manipulate and maneuver others to do something for one’s own benefit. Fourth: Pleasure. At its basic level, pleasure has to do with fulfilling one’s sensual desires. It’s the same mindset that’s behind the slogan: ‘If it feels good, do it.’”
(Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p. 219)
Satan is so skilled in using this world’s system to keep mankind from recognizing and enjoying God’s sovereignty in life. Satan even has used this world’s view to rob the Lord of praise that should come from His blood purchased church producing professing believers who do not put absolute trust in the Lord.
D. L. Moody once wrote: “The church is full of people who want one eye for the world and the other for the kingdom of God. Therefore, everything is blurred; one eye is long and the other is short; all is confusion... When the Spirit of God is on us, the world looks very empty; the world has a very small hold on us, and we begin to let go our hold of it and lay hold of things eternal. This is the church’s need today.”
Satan also knows our weakest link, our flesh
Satan uses the world to overcome mankind and even to draw Christians away from God’s will. Satan also knows our weakest link, our flesh. Galatians 5:19-21 says, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The New American Standard Bible says, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident…”
The “flesh” (sarx) is that fallen nature of mankind that is sensual toward acts of sin and opposes the Holy Spirit’s work towards drawing sinners to Christ and has an ongoing act against the perfect will of God. This flesh has carnal appetites and desires sinful passions and affections affecting the physical and moral welfare of mankind. If left unchecked by the Holy Spirit of Christ it takes control of a person and causes him to do what he would not like to do and keeps him from doing what he ought to be doing. (Baker’s Greek New Testament; The Complete Word Study Dictionary; Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament; The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible; Theological Dictionary of the New Testament; Romans 7)
If this enemy is left unchecked he can cause mankind to fall into any one or all of these lifestyles, sensual passions, unlawful dealings in spiritual things, violations to one’s own neighbor and excessive addictions. Mankind and even Christians make the huge error by convincing themselves that they can keep themselves from falling into those obvious sins mentioned by Paul in Galatians 5.
Sexual sin never begins with inflamed lust, but with flirtations and gentle lures. Unlawful spiritual practices do not begin with outright open disobedience to God’s Word, but with questioning the authority of the written Word.
Direct sin against our family members, friends and co-workers does not happen with a plan started in a group meeting, but with nursing and rehearsing of bad thoughts in the mind. Addiction to alcohol, drugs or to anything else does not usually start with excessive indulgence, but by experimenting, taking little doses and convincing ourselves, “Now that didn’t hurt anything.”
The sinful nature is often fed by little bits of feeding and then grows to a full grown feeding frenzy. Feeding the sinful nature is like working in a chocolate chip factory. Everyone knows if you work in a chocolate chip factory long enough, you are going to reach out a take just a little chip. Yes, you get by with it and the next time it is two chocolate chips, then a handful. Then every time you get a chance you feed that flesh. Unchecked it will sooner or later get you into trouble.
J.O. Sanders writes in regard to The Devil’s Tinder, “What is meant by ‘the flesh?’ Dr. W.G. Scroggie detected ten shades of meaning used in the Bible. In nine of the ten, there is no ethical or theological content. But the tenth, which is the one Paul mainly employs, does have such significance. The flesh may be defined as ‘man’s fallen nature as under the power of sin.’ It is the evil principle in man’s nature, the traitor within who is in league with the attackers without. The flesh provides the tinder on which the devil’s temptations can kindle.” (10,000 Sermon Illustration)
Satan uses denial of the sinful nature to deceive many, even spiritual leaders. The sinful nature is seldom addressed and the word sin has been replaced with softer sounding words.
The late Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman writes of a Methodist preacher who often spoke on the subject of sin. “He minced no words, but defined sin as ‘that abominable thing that God hates.’ A leader in his congregation came to him on one occasion and urged him to cease using the ugly word, ‘sin.’ Said he: ‘Dr. Blank, we wish you would not speak so plainly about sin. Our young people, hearing you, will be more likely to indulge in sin. Call it something else, as ‘inhibition,’ or ‘error’ or a ‘mistake,’ or even ‘a twist in our nature.’
