The Romans 8 Driven Life

Jared Wilson

How would you live if you realized that nothing you fear could ever have the last word in your life? What would your days look like if you believed, in fact, that the most defining and secure reality of your very existence was not anything you could see?

At the end of Romans 8, we find Paul bringing all the gospel proclamations explored in this masterful passage to an exultational climax. In fact, he is so overcome by the wonders of grace and the power of the Spirit, that he can’t help but delve into poetry! As he rounds the final gospel-drenched corner, you can almost hear him preaching with a worshiper’s tone:

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

These are the implications of the indicatives of the gospel. In other words, if all the things Paul has claimed are promised us in the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection for sinners are true, then the personal results should be nothing short of death-defying, fear-quenching, world-transforming confidence.

“What then are we to say about these things?” This is Paul’s way of saying, “Well? What now? If you believe all this incredible stuff, what does it do to your heart and your life?”

For Paul, the central point of confidence lies in just how utterly transformed he is personally and relationally before God. Because of what Jesus has done, Paul is no longer to think of himself as a slave, always having to prove himself to God or “earn his keep” or measure up. Instead, he’s a beloved son, a younger brother to Jesus, in fact, who receives him not like the prodigal’s older brother with finger-wagging and eye-rolling but warm embrace of brotherly affection. Because of what Jesus has done, Paul is no longer a slave even to his groaning. Despite his suffering and his hardship—and Paul, as a faithful missionary, endured hardships physical, emotional, and psychological, even to the point of martyrdom—he knows that God’s glory is bigger. “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

It should not surprise us that this theologically panoramic chapter covers a panorama of experience—“ affliction, anguish, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword;” “death, life, angels, rulers, things present, things to come, hostile powers, height, depth”—in order to subject everything under the supremacy of God’s glorious grace in Christ Jesus.

While Romans 8 is found, basically, at the midway point of Paul’s letter, in some ways it serves as a summation of the entire letter. And here in the conclusion, Paul is wrapping up some of the “loose ends” he’s presented earlier in the letter. For instance, he has already brilliantly revealed that all creation has fallen short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23) and that the only justifiable response to this falling short is death (Rom. 6:23). In Romans chapter 7, he covers with excruciating honesty the war within the sinful soul, the way we strive to earn righteousness despite our propensity to disobedience. Towards the end of that chapter, Paul issues a haunting lament: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (v.24).”

It is Romans 8 that sends up a resounding hallelujah, and it is vv.31-39 specifically that gives us the words of worship with which to respond to all that God has accomplished without us but nevertheless for us. For Paul, this all boils down to the reality that he is dead apart from Christ, but in Christ he is totally, eternally, and irreversibly alive.

From slaves to sons. From groaning to glory. From death to life. We worship a glorious God whose grace is fathoms deep. Why would he do this for us? Why would he treat unholy rebels in such a gracious way? Well, Paul helps us to see in this—the best chapter in the best letter in the best book of all time—that it is all because our God is love. And there is in fact more love in God than sin in us. That’s a lot of love! The love of God, then, is the highest, deepest, greatest, and most glorious reality a human being could ever experience. It is stronger than our flesh. It is greater than our suffering. It is more eternal than death. And it is more powerful than sin.

The love of God is the apex of human experience. And it is ours unlimited in the deep fountain of Christ’s atoning work. What a glorious gospel we have!

Jared C. Wilson

Jared C. Wilson is Author in Residence at Midwestern Seminary, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Spurgeon College, Director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church, host of the For The Church Podcast, and author of numerous books, including Gospel Wakefulness, The Pastor’s Justification, The Prodigal Church, The Imperfect Disciple, Supernatural Power for Everyday People, and The Gospel-Driven Church. A frequent preacher and speaker at churches and conferences, you can visit him online at jaredcwilson.com

Posted at: https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/the-romans-8-driven-life

PRAYER AND THE HARSH HUSBAND

David Dunham

"The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working" (James 5:16b).

It is astounding to consider all that God delights to accomplish through the prayers of His people. Prayer is powerful, and yet it is also connected to the character of those who pray. The prayers of a "righteous man," we are told, are powerful. Likewise, Peter warns men that the way they treat their wives directly impacts their prayers. Character plays a part in our prayers. Men who are harsh with their wives should not expect God to respond to their prayers.

In his first epistle Peter addresses significant matters of the home. Chapter 3 focuses in on the dynamics of husbands and wives and the conflicts that can arise in their home. He begins his instruction with the wife, explaining how she ought to respond to a husband who "does not obey the word" (3:1). He shifts gears then to speak to this very husband. He states:

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (v. 7)

It's worth considering the specifics of this command.

