This war is already won!

 

Today the devotional reading coincides with my experiences this week. Monday I prayed a long time about vital requests from others. That night the enemy hit me with a terrible dream that made me feel abandoned and lost. The next day God blessed me with a gift (more below) and that night I was hit again with a bad dream. These prayers are being answered and the enemy does not like it. We are also making plans that will affect our lives and Satan does not seem happy about that either. In other words, this week has been filled with spiritual warfare coupled with the calm assurance that God is in control. We tell of trusting Him to those around us. Satan isn’t happy with that either. Because of  this, I’m personalizing some of the reading. It fits with my thoughts and makes my heart rest, even in this battle.

The spies sent by Joshua into the promised land were helped by Rahab. She hid them from her countrymen who would have killed them. Her reason? She said:

“I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” (Joshua 2:8–11)

This week, while filled with ups and downs, God gifted me with a glimpse of Satan’s schemes. While I did not see the terror and faintness that has fallen on all the forces of evil, I did understand that these evil spirits see in God’s praying people the incredible way that God uses prayer to conquer their schemes and bring victories that cause His people to declare, “Only God” as the reason.

Knowing this means I can meet my spiritual enemies without that crippling fear and trembling that hit me after that first dream. Satan is already defeated and this gives me confidence that God has not only heard and will answer my prayers, but also the devil’s efforts to stop them will not work.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, (Jesus) himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15)

This slavery is not only the fear of death, but fear that God isn’t listening, that prayer is a waste of time, that I don’t know if my prayers are meaningful at all or just a bunch of I-wants. Jesus has ruined the plans of the evil one. He has “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them” (Colossians 2:15) and He boldly declared:

Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. (John 12:31–32)

Jesus came to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8) meaning not only his power to draw me into doubt and sin, but to ruin lives with all sorts of wicked schemes. Jesus will win because He has already won the greatest battle.

This is a fact; sin is a conquered foe and so is Satan. This fact and faith in it gives me the power to be dead to sin and victorious over temptation. I can march around cities, see the walls fall flat, and conquer all battles. He does that when I trust Him, not myself or anything else.

PRAY: Lord, I sense the importance of my prayers this week and the value of the decisions that face us. You alone are in charge. The enemy keeps sticking his lies into the mix and You continue to shut the door on all bait that he dangles in front of us. Oh how thankful I am for You and Your goodness.

NOTE: And the gift mentioned above? Remember the story of pink tulips. First read it here. Every week, my hubby meets with other men to study God’s Word and pray. One of those men reads my devotional posts and after he read that one, he told his wife about it. This week, he handed my husband a gift — from his wife to me. My hubby teared up. When he handed it to me, I sat down and sobbed. Not only is this unexpected and beautiful, it came to me just as I was trying to recover from that dream that made me feel hopelessly abandoned and unloved. God knew and Rosa and Phil, you listened. Your timing was perfect. I want to say thank you now and hopefully later, offering a big hug. This amazing gift looks wonderful on my front door and blesses me each time I think about it. Google even says: “The pink tulip is a symbol for caring and good wishes. It's perfect for a gift!”

I’m also reminds that TULIP has a meaning in Christianity as seen by Calvinists:

Total depravity
Unconditional election
Limited atonement
Irresistible grace
Perseverance of the saints

This makes your generosity and thoughtfulness even more special. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Exchanging the lie for The Truth . . .

In the beginning, God put the first human beings in a lovely garden and provided everything they needed. Along came a serpent and convinced them that God really didn’t want the best for them because He had forbidden the fruit of one tree. At that, as Romans 1:25 says, they exchanged the truth about God for a lie. Ever since we easily fall for that lie — God does not love us resulting in our worship of everything but our Creator, missing the blessing of knowing His love.

The book of Ephesians, another of Paul’s letters written from prison, begins with a long description that confronts that lie. The words seem to flow out of his pen like water bubbling up from a spring, like the warbling of a songbird. Each phrase is a profound message about the love of God:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:3–14)

In this passage, God affirms that His love is demonstrated in Jesus Christ. He sent His Son to confront and destroy the lie and the liar and prove the truth — He loves us far more than our doubting hearts can ever imagine.

As I read and reread His words, my heart is overwhelmed. I feel unable to grasp the wonder of it and the implication of words like: every spiritual blessing, chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him, adopted to Himself, blessed in the Beloved, redeemed, forgiven, grace lavished!