‘I understand what you mean,’ the preacher remarked and going to his desk brought out a little bottle. ‘This bottle,’ he said, ‘contains strychnine. You will see that the red label here reads, Poison. Would you suggest that I change the label, and paste one on that says, Wintergreen? The more harmless the name the more dangerous the dose will be.’”
When people who live in this world’s system and even Christians mislabel sin and do not take the flesh seriously, the more dangerous Satan’s snares become.
Remember Christ!
The whole council of God’s Word gives a clear warning. There are enemies that are constantly attacking us. If we walk around blindly and are led by the blind we will fall into an endless pit of eternal punishment. We have to live self-controlled and be alert. There is a devil who uses the world and the weakness of the flesh, that sinful nature to keep mankind from coming to Christ and even to keep the children of God from enjoying God’s perfect will for them.
The great news is we have a redeemer who conquered the devil and all his works. The writer of Hebrews gives this exhortation about Jesus Christ, “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:14-18)
With our enemies being Biblically exposed we can agree with God and find strength to overcome our persistent adversary, the devil, as he throws the world at us and tempts our flesh. Through Christ who redeemed us we can live a victorious life and outlive our enemies in eternity.
III. How Are We to Love Our Enemies?
Here are seven suggestions that will move us in the right direction.
1) Greet them.
Greet your enemies. We often overlook this simple step. One part of loving our enemies is to greet them graciously when we see them. Sometimes (often, perhaps) instead of turning the other cheek, we turn away so we won’t have to say hello to someone who has hurt us. Some of us have been quite adept at looking the other way, ducking into a room, crossing the street, or even using Caller ID to keep from greeting those who have hurt us. But if we only greet our friends, what benefit is that? Do not even sinners greet each other? One part of loving your enemies is to greet them instead of avoiding them.
2) Disarm them.
That’s what you do when you turn the other cheek or go the second mile. You disarm them by doing the very thing they least expect. You do it by speaking well of them when no one expects it. General Robert E. Lee was once asked his opinion of a fellow officer who was widely known as one of Lee’s greatest detractors. The general responded that he thought the man a very fine officer. “General,” his questioner replied, quite perplexed, “I guess you don’t know what he’s been saying about you.” “Oh, yes I do,” replied Lee. “But I was asked my opinion of him, not his opinion of me.”
3) Do Good to Them.
Doing good to your enemies means seeing beyond your pain and their meanness to their humanity. It means seeing them as people made in the image of God and understanding that there is something twisted inside that causes them to do what they do. “Doing good” means that you do what will promote their healing despite the way they have treated you. The idea is, you make the first move. You send the e-mail. You pick up the phone. You make the contact. You bridge the gap. You set up the appointment. I met a businessman who is greatly gifted in sharing Christ with others. He has a knack for saying the right thing at the right time so that people are eager to know Jesus. What’s his secret? He said there are four keys to being used by God to help others: Show up, hang loose, trust God, stay alert. Those four keys will work for you if you want to help those who have hurt you.
4) Refuse to speak evil of them.
That’s what Jesus meant when he said, “Bless those who curse you” (Luke 6:28). It means you choose not to think evil thoughts and you refuse to speak evil words against those who have wronged you. Proverbs has a great deal to say about the power of words. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21). Every time we open our mouth, life or death comes out. I am increasingly impressed with this thought: Forgiveness in many cases is not possible because we will not stop talking. As long as we talk over and over again about how others have hurt us, we will never find the strength to forgive. At some point, we have to stop talking and start forgiving.
You can criticize the Babylonians, or
You can pray for them.
But you can’t do both at the same time!
As long as we talk over and over again about how others have hurt us, we will never find the strength to forgive. At some point, we have to stop talking and start forgiving. We will never “seek the good of the city” as long as we hate the people of that city. What God said to the exiles applies directly to us. We will never seek the good of our enemies until we stop speaking evil of them.