The passage begins with the words "likewise," which refers back to duty of submission incumbent upon all Christians (it is mentioned in 2:13, 18, and 3:1). Husbands are commanded to submit in service to their wives. The same principle is at play when Paul speaks to the Ephesians. Just before outlining the specific responsibilities of husbands and wives in chapter 5, Paul establishes the universal principle of mutual submission (5:21). Submission is not simply a wifely duty, it is a Christian duty and therefore husbands are commanded to do it too.

Husbands are to "live" with their wives "in an understanding way." A man's submission to his wife begins with the practice of consideration. Living with you wife in an understanding way means to be considerate of her needs, concerns, desires, and hurts. It means to be sensitive and attuned to her. Husbands who dismiss their spouse's feelings or worries, who downplay or minimize her hurts, who outright ignore her interests are not fulfilling this mandate. A husband who puts his own interests, desires, concerns, and needs ahead of his wife's is failing to fulfill this command. Often men will couch their own selfishness in the language of "leadership," asserting that they must do what is best for the family. It just so happens that what is "best" is often what they want. They rarely, if ever, make sacrifices and even when they do it comes with a great deal of passive aggression and displeasure. Godly husbands, on the other hand, are deeply concerned to understand their spouses, and live with them in a sensitive and attentive manner.

They are to be honoring, as well. The language of "weaker vessel" is not intended to communicate inferiority, since it is pointedly followed by the truth that wives are "co-heirs" with their husbands. They are equals. The language of "weaker vessel" is about care. The "weaker vessel" is a reference to a highly prized possession. Think of it in terms of the difference between a Ming Vase and a cheap Wal-Mart imitation. The valuable vase is protected, cared for, valued enough to be look after with intentionality and precision. Husbands are to honor their wives by caring well for them. They ought to seek with all diligence to protect them, provide for them, and preserve them in physical, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual ways.

All of this, Peter warns, is to be done in order that your "prayers may not be hindered." That means that where husbands fail at this their prayers will be hindered. The husband who is harsh and selfish yet maintains that he is a godly man whose life is marked by spiritual growth and faithfulness is deceived or deceptive. God himself refuses to hear or answer the prayers of such a man. His prayers are not "powerful in their working" precisely because he is not a "righteous man." Character impacts prayer.

Husband, evaluate yourself. Think carefully about the nature of your home, the culture, the interactions, and the relational dynamics. Think about how you esteem your spouse. Think about how your wife expresses herself. Does she feel safe to disagree? Does she feel honored in disagreements? Does she feel her opinions are valued? Furthermore, do you respect her views? Do you ask for her opinion and listen carefully? Can you identify your spouse's greatest fears, desires, and needs? Would your spouse agree with your assessment? How do you handle conflict and disagreement? How do you respond when you are told "no"? Is your authority more important than your spouse?

Think carefully about these issues because how you relate to your spouse directly impacts your spiritual life. The prayers of a harsh husband accomplish nothing. That will only change when such a man prays a prayer of repentance and seeks to live that out with his wife.

Dave Dunham is a biblical counselor, writer, and currently serves as associate pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Roseville, MI.

Pastor Dave blogs at www.pastordaveonline.org  

Posted at: http://www.chrismoles.org/news/2017/9/14/prayer-and-the-harsh-husband-1

A Word to Men Who Abuse

Chris Moles

Chris Moles 

November 19, 2017

There is a section of the West Point cadet prayer that I recite in our classes occasionally and perhaps it will be a help to you today, “Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never be content with a half-truth when the whole can be won.” I know you want me to understand your point of view. I’m sure you’re desperate to have someone hear ‘your’ side of the story, but I want to challenge you to slow down for a few moments, to listen and choose the more difficult but rewarding road of responsibility. If you’ve been confronted for your behavior I know the temptation is to throw out the thousand and one excuses for what you’ve done, but that’s not going to help you and only adds to your partner’s suffering. I want to challenge you to take a break from defending your position and acknowledge a simple truth. Your behavior, attitude, words, and/or motives have hurt your spouse. True transformation requires accepting responsibility for you alone without the clutter of excuses, or justifications. Let’s begin by putting aside the tactics that tend to trap us in the way of easy wrongs. This may be hard to hear and you may find it difficult or painful to look in the mirror, but if you stick with it and take these words to heart there is hope. No, taking responsibility will not fully restore what’s been broken, it will not get you what you want and may in fact be painful, but it can be a step in restoring your soul, and possibly your relationship with God.

