Verses for today…

Yesterday was filled with blessing as we worshiped with others, sang praises to God, listened to a challenge to yield our all in serving Jesus, and shared with others what God is doing in our lives. We visited our granddaughter, and even though she had surgery to reset her arm the day before, she was cheerful and thankful. 

I should have woke this morning full of joy, but that was not so. I felt discouraged and useless, without purpose and emotionally drained. Songs of praise didn’t help. Prayer for unsaved family didn’t help. Reading verses and devotional thoughts left me in the same empty place. However, my online Bible opens with an index and includes a daily verse, this time Isaiah 54:11 and God gave me this:

“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones. All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me; whoever stirs up strife with you shall fall because of you. Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy; no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 54:11–17)

This passage is near the end of this prophet’s section on comfort after many chapters about God’s judgment. While I’ve not felt under judgment, daily news and situations in the world feel like the entire planet is on a downward slope. The perks of yesterday were like dropping into God’s living room and escaping the bad news for a short while. But as soon as that was over, so went my peace of mind. I felt the affliction and lack of comfort described in this passage, but not the emotions that might go with being decked out in precious jewels.

But then, verse 13. I have this verse in the middle of a photo of my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. This is God's precious promise, that my family will have peace as God teaches them.

And here it adds more promises that God makes to His people, promises that the Scriptures tell me I can claim for myself since I am a child of God, by faith like the faith of Abraham. The first is that God will establish me, take me far from the oppression I often feel, and remove me from fear and terror — taking them away.

Next, any strife will not be from Him and it will fail because He has weapons against such things, even those who are against me. My vindication is from Him and my heritage — as His child. The prophet may be speaking of physical opposition and battles, yet this covers the spiritual wars against His people whose exterior situation is without strife but the enemy strikes against our minds.

Yesterday I was thanked for prayers that God answered, asked for help that God enabled me to give, and was given words to encourage others. The enemy doesn’t like that, yet if I put his name into the above passage as the weapons and negatives Isaiah points out as defeated, my heart is lifted again. The truth is: Jesus wins, and because He says “I will. . . . .” then I win also. 

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Revelation 12:10–11)

PRAY: Jesus, You are my joy and delight. You overcome the negatives that threaten me, whether their source is bad news, worries and concerns, fearful emotions, or the lies whispered by Satan to take my focus away from You. No weapon that is fashioned against me shall succeed. Because of You, this is my heritage and vindication. You are my righteousness and I am an overcomer and also a winner! How wonderful to belong to You and hear You speak.

 

Defeating Fear

In talking with someone about her fears, I’m prompted to think about my own. I’m not afraid of mice, spiders, or someone breaking into my house. Sometimes I think about losing my husband or others dear to me. I would not welcome the destruction of fire. Most of my fears are incidental and short-lived, like the fear of saying the wrong thing and messing up a relationship, or losing my memory which would make life more challenging. 

Today’s reading comes from a book on everyday prayers. The author quotes a verse that deals with bigger fears:

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Revelation 12:10–11)

Because Jesus died for me, and because I believe it and say so, and because I am not fearful of dying (maybe just the unknown process), I can affirm that while the shenanigans of Satan often take me by surprise, lack of fear conquers his accusations and efforts to turn me from faith. Most of the time. For if they do, my Jesus is determined to rescue me.

Yesterday, a strange thing happened. I don’t always blame the devil for all problems for not all of them are directly related to his lies, but if they divert me from trusting Jesus, he’s usually in there with some sort of accusation to provoke fear. This time it was unexplained pain.