5) Thank God for them.
If you believe in the sovereignty of God, you must believe that your enemy is sent to you by God’s design and with God’s approval. Your enemy could not torment you apart from God’s permission. Behind your enemy stands the hand of God. And God would never permit it if he did not intend to bring something good out of it. You should take a picture of your enemy, frame it, stick it on your refrigerator door, and thank God for your enemy every time you look at the picture.
6) Pray for them.
When Martin Niemoller, a German pastor, was arrested by the Nazis in World War II, he prayed daily from his prison cell for his captors. Other prisoners asked why he prayed for those who were his enemies. “Do you know anyone who needs your prayers more than your enemies?” he replied. But what if you hate the person you are praying for? Tell that to the Lord. He won’t be surprised. Then say something like this, “Lord, I hate this person, but you already know that. I ask you to love this person through me because I can’t do it in my own power. I ask you for a love I don’t have and can’t begin to produce.” God will not turn you away when you come with an honest heart, admitting you need his love to flow through you.
7) Ask God to bless them.
Here’s a simple way to do that. When faced with someone who has mistreated you, ask God to do for them what you want God to do for you. Seek the blessing for them that you want God to do for you. Think of it this way: The greater the hurt, the greater the potential blessing that will come when we forgive from the heart and by God’s grace bless those who curse us.
Let me put this in a broader perspective. Let’s suppose you find yourself in “Babylon” right now. Perhaps you feel forgotten, overlooked, downtrodden, misused, and taken for granted. Maybe you don’t like where you are or the people you are around. If so, join the crowd because most people feel that way at one time or another—some of us seem to feel that way permanently. So here’s the question. How is God going to reach Babylon? His method has been the same throughout history. God reaches the lost by sending his people to the lost. But what if they don’t want to go? He sends them anyway! That’s what he did with Jonah. And that’s what he did with the Jewish exiles. By putting them in the hands of the people they hated, the Lord was really saying, “You are my missionaries in Babylon. Though I put you there as a punishment, I also intend you to be a blessing to your captors.” That’s a remarkable, uplifting, encouraging thought because it means that even when we have really, really, really, really, really, really messed up and when we are suffering badly for our mistakes, God continues to use us so that even our discipline becomes an opportunity not only for spiritual growth but for ministry to others.
That’s liberating!
That’s revolutionary!
That’s incredible!
But you’ll never enter into that “missionary” experience until you begin to bless your enemies.
A woman wrote me to say that she realized she needed to forgive her husband who left her for a younger woman after 26 years of marriage. She found out later that he had been having an affair for the previous year. To make matters worse, she discovered that some of her friends not only knew about the affair, they were aiding her husband and helping him cover up his infidelity. When she wrote to me, she said that she realized she had never truly forgiven those friends for what they had done. Here is her story:
Today I wrote to four people that the Lord brought to my mind that I needed to pray for, ask for a blessing for them, and I felt the drive to write to them and tell them I had asked God for them to receive a blessing from God. At first it was the hardest thing I had done in sooooooo long, but then as I started writing the quick message telling them after hearing a sermon (didn’t say on what) that I was writing to tell them I’d asked God to give them a special blessing. Three of the four people have claimed to be Christians, but they all contributed to my ex’s infidelity and adultery. Yet, after writing the emails, I felt better and more at peace.
This is an especially good example because she did not mention their sin. She simply wrote to say she was praying for them to receive a blessing from the Lord. How did they respond to those notes? I don’t know and it doesn’t matter. She did what she needed to do, and it set her free.
Let me offer one final word: Your enemy is a gift from God to you. Though you don’t know it and often can’t see it, the person who has hurt you so deeply is a gift from God to you. To say that is not to excuse evil or to condone mistreatment. It is to say exactly what Joseph meant when he said to his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). Our enemies humble us, they keep us on our knees, they reveal our weakness, and they expose our total need for God. Just as David needed King Saul to pursue him, to persecute him and repeatedly attempt to kill him, we need the enemies God sends to us. If we didn’t need them, he wouldn’t send them. Therefore, we thank God who knows best, and we love our enemies the best way we can. Often God raises up an enemy to see if we really want to be like Jesus. He will keep our enemies alive and well as long as we need them.