Think of it; God opened my ears to hear the word of truth, to make known to me the mystery of His will. I have inherited all that is His in Christ. I am sealed, guaranteed that inheritance until I possess it. This is the love of God. How dare the devil try to tell me that God does not love me!

Yet he does feed me that lie and sometime succeeds in convincing me. He works hard to get me to use my eyes so what I see in the world becomes the criteria for evaluating God’s love — instead of reading and listening to His Word, instead of remembering one of the huge reasons why Jesus came:

 . . . The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

The work of Satan is to turn people from truth and believe his lies. Jesus defeated him on our behalf and through Him, I share that victory — yet I need to remember what I have in Him and live by it. I need to read, memorize, meditate on and live by the promises of God, promises like this one:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, I know that walking by the Spirit involves confessing known sin, asking You to fill me, being obedient as You lead me, and seeing with my ears without letting my eyes lead me away from the Word of God. I am so thankful for the truth You reveal and the joy You give as You teach me just how much You love me. Today, fill my heart with the reality of Your love and awareness of how You have shown that love to me and to Your people.

Today’s thankful list . . .

Deep joy in knowing I am eternally loved by God.

The beauty of creation — God, You did it well!

Safety on our long drive today.

Home, sweet home.

Crawling into our own bed.

An ancient text is right up to date!

Yesterday I had a look at the syllabus of my next course. (I’m finishing a degree online.) This one is a systematic theology study of Christ and the Church. Most of the readings are from old, even ancient sources. I’m to write briefs on all of them, and an essay on one that was written between 1265-1274. I read that one through and felt overwhelmed by the language. English has changed. Not only that, this piece had been translated way back when, and many terms were not even in an ordinary dictionary.

This morning’s devotion was also written many years ago. The author was Augustine* who lived 354-430 A.D. It was edited in the 1800s to more readable English than the reading for my essay. My first thought was, “How like God to give me this as an encouragement to my apprehension about trying to understand what these early church writers were trying to say.”

Actually, today’s reading is fairly simple. It is based on this verse and discusses one aspect of what it means to be born into sin…

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

Augustine says that “of the devil” means to imitate the devil because the devil has never fathered anyone or  created anyone. Yet in biblical terms, whoever follows and imitates the devil becomes as if he were his child.

The Scriptures speak in the same way about being a child of Abraham. Abraham did not father me, but the Bible says that because I have or imitate the faith of Abraham, I am a child of Abraham.

Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. (Galatians 3:6–7)

Augustine repeats what the Bible says in several places that those who were of the lineage of Abraham by birth but did not imitate his faith and were put out of the inheritance promised to him. Instead, they because children of the devil, just as Jesus told them.

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:10)

Those who “imitate the Devil in the way he became proud and impious against God, you will be a child of the Devil” and the “reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

Augustine says, “All sinners are born of the Devil, as sinners. Adam was made by God, but when he consented to the Devil, he was born of the Devil, and he fathered all as he was himself. With lust itself we were born, even before we add our sins; from that condemnation we have our birth. For if we are born without any sin, why this running with infants to baptism that they may be released? Then mark well, friends, the two birth-stocks; Adam and Christ are two men, but one of them, a man that is human; the other, a Man that is God. By the man that is human we are sinners; by the Man that is God we are justified. That birth has cast down to death, this birth has raised up to life; that birth brings with it sin, this birth sets free from sin. For this purpose Christ came as human, to undo human sins. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the Devil’s work.”

Besides the practical nature of this writing (who can disobey God and not see how serious that disobedience is?), Augustine writes with understandable simplicity, even a black/white tone that fits with the way I think. While other ancient writers may not be so plain of speech (and translation), God encourages me that at least one of them speaks loud and clear.

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*Augustine was an important influence on the development of Christianity. His theological system dominated the church until the thirteenth century and its influence is still felt today. Many of his writings still exist. I read one of the most famous, Confessions (written about 397), and was thoroughly blessed. It is an autobiography but more like a long prayer of repentance and thanksgiving for God’s grace. During the first 33 years of his life, he lived as a child of the devil while his mother prayed with great passion for his salvation. Then Christ came into his life and he was transformed by grace into the God-fearing man that he became.