We walked a lot on Sunday. Monday began okay but by lunch time my right heel tendons were swollen and so painful that I couldn’t think of anything else. Walking was difficult. Nothing eased it except putting my foot in a bucket of ice cold water, but even that didn’t help much.
How is this related to the devil’s schemes? Pain turns my thoughts to self, usually self-pity. This time it made me wonder if it would heal and go away. I know people who are in pain all their lives. How much would this stifle all my plans for even the next few days? Thinking of these things was not obsessive as the pain was so bad I couldn’t think of much else, but this morning, reading this verse and the prayer, reminded me of my real enemy and his tactics. The prayer author wrote:

Dear Lord Jesus, even as these words first thundered from heaven by a loud voice, so shout this good news into my heart today. What a focusing and freeing perspective on spiritual warfare. We live in the “now” of your salvation, power, kingdom, and authority, Lord Jesus—not the “not-so-long-from-now” but the now. You’re calling us to warfare, not war-fear.

He then quoted Martin Luther and the last line of the quote tells me how, in this situation, I can fight with a word of testimony — even alone in my house, I can sing the praises of Jesus, the Prince of Peace who has gloriously triumphed over the Prince of Darkness!

I might not have the ability to remove pain, but I can remember the One who defeated the Liar and did not shrink from death that I could be set free from its fear. I overcome because of Jesus, and fears get replaced with deep joy. Jesus empowers His people from all darkness in our hearts and all the fears that Satan tries to put there. Not only that, even though he prowls around looking for those he can devour, You have him on a short leash. 

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

PRAY: Lord Jesus, as the author of this book of prayers says, I can overcome, not by my muscle or even positive thinking, but by your mercy. Your Word says that the Holy Spirit can and will declare the gospel so loudly in my heart that it drowns out Satan’s constant efforts to keep me from trusting You. You are stronger and Your way of victory is greater than all his schemes. For that, I am humbly grateful. Amen!

Am I being like Jesus?

How should I respond to a person who claims to know Jesus but continually talks and acts as if they don’t, yet when questioned immediately has all the biblical answers? I’ve not seen this person walk the talk, but only do a lot of talking. They are not new to faith, but claim a life-long experience of knowing Christ. Why then do they act most of the time as if they don’t? The temptation is to judge, even condemn, yet I do not have that freedom.

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:33–34)

If this person is a child of God, they are protected from condemnation: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) If they are faking it or deceived in some way, then they are already condemned:

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:18–21)

Last night, one person in our study group clarified the distinction this way. He said that 1 John clearly states that no matter what we claim, if we don’t love God and others, we are not Christians. Yet 1 John also says that if someone is not “of us” they will not stay with us, so that does not solve my puzzle. I’m reminded of the Liar’s activities:

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:10–11)

Satan is the one who condemns. If I do it, am I playing his game instead of doing what Jesus does in intercession for His people? My goal, even if there is evidence of sin, should be restoration regarding sin (evidence is confession and repentance) and humility rather than pride, faith rather than unbelief, and integrity rather than pretense. Restoration is not my skill set. Instead, I wonder about this from the Lord?

Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10–12)

This seems God's answer to my question. This person is irritating me. In hoping for the best and not seeing it, I want a reason for the problem, which is something like Eve being tempted by the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God wants me to deal with my problem, not ask Him to show me things only He knows. I now remember the Narnia story where the Lion scarred the back of the boy’s friend and the boy asked why. The Lion (representing Christ) told him, “That is her story” meaning ‘mind your own business and leave her to me.’

PRAY: Lord, You sometimes use unsolved issues to build my faith or to show me what I need to confess. I don’t like being around people who profess faith but their actions and attitude stinks, yet You are intimately acquainted with millions of us who tend to say one thing and do another, try to run our own lives, or fake it instead of being honest. By Your grace, may I grow up and become more like You instead of trying to play God as if I was already there.