Jesus had enemies. They killed him. He loved them anyway. Do you want to be like Jesus?
In 1957 Martin Luther King, Jr. preached on “Loving Your Enemies” at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. As he came to the end of his sermon, he said there is a little tree planted on a little hill and on that tree hangs the most influential person who ever came into this world. In the cross of Christ, the love of God has broken through into human history. Now we know what love looks like in a world filled with hatred, distrust, bitterness, pain, mistreatment and abuse. As the hymn writer said, “See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down.” It is a message from God that love is the only way. It’s the only way to heaven, and it’s the only way to live on the earth. If we believe in Jesus at all, we must say to our enemies, “I love you. I would rather die than hate you.” When Jesus walks with us, we will find the strength to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who despitefully use us.
Don’t get even with your enemies. Ask God to bless them instead. If you can let go of your anger long enough to pray like this, you will discover a wonderful benefit. When you pray for grace for others, you put yourself in a position to receive it yourself. So here’s a new reason to pray for your enemies: Your blessing depends on their prosperity.
is not necessary you offend the household enemies; they seek to bring you down all because of envy and jealousy. They seek to turn the face of those that love you against you. There are some people, all you are doing for them is praying and loving them but they are doing all things possible to pull you down because that is their aim.
It is an established fact in God’s word that the enemy’s onslaught against you is facilitated by your close companions. Sometimes, you may not be related by blood but you live in the same neighborhood or attend the same church; they just have this envy and jealousy against you.
Gossips, Backbiting, Slander, Blackmail, Hatred, Wickedness, etc. Are all the products of hidden enemies. They may not even recognise themselves as your enemy. Some will harm you, cause you shame just to get what they want. Some will stop/block/hinder you just to get ahead. Some are your enemies and your friends at the same time. There are many types, and the level of wickedness they carry out varies. You can cry out to the Lord in this format.
1. Are you born again, if not go to the SALVATION Message
2. Sing or say loud, “IF I BE A CHILD OF OF GOD LET FIRE FALL” (3X) 5Mins
3. O Lord, arise, and expose anything hidden that is against me in Jesus name
4. O Lord, arise, and expose any hidden enemy against my life in Jesus name
5. O Lord arise, and break down any stronghold that is against my life in Jesus name
6. O Lord, connect me to the right persons in Jesus name
7. O Lord, open the gates of righteousness unto e in Jesus name
8. O Lord, expose anyone that is mine foe today in Jesus name
9. Let my doors open in Jesus name
10. O Lord, open my spiritual eyes in Jesus name
11. Father, i thank you in Jesus name
12. Father, accept my thanks in Jesus name
Prayers To Expose Unfriendly Friends And Hidden Enemies
Family wickedness,unfriendly friends wickedness,evil marine occult wickedness has been and will always be the problem of humanbeings ever since creation of humans especially in families and it is only with the light the kind JESUSCHRIST said i am the light of the world and mantle power that you will use to destroy them permanently hence those wickedness will sight and know that you carry the light and unbeleivable power and be afraid of you,because they have eyes and they can see just like curses have eyes and could see also and with light you discover them and destroy them with that power and you will cross every evil checking points&evil road blocks and so therefore With that unbelievable power we authorize your freedom on the earth if you would agree to the light:You Humans do you know that and even it was after God created humanbeigns that he had problems with lucifer and that’s why he said i regret creating humanbeigns in genesis 6,5-6 which no so called man of God ,so called pastors and prophets those we call CHAMELEONS AND NIGHT PEOPLE ever reads to their spiritually blind followers because they can’t explain it very well to the blind followers? the truth remains that every one may follow Jesuschrist and claims to love jesuschrist but not everyone will know times and season of Jesuschrist nor even possess the CHRISTLIKE unbeleivable power and light and behold he will always use one peter at a time and only time will tell but dont forget all these are best in the spiritual :be wise and do not say you where not told:human beings remains the devil they also talk about themselves and pretend to be good in the day and at night they turn into their devilish entity?Human beings we ask you again where have you ever seen the devil?