Final Thought:

After David’s sexual assault of Bathsheba and subsequent murder of Uriah it was the sharp words of a friend who was willing to say, “Thou art the man!” that pointed David down the difficult road of admitting his sin, the harsh reality of the consequences he’d created and finally a spirit of humility. It was in that spirit that he penned these words in response, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.” I pray you’ll choose the more difficult right today by accepting responsibility.

Peace, Chris

Posted at: http://www.chrismoles.org/news/2017/11/19/a-word-to-men-who-abuse

Think About Your Thoughts

by Lucy Ann Moll

Jennifer asked me how to change her thoughts. She had spiraled deep into discouragement and wanted to feel like her old self: upbeat, positive, happy. “This isn’t me,” she shared. “I keep thinking negatively about everything over and over and over. I don’t know how to stop.”

In this article, you learn three new ways to think about your thoughts and learn how to stop life-sapping thinking:

1. Ask yourself if your thoughts glorify God.

2. Change the thoughts he wants you to change

3. Take every thought captive.

1. Ask Yourself an Important Question

What you say to yourself matters. What you think becomes who you are. You want to think well, don’t you? Then you need to ask if your thoughts glorify God.

Words kill, words give life;

they’re either poison or fruit–

you choose. Prov. 18:21

A helpful place to begin is writing down your thoughts in a small, spiral notebook that’s easy to carry with you. When a negative thought pops up, write it down and note what was happening around the time of the thought. Do this for about three days. Don’t concern yourself with changing your thoughts at first. The point is to become aware of them.

You may become aware of thoughts you didn’t even know you were thinking!

Do you say one of these uglies to yourself?

Very often women silently tell themselves things like:

• I’m such an idiot.

• No one likes me.

• I’m ugly.

• I can’t do anything right.

Did you have any of these thoughts?

Practical help: Review your list of thoughts. Which are the most common ones? When did you tend to have them? Are they glorifying to God? Jennifer had most of her automatic, negative thoughts in the morning before she got out of bed and asked God to show them to her. She wrote out Psalm 139:1-2:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23-24 

Like Jennifer, you can ask yourself whether your thoughts are glorifying to God.

2. Change Your Thoughts

Which thoughts is God nudging you to change? Not sure? You could measure your thoughts by the instruction of Philippians 4:8.

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.

Jennifer noted that one of her recurring thoughts was, “I’m never going to get better.” This thought is in opposition to “whatever is true.” As a Christian, Jennifer is promised by God to become more and more like Jesus Christ, who says “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b). This process is called “progressive sanctification.”

When she told herself this life-killing lie, her discouragement worsened. Has this happened to you too? Sadly, negative thinking begets negative emotions. Conversely, says Brian S. Borgman in Feelings and Faith, “Right thinking about God produces and cultivates godly emotions such as peace, joy confidence, and hope.”

You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

Practical step: Measure your thoughts against Phil. 4:8 and ask God which one you need to change.

3. Take Every Thought Captive

God wants you to walk in the truth. You Enemy has a game plan to get you to believe lies — lies about yourself, about your circumstances, and about the Gospel.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

To take every thought captive to obey Christ, you need to replace the lies with the truth. Go through the list of thoughts you wrote down. For each one that is not true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, or commendable, find a Bible verse that replaces the lie with the truth. Jot down the Bible verses you’ve found on index cards or sticky notes.

Yes, it is work to find life-giving Bible verses and write them on card or notes but well worth it. Do you think that looking up verses isn’t worth the effort? Do you have other obstacles? What are they? Why not discuss them with a trusted Christian friend?

2 examples to get you get you started.

Life-sapping thought: God doesn’t love me. He doesn’t care.

Life-giving truth: “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8

Life-sapping thought: Life must go well for me. If it doesn’t, this proves I’m a worthless loser.

Life-giving truth: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13.

Practical help: Each time your have a negative, life-sapping thought, read the index card or sticky note you made with the life-giving truth. As you repeat this process of taking every thought captive to obey Christ, you will discover that the negative thoughts diminish in frequency and power.

This was Jennifer’s discovery. As she read John 10:10 each time she thought “I’m never going to get better,” she noticed that she thought it less often and she experienced hope and joy. She’s applying the same process to other life-sapping thoughts she has. Her discouragement if lifting. She’s beginning to feel like her old self.

And it all began with thinking about her thoughts. Do you want to replace your negative thoughts too? May I invite you to contact me? We can set up a time to talk on the phone for a free 15-minute consult. I also have a downloadable ebook you make like — “Transform Your Thoughts Journal.”

Sharing hope with your heart,

Lucy Ann Moll

Posted at: https://www.lucyannmoll.com/think-about-your-thoughts/

Ten Truths About God’s Absolute Being

John Piper

1. God had no beginning.

God is who he is means he never had a beginning. And that just staggers the mind. Every child asks his parents, “Where did God come from? Who made God?” And every wise parent says, “Nobody made God. He just was always there. Always. No beginning.”