When God seems far away…

 
There are times when it seems God is off somewhere and with His back turned. In reading about His great wisdom, it is obvious that He knows how I feel, why this is allowed, and what He wants from me in this time of feeling awry, even though I know that nothing has changed. I am His child, made righteous by faith in Christ, and able to live for Him because of Him.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction… (Romans 3:21–22)

He also knows that this righteousness is mine in that I don’t need to strive for it. It is the same as forgiveness. Confess sin and forgiveness is not only available on a sin-to-sin basis, but all taken care of more than two thousand years ago at Calvary. When He chose me, saved me, and gave me His Spirit, He also granted me His mind, gentleness, meekness, peace, love, joy, and all that I need to live for Him. His virtue is not a commodity in a cupboard that I have to go fetch; it is already mine. The only thing that prevents me from living like Christ is trying to do it without Him. Just as many try to be “Christian” in behavior, so also many of the OT people tried to do it, as Paul described:

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:2–4)

Jesus teaches me that He is my righteousness and trying to establish it on my own is folly. The OT tells me that:

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. (Isaiah 64:6–7)

This is not the only time that His face seems hidden, yet I’m getting a vague understanding that in His wisdom, there are times when it seems that He does it that I might remember how weak and blind I am without Him. I’m not aware of any particular sin that demands confession, only vague shadows flitting about. This is usually Satan who is up to one of his specialties. This is described:

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:10–11)

The enemy accuses even as Jesus defends. I’m okay in Christ. His blood secured my victory. My testimony reinforces it. Having little concern for my life compared to dying is also part of that victory. It is easy to criticize others who seem more concerned for comfort than God’s will, yet I also need to pay attention to this myself. Do the discomforts and burdens of life pull me away from God and how He might want to use it to change me in some way? Is the sense of His absence part of an important test or lesson?

You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! (Psalm 27:8–9)

PRAY: I’m glad that You know all things. I’m in the dark about my life all this week, a downer after weeks of a new blessing every day. Did I fall into loving the blessings more than I love you, or is that one of the devil’s accusations that is simply not true? May You make this plain, not so I am happier but that You are glorified and blessed. Thank You.

Later: God is amazing. Big prayers answered. He turns me around and then smiles at me!

Say NO to Doubts

Many years ago, our daughter was reading at the kitchen table. The book was something about the power of choice. She suddenly said, “It is about motivation. I could say I will not or was unable to do something, but if a gun was put to my head, I would do it.”

My memory could be wrong. She may have illustrated with a negative, something like, “If I said I could not stop eating ice cream, I could stop if there was a gun to my head.” Either way, she made a point that I remember. It is easy to say “I have no time to restart exercising every day” or “I can’t resist eating chocolate” but her statement reminds me that God has given choices. In my own strength, I may not have the will or the power to do what He asks, but today’s devotional takes me back to what my daughter said — I can choose:

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

These were God’s people and given a choice between obedience to Him or to the gods in their world. They had a decision to make. The OT is full of warnings about the consequences of their choices. It is obvious as His people, they needed to make His will their priority and be blessed, but  disobedience would give them problems.

It is the same for NT believers. We are told to trust and obey, yet the trust part is easily smeared with doubt, especially if those OT benefits stop happening. When life hands me lemons, my faith may go sour. Part of that comes from thinking the “good life” comes from good behavior and like Job, we wonder why what happened when our comfort zone is violated. Did God forget me? Why did He stop blessing me? I easily assume obedience will feel good, yet Jesus was made perfect by suffering so why not me?

Sometimes I doubt because a voice in my head says I’m guilty but that voice is vague. I know the Holy Spirit is specific. I must remember that the devil will try to make me doubt with that accusation. However, God says this enemy is defeated:

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Revelation 12:10–11)

Whatever makes my faith waver, I can choose to say NO to it  — based on the Word of God. Like any sin, I do not have to give into it. If I’m thinking God does not love me, I can say, “Nonsense. Jesus died for me.” If I’m thinking God does not hear my prayers, I can say, “Jesus says He does so am I willing to call Him a liar?”
Whatever the doubt is about, there is a biblical answer that counters it. The answer may not be easily seen or seen at once, but if God said it and I’m doubting it, then I am accusing God of lying — not very wise of me!