When we are faced with enemies gathering against us, we must go to God in praise, fasting and, prayers and with this, we will provoke the Almighty God to fight for us. God shall appear in our case, and will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom” (Isaiah 19:2). Then our enemies shall fight themselves rather than fighting us. They will tremble and fail, they will consult each others demonic powers to no avail (Isaiah 19:3-4). They will not have courage or strength to fight us anymore because our battle is not ours anymore, but God’s battle (2 Chronicles 20:15).
1. The Outer Enemy—the World
The Scriptures instruct us to “Love not the world” (1 John 2:15) and they remind us that to be a friend of the world is to be an “enemy of God” (James 4:4). The “world” is that whole value-system which dominates society, and is contrary to the ways of God.
The term “the world” is used in several ways in the Bible. It sometimes speaks of the created world—the rugged mountains, the surging ocean waves, and the beauty of a sunset. Yet these are not in themselves a threat to our spiritual welfare, and thus the created world is not our spiritual enemy. The word “world” is sometimes used to speak of the world of people who make up our society. But God loves the people of the world, and we are exhorted to follow His example.
The “world” (which we are not to love) is the man-centered way of life which ignores God, and operates by selfish principles and lives by ungodly standards. The philosophy of the world says that the only important thing is “this life.” The principles of the world are force, greed, selfishness, ambition, and pleasure. The “world” (kosmos) is a system of values that comprises a way of life which is exciting and colorful and seductive and sweet and wonderful—and as a result, we are constantly in danger of getting wrapped up in it, and in danger of giving spiritual values second place.
The Scripture (1 John 2:16-17) breaks worldliness into three component parts. Worldliness includes the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.
The “lust of the flesh” (sensualism) is a craving for anything that gratifies the senses. There is of course a legitimate satisfaction of bodily needs, but when we glut our senses, it becomes animal-like self-indulgence. When we allow the appetite for food to become excessive; when we permit the exercise of sexual relationships to become illicit—all this is sinful and worldly.
The “lust of the eyes” (materialism) is a covetous itching to own what we see. It is the selfish desire that rises when we see things which we really don’t need but want. It is the longing to possess, the desire to get, the eagerness to acquire. The “lust of the eyes” is dreaming about that new “something” which we someday hope to get. One writer says it is the undue desire to get things we don’t need, and buy them with money we don’t have, in order to impress people we don’t like.
The “pride of life” (egotism) is the desire to enhance one’s own prestige and to push ourselves up. It is the hankering to inflate our own reputations. It is an attempt to get the spotlight shining on ourselves. The “pride of life” is putting on an air of “being somebody”—a vain display of who we are—perhaps by the way we talk, or how we dress, or how much money we spend on a wedding, etc.
These have been various kinds of worldliness—sensualism, materialism, and egotism. Worldliness is not only dancing and card playing and sharp dressing. It includes those things—but worldliness is the desire to glut our physical appetites (lust of the flesh); the longing to possess more and more material things (lust of the eyes); and the hankering to inflate our own reputations (pride of life).