2. God is without end.

God is who he is means God will never end. If he didn’t come into being, he can’t go out of being, because he is being — absolute being. There’s no place to go outside being. There’s only he. Before he creates, he’s all there is. Absolutely.

3. God is absolute reality.

God is who he is means God is absolute reality. There’s no reality before him. There’s no reality outside of him unless he wills it and creates it. He’s not one of many realities before he creates. He is simply absolute reality. He’s all that was — eternally. No space. Space didn’t exist. The universe didn’t exist. Emptiness did not exist. Only God existed forever, absolutely and absolutely all.

4. God is utterly independent.

God is who he is means that God is utterly independent. He depends on nothing to bring him into being. He depends on nothing to support him. He depends on nothing to counsel him. He depends on nothing to make him what he is. He is absolutely independent.

5. Everything depends on him.

God is who he is means everything that is not God depends totally on God. All that is not God is secondary, dependent. The entire universe is secondary reality. Let that sink in, because nobody in this city believes that. And if the church doesn’t, you’re just like them. All the universe is secondary. Humanity is secondary. God is primary, absolute first, last, glorious. Everything else is secondary.

6. Nothing compares to God.

God is who he is means all the universe is, by comparison to God, as nothing. Galaxies compared to God are nothing. All the universe by comparison to God is as nothing. Contingent, dependent reality is to absolute, independent reality as a shadow to substance, as echo to thunderclap, as bubble to ocean. All that we see, all that you are amazed by in your land or around the world — all the world, all the galaxies — compared to God, is as nothing. If you put God on one side of the scales and the universe on the other side of the scales, the universe goes up like air or dust on the scale. Isaiah 40:17: “All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.”

7. God cannot be improved.

God is who he is means God is constant. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. He cannot be improved. He cannot be diminished. He’s not becoming anything. He is who he is. There’s no development in God. There’s no progress in God. Absolute perfection cannot be improved.

8. God sets the ultimate standard.

God is who he is means he is the absolute standard of truth and goodness and beauty. There’s no law book that he consults in deciding what is right. There’s no almanac to establish facts for God. There’s no guild, no musical guild, for example, to determine what is excellent and beautiful. He’s the standard. He himself is the standard of the right, the true, the beautiful.

9. God always does right.

God is who he is means God does whatever he pleases, and it is always right, always beautiful, always in accord with truth. There are no constraints on God from outside that he doesn’t will to exist, and thus govern. All reality that is outside of him is subordinate to him. So, he’s utterly free. He’s the only free being in the universe, in fact. He is utterly free from any constraints that don’t originate from his own will.

10. Nothing is worth more.

God is who he is means he’s the greatest, the most beautiful, the most valuable, and the most important person in existence. He’s more worthy of interest and attention and admiration and enjoyment than all persons and all realities put together, including the entire universe.

The Bible reveals and assumes that God everywhere.

John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/who-is-yahweh?fbclid=IwAR0aU5FB4q06C9y3j8Rzd98gaMpPjPk61mbw99nnPj78D7U2f1ijCxxfFOE

Gaining Victory over Temptation

by H.B. Charles, Jr. 

How can Christians experience victory over temptations to sin?

Here are ten dynamic steps you can take to gain victory over temptation…

Think clearly and correctly about temptation. Paul writes, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). You are not immune to temptation. You are not unique when tempted. You are not alone in your temptations. James writes, “Let no say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death” (James 1:13-15). You cannot gain victory over temptation fighting the wrong battles. Do not blame God. Do not trust yourself. Do not be deceived about temptation.

Renew your mind. Temptation is a battle of the mind. We often lose when temptation comes, because we give up too much territory before the battle ever begins. Paul admonishes, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). You can easily fall, if you have faulty thinking about yourself, temptation, and sin. You must renew your mind: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable, and perfect” (Romans 12:2). Victory over temptation the spiritual power of a renewed mind: “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).

Fight. Temptation is spiritual warfare. To gain victory over temptation, you must fight! James gives a crash course in spiritual warfare in one verse: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). This is a remarkable promise. The devil will flee from you, like a defeated army in full retreat. But Satan does not withdraw automatically. You must first submit to God. In a real sense, you cannot win over Satan until you learn to lose to God. Then the submissive believer must resist the devil. Victory over temptation requires that you stand your ground and fight. This spiritual battle may require extreme measures. You may have to tear out your right eye or cut off your right hand to resist temptation (Matthew 5:29-30). But it is worth whatever it costs you to win the battle against temptation and live in obedience to God.