The nature of faith a renewal of choice. As a sinner, all I could choose was sin and was without knowledge or desire to be godly. Being ‘good’ was always fake goodness for beneath any action that seemed good was a selfish motive. My sin made me blind to my sin.

On the other hand, the gift of faith includes the ability to see and choose His way. It is sometimes easy, somethings very difficult, depending on the challenge to my comfort, or the work required, or other plans I might have, or if doubts are present. Does God really know what is best for me? Does His way work? Will it turn out for good?

A big part of faith is knowing God well and rightly. Reading His word is the way to know Him yet many times the Bible is read to prove a point, to affirm an idea, to refute or accuse the ideas of others. Wrong motives raise doubts rather than getting rid of them.

PRAY: Jesus, saying NO to doubt might seem too easy, yet I know that without You, I would always be selfishly choosing what I think would make me feel good. Besides that, You often remind me that great things happened because You choose to say, “Not my will but thine be done.” I’m learning, slowly as usual but learning, to choose to say NO to doubt and a few other things that try to hold me in their grip. Thank You for the power of choice.

Use it or Lose it…

Along with Smith’s devotional, I’m reading Stephen Charnock’s amazing “Existence and Attributes of God” — a definite faith-builder and classic written in 1853. Today’s reading says reason shows there is a God yet as Scripture says, this knowledge is suppressed by doing evil.

In a similar way, Smith’s devotional says that the NT believers had no doubt about God and there would be no growth of the Christian faith if they were filled with the doubts and questions of the modern church. From this readings, I see two things.

One, the modern Christian is not reading and being informed by the Bible as those early believers  were relying on the Scriptures that they had.

Two, the modern Christian is not in the Word of God and not obedient to it, however many profess faith but suppress the truth they do know by living unrighteous lives. Too many Christians are behaving as worldly people and their behavior is ruining their faith.

Charnock points to the “atheistical bubblings” in human hearts and his observations could apply to Christians. We, at times, live by our own thoughts and ideas, denying God simply by ignoring His will and instead doing our own thing. Practical atheism, if it becomes a habit of life, is a faith-killer. It fits those described as people who: “profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” (Titus 1:16)

This is not to say these people actually do know God but that they are professing faith, which is distinct from a true knowledge of God. Today’s churches are occupied by many who profess faith but it is not real. It means they live a secret atheism and that failure to trust God is the root of all the wickedness in our world. It is also the root of all powerless in the church.

Charnock also says that by reason, God is known to exist. The Bible says it also:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:19–21)

The prior verse explains what happens: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Romans 1:18)

Whatever else people might know about God, all people know He exists. Yet if that understanding is suppressed by sin, then evil begins to win the human heart. Charnock puts it this way:

The existence of God is the foundation of all religion.We cannot pay God a due and regular homage unless we understand him in his perfections, what he is; and we can pay him no homage at all, unless we believe that he is.

His words fit with this NT truth: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Popular thought has kicked God out of schools, public and political activities, and much of life. Unlike the NT days where no one doubted that God exists and that He rewards those who seek Him, we live in a world where evil is suppressing righteousness and that doubt about God is affecting Christians and the church. It has become very necessary to urge God’s people to daily consider God and His nature lest that wickedness which overflows in the world also overflows in the lives of God’s people.

PRAY: Jesus, I am so very thankful that You said You would build Your church and the gates of hell could not prevent it. As I listen to world news and as I talk with other Christians, I can see how the evil that is outside is a threat to those of us who have been saved from it. We put ourselves in danger by not clinging to what we know, and by not seeking and obeying You. Most important is reading, studying, meditating on and doing what Your Word says, telling others about You, and being willing to die rather than deny the truth You have given us. We can overcome because:

Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And we have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony, for they love not their lives even unto death. (Revelation 12:10–11, slightly personalized)

OT events point to NT truths

Exodus 14; Job 32; Luke 17; 2 Corinthians 2

When it comes to creative ways to communicate, the mind of God is astonishing. This morning I’m thinking of how He used the Old Testament to foreshadow the gospel and wondering if there is more to the crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus than just pointing to the escape of God’s people from the bondage of sin. For instance, in the New Testament, believer’s baptism symbolizes the truth of salvation in that believers go down into the waters to declare our death to sin and rise out of the waters to declare our entrance into new life. In Exodus, the people of God went through the waters, literally between water walled on each side of them, to freedom and new life also. In the New Testament, this is used to symbolize or point to baptism.