The world exerts its influence on all of us. It would like to dominate our personalities and mold our thoughts. How do we deal with this powerful enemy? The hymn-writer asks a searching question: “Is this vile world a friend to grace, to help us on to God?” And the answer is obviously, “No.” Our citizenship is in another world. We are guided by another Spirit. We cannot go arm-in-arm with those who despise the standards of the Bible. How then do we deal with this enemy? There are several responses.
a) We must continuously refuse to be guided by the world’s standards of right and wrong. The majority of people swim with the tide, and do as others do. We must disassociate ourselves from the value-system of the world, and its preoccupation with pleasure and wealth and power. We must refuse to swim with the tide and follow the crowd.
b) We must avoid close, intimate relationships with worldly people. Acquaintance is one thing, but intimate friendship is quite another. To cultivate intimacy with worldly people is dangerous to the soul. Children and youth need to be especially careful about the kinds of friends they choose.
c) We must clearly confess Christ on all proper occasions. We must not be ashamed to let others know where we stand. This does not mean that we should blow a trumpet before us, but we must stand firmly for what is right, habitually ready to let the children of this world see that we are guided by principles higher than those that govern society about us.
The attitude of God’s people should be: “Take the world, but give me Jesus; all earth’s joys are but in name; but His love abides forever, through eternal years the same.”
2. The Inner Foe—the Flesh
The “flesh” is our human nature with its natural tendency to sin. The “flesh” is sometimes used in the Bible to speak of “meat.” Sometimes it refers to the fabric that covers our bony skeletons (the skin and tissues and blood of the human body). But here the word “flesh” refers to our fallen self-centered nature (sometimes called “the old man” or “the Adamic nature”).
The Bible tells us that we are born with a heart that is inclined to sin, and that this bent to do wrong will be with us through life. A Christian has two natures—the new life which he received when he accepted Christ, and the old sinful nature called “the flesh.” The new nature is controlled by the Holy Spirit; the old nature is characterized by sinful desires. When the sinless new nature is placed alongside the depraved old nature with which we were born, there is conflict. Galatians 5:17 describes it very vividly. The “flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other”—and then specific sins of immorality and false worship and hostility are named.
Even our most lofty actions are sometimes tainted by selfishness and pride and thus are expressions of the flesh. It is possible to pray in order to impress others with our spirituality. It is possible to give money in order to be applauded for our stewardship. It is possible to witness in order to be praised for our evangelistic zeal. Such activities (if performed out of selfish motives) are of the flesh, and are not pleasing to God.
The flesh has a bent toward rejecting authority; it tends to be lazy and slothful; it is quick to develop vengeful thoughts; it is slanted toward the worship of self (our abilities, our strength, our cleverness, our ideas, our good looks). These are fleshly appetites that need to be controlled with the help of the Spirit of God.
The flesh nature, in fact, can drag us down into the worst kinds of activities. Animals live by instincts, and the flesh tends to do what our natural instincts would crave. Our English language picks up these ideas. In many English-speaking cultures, a woman who quietly slips around maligning others, is called “catty.” A grouchy man is called “an old bear.” A shrewd businessman is said to be “foxy.” A cowardly person is called a “chicken.” No matter how refined we might be, the “flesh” with all its primitive qualities can crop up any time, and almost without thinking, we can find ourselves acting like a mule or a fox or a chicken.
The “flesh” also manifests itself in more refined forms. The new man (the new nature in us) knows we should study God’s Word, but the old man (the flesh) tries to keep us too busy to do that. The new man knows we should be a peacemaker, but the old man thrives on controversy. The new man knows we should be patient with people and witness to them, but the old nature doesn’t care.
How do we deal with the inner enemy—the “flesh?” In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul saw himself indwelled by two laws: One delights in the law of God; the other delights to bring him into spiritual defeat. The fact that Paul says, “I delight in the law of God,” shows that he is speaking of the period after his conversion, because an unconverted person does not “delight in the law of God” (Romans 7:22). Paul explains in Romans 8, however, that none of us needs to be a constant victim of the power of indwelling sin:
a) We must learn to say “No” to the desires of our fallen nature. We read in 1 Peter 2:11, “Abstain from the lusts of the flesh which war against the soul.”
b) We must continually reckon ourselves dead to sin. And so every time the “flesh” rears its ugly head, we must say (Romans 6:11), “I died to sin; I am not going to let it have power over me.”
c) We must “walk in the Spirit” and in this way, Galatians 5:16 says we will not “fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” To “walk in the Spirit” means that we must deliberately allow the Holy Spirit to rule us. We must consciously submit to His wishes. And we must carefully comply with His will as it is revealed in the Bible.