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:1–4)

But what about Pharaoh and his armies? Did not that same water destroy them? Is there a foreshadowing in this event pointing to the defeat of Satan also? This might be my imagination working overtime, yet the ideas are true. Baptism is a vital first step of obedience and obedience and a way of declaring faith in Christ. Clearly that is part of overcoming Satan’s power as he tries to thwart faith and spiritual growth in Christ.

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Revelation 12:10–11)

Christ overcame the power of Satan by saving me and my obedience is a necessary part of putting this enemy to the run!

Interesting that the reading in Job is vaguely related. People use the term ‘devil’s advocate’ for those who accuse others, something that Job’s ‘friends’ had been doing and something Satan does. God’s answer to accusations is truth. Job tried to speak truth and God later commended him for doing so. He did no wrong in expressing how he felt and the confusion he had about God. The Lord rebuked him for his assumptions but did not condemn him.

The accusation of speaking against God is only true if I do it when I know better. Job didn’t know better. He thought God would tell him the problem or let him know if sin was involved, but God was silent. Job’s ‘friends’ severely criticized him for speaking his heart. So do some commentators, yet God only told this man that he didn’t know everything and that he had spoken rightly.

My thoughts flow from the power of the enemy depicted in Pharaoh and slavery in Egypt, to the freedom gained in Christ and expressed in baptism, to the attacks of the enemy using false accusations depicted in the three ‘friends’ who insisted Job was evil when God had declared him righteous. However, typology needs to be handled carefully lest I get carried away.

That said, I see connections between OT and NT truths, similarities between the OT enemies of God’s people and the activities of my spiritual enemy described in the NT. One of them already mentioned is accusation. Satan even goes to God with his slander as he tries to flood me with false guilt and ruin my victory over sin. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:11, I’m not to be ignorant of his tricks.

APPLY: Easy applications. Let God’s truth affirm who I am in Christ, a sinner set free from sin’s bondage. Don’t listen to accusations that deny that reality or that cause me to fear that Satan can defeat me. Satan has already been defeated by Jesus Christ. The Gospel and Baptism both declared death to self as well as sin, so remember this and act like it!

One of those gray areas . . .

This morning I was thinking about something I want to do, but had some doubts about whether God wants me to do it. It is one of those gray areas, not sin in the action, but perhaps in my motivation. My prayer was that He would show me from Scripture. My feelings and my ‘I wants’ can block His voice and when that happens, I want to hear what He has to say in black and white, with no confusion.

These verses are for today’s reading, verses whose application has not always been clear. However, Chambers clarifies them for me, and God answers my prayer.

“Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” (Matthew 5:25–26)

Chambers says this instruction is based on a principle: Do what you know you must do, now, and do it quickly. It I don’t, there is a process that will eventually bring pain and distress. God’s laws are unalterable; there is no escape from them.

From this, I do not hear the Lord saying “Do what you want to do” but rather, “Do what I want you to do.” The same principle applies; if I don’t, there will be consequences. If I go my own way, I will regret it. If I obey the Lord, the results will please Him and be a blessing to me and others.

This passage is not about how others treat me, even though it refers to accusers. If the accuser is right and I insist on my rights, or having my way, or act in ways that displease the Lord Jesus Christ, I’m to bring myself to God’s judgment and let Him say yes or no to my situation. If I don’t, the problem will not go away.

Chamber’s lines that speak loudly are these: “God is determined to have His child as pure and clean and white as driven snow, and as long as there is disobedience in any point of His teaching, He will prevent none of the working of His spirit. Our insistence in proving that we are right is nearly always an indication that there has been some point of disobedience. No wonder the Spirit so strongly urges to keep steadfastly in the light!”

My issue is not about settling differences with an accuser, yet the Holy Spirit reminds me of the reality of my spiritual accuser, the enemy who accuses me before God day and night.

“ . . . . Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:10–11)

Satan accusations are designed to ruin my faith and turn me from trusting God. This gives clarity. Will the thing I want to do be a reflection of pure faith? Or does it have an insistence in it that indicates either lack of faith or a point of disobedience or both?

If God wants me to do something, He will nudge me until I pay attention. If Satan wants me to do something, he will accomplish his purpose by lies and accusations. The only way to overcome him is by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, by my declaration of faith in God, and by disregarding whatever I might want — even if it leads to my demise.

If I insist on my own way, my accuser will trip me up. If I do not love my own life or my own way then I will conquer this adversary, not by being reconciled to him, but because I have been reconciled to God by Jesus Christ, and enabled to obey Him by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Loving God means…

The two great commandments tell us to love God with all our mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. It seems simple, but the very nature of love defies and defines our success.

This love that the Bible speaks of is a sacrificial love. It is embodied in Christ who loved us in humility, giving up His own life that we could be forgiven and receive eternal life. As a basically selfish creature, that kind of love is more than a challenge; it is impossible.

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:10–11)

The “accuser” is Satan. The book of Job tells how he comes before God and tattles on His servants. Job was a godly man, yet Satan said that Job would never trust God if God was always good to him. The rest of the book shows that the faith that God gives is more than adequate. Job didn’t like what happened to him and complained, but his faith held firm.

Job conquered all that Satan threw at him and at God in accusation because of those three things in Revelation 12:11. While the Lamb, Jesus Christ had not yet shed His blood, the Old Testament sacrifices were a picture or type that pointed to Him. As the OT people of faith offered a slain animal on the altar of God, they were demonstrating faith in the promise of God to send a Messiah. It was this promise that Job believed, and by it and the blood of the coming Lamb, he held fast.

Job also declared his faith. His “friends” accused him too, saying he must have done something wrong to deserve all his losses and sufferings. However, Job insisted he was not being punished for sin. He said,

Though he slay me, I will hope in him… (Job 13:15) For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God. (Job 19:25–26)

His testimony of faith remained, even as he lost his family, possessions, health, and nearly his life. He did not give up, even at the threat of death, and by doing so, he conquered the enemy and the accusations of his “friends.”

Not all people of faith have the same experiences. Some do die. I heard this week that about 200 Christians around the world lose their lives each day because of their faith. That is one martyr every seven minutes.

Would I? If authorities came to my door and demanded that I must renounce Christ or be shot, what would I do? This is the ultimate sacrifice, yet not the only sacrifice that I can make to show my love for God. A more “rubber hits the road” example is simply giving up what I want to do to obey what He wants me to do, usually some call to serve someone else.

Getting even more specific, sacrificial love holds its tongue rather than boasting, lying, gossiping or saying unkind words. It goes the extra mile to help those in need, giving time, money, or other resources without complaint, but joyfully. Sacrificial love even thinks good thoughts…

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

… giving up sinful ideas, inner accusations, arrogance, or judgmental attitudes toward others.

How can such love be possible? Christ stopped at nothing, was willing to be made flesh, to be tempted, deserted, persecuted, and to die on a cross, and I struggle at times to speak a kind word or go out of my way to bless someone else.

To be like Jesus, I must rely on Him having a faith like Job. I knowing that Jesus lives in my heart to supply all my need, but I must be so taken by His sufferings for me, that He kindles a flame in me, a love that breaks forth in my words and ways to the praise of His glory.

And I must always remember that He said, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25)