3. The Stubborn Adversary—Satan
Every believing Christian is subjected to the influences of the world from without (the prevailing secular culture). Also, we are subjected to the persuasions of the flesh from within (our twisted fallen nature). But beyond both these powers, is the devil, seeking to hold us in captivity.
Satan is the commander of a large host of demons who are opposed to God, and who are dedicated to the task of defeating those who have accepted the Lord’s salvation. The Bible describes him as a deceiver, a liar, a murderer, an accuser, a tempter, a prince, and an evil one. He beguiles and seduces and opposes and deceives and sows tares and hinders and tempts and blasphemes. He is personal; he is intelligent; he is destructive. He has his own synagogue (Revelation 2:9). He has his own gospel (Galatians 1:6). He has his own ministers (2 Corinthians 11:14,15). He has his own doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1). He even has his own communion service (1 Corinthians 10:21). Satan will do all he can to hinder our Christian lives. He is constantly battling for the soul of the sinner as well as for the life of the saint.
Satan’s attacks do not always come in open and easily observed forms. They are usually subtle and crafty. He is not a monster that carries a pitchfork. He often comes as an angel of light. It would be much more simple to identify and defeat the devil if he would come to us honestly and say, “Good morning sir, I am the devil, and I want to get you involved in something that will bring misery and wretchedness, and in the end will dishonor your Savior.” It would be easy then to say, “Get thee behind me, Satan”—but he doesn’t come in such an open way.
Satan uses the allurements of the world and the appeal of the flesh (the first two enemies) to try and get us to do what God forbids. One of his techniques is to bring discouragement. He wants us to become downhearted and to lose confidence. He works hard to bring depression and despondency into our lives. At some point along life’s pathway, the devil will do his best to implant in your mind the thought that you have been a complete failure.
Another scheme Satan uses is to deny truth. He tries to break down the sacredness of marriage, the sanctity of human life, and the absoluteness of moral standards. The devil also seeks to instill complacency. He will keep us from concentration in prayer. He will distract us from the careful study of the Word. He will seek to make us cowards when it comes to witnessing. Furthermore, the design of the devil is to use deceit. He influences teachers of religion to present a mixture of truth and error—so that people become confused, and mixed up, and uncertain.
How do we deal with the devil? For one thing, we must take a determined stand against him. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Then too, we must put on the full set of armor provided for battle. Ephesians 6:14-18 describes the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. And finally, we must persevere in the fight against principalities and powers. Ephesians 6:18 says we should watch “with all perseverance.”
Some of you have read about the two frogs that fell into a farmer’s bucket of cream. They tried over and over again to get out by climbing up the sides of the bucket, but each time they slipped back into the bucket. Finally, one frog said, “We’ll never get anywhere doing this; I give up.” (He went down into the bucket of cream and drowned). The other frog saw the consequences of giving up, so he decided to keep on trying. Even if he didn’t succeed, he would at least go down trying! And so over and over again he tried to climb out with his front legs, and kept kicking away with his back legs. Suddenly he felt something solid! All his kicking had turned some of the cream into a lump of butter—and so he hopped on top of it, and leaped out of the pail. That’s persistence! That’s sticking to a task! That’s not giving up! And that’s what Ephesians 6:18 says we must do in the Christian life . . . “Watching . . . with all perseverance and supplication.”
These then are the three enemies of the Christian life—the world, the flesh, and the devil. We must determine to renounce each of these enemies if we want to please the Lord. We can overcome the world by separatingfrom it. We must refuse to be guided by the world’s standards of right and wrong. We can overcome the flesh by denying it. We must learn to say “No” to the desires of our fallen nature. We can overcome the devil by resistinghim. We must take a determined stand against Satan and not give him a foothold in life.
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