Avoid Temptation. Warning against sinful temptations, Solomon asked, “Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?” (Proverbs 6:27-28) These rhetorical questions assume a negative answer. Likewise, they teach us that the best way to gain victory over temptation is to avoid it altogether. It is foolish to stick your hand into a fire and then pray for strength, protection, or intervention. If you do not want to be burned, stay away from the fire! And if you want to resist temptation, stay away from places, practices, and, yes, people, that feed your temptations. Paul exhorts, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14). Avoid temptation. Don’t trust yourself. Don’t stick your hand into the fire. Don’t give your flesh any opportunity to gratify its desires.

Make Yourself Accountable to Godly People. When fallen leaders are surveyed, the same responses emerge. First, they did not think it would happen to them. Second, they did not have people in their lives who told them the truth. The fact that spiritual leaders fall when they do have healthy relationships should be a stern warning to us all. You cannot overcome temptation on your own. You need godly people in your life. And these godly people need to be free to hold you accountable. That is, they should be free to ask you personal questions, challenge the answers you give, and follow up to see if you are keeping your word. I know this seems inconvenient, if not invasive. But if you do not have people who will speak the truth in love to you, you will succumb to the lies your flesh tell you. “Two are better than one,” wrote Solomon (Ecclesiastes 4:9a). He explains: “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

Put the Past Behind You. As we deal with temptation, we must forget the failures of the past. Indeed, we should remember the lessons of the past. But must not let yesterday’s failure’s control our past and determine our future. We must put the past behind us. There is only one way to do that: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). If you are honest with God about your sin, he promises to blessings. First, the Lord will forgive your sin through the finished work of our Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1). But that’s not all! The Lord will also cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The God who forgives sin also cleanses sin. God can create within you a clean heart (Psalm 51:10) that puts the past behinds you and gives you a new start.

Set Your Desires on Godly Satisfaction. “Just follow your heart,” may seem like good advice. But it is actually the worst advice anyone can give you. Our hearts are deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). And left to their natural devices, our hearts will inevitably lead us astray. Victory over temptation requires that we set our hearts on something above and beyond us (Colossians 3:1-2). We must set our affections on God. David wrote, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). If you delight in the Lord, he will teach your heart what to desire and fulfill those godly desires. Temptation cannot lead you astray when your delight is in God, not the things of this world. Moses prays, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14). True joy is only found in the satisfaction of living in the loyal love of God in Christ.

Remember the Lord. Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. He resisted. But she insisted that he go to bed with her. Firmly refusing to give in to temptation, Joseph asked, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9) Joseph fully understand it would betray Potiphar’s trust to sleep with his wife. But Joseph stated that it would be a great act of wickedness against God, not Potiphar. Temptation seduces the mind and causes us to forget about God. We overcome temptation by remembering the Lord. When sin solicits you, ask yourself questions that will force you to remember the Lord. Can I thank God for what I am tempted to do? (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Can I do this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? (Colossians 3:17) Can I do this to the glory of God? (1 Corinthians 10:31) Remembering the Lord weakens the power of temptation and gives strengthens your resolve to please him.

Commit Yourself to Good Works. You go into the field and pull up weeds. But your work is not done. You must plant seed that will be fruit to replace the weeds. If you allow the ground to lay fallow, uprooted weeds will grow again. So it is in dealing with temptation. Paul wrote, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Romans 12:11). The old saying is true, “The idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” The more you consume your life with the fruit of righteousness the less room you give for the seeds of temptation to grow. 1 Corinthians 15:58 reads, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” Always be at work for the Lord. In fact, abound in the work of the Lord. Your labor in the Lord will not be in vain. Faithful service will have a sanctifying effect in you as you serve others for Christ’s sake.

Depend on the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot gain victory over temptation in your own wisdom, strength, or resources. You need divine help that only comes through Jesus Christ. Paul calls the saints to arms: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11). The power of Satan is deceit. He schemes against believers to undermine and overthrow our faith in Christ. But God has given you the armor you need to stand firm. The whole armor of God is effectively by the strength and might of the Lord. You can only wear and work the armor by the power of Christ. This is the believer’s only hope for gaining victory over temptation. I can state it in five words: Jesus only. And only Jesus. Trust Jesus can clear your guilt. Trust Jesus can change your habits. Trust Jesus can conquer your problems.

Editor's Note: This originally published at HBCharlesJr.com

Posted at: https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/gaining-victory-over-temptation

Reaping the Harvest of Walking in the Spirit

 Paul Tautges

The Christian life is not a playground; it’s a battlefield. Since we are in a war, and the world, the flesh, and the devil are always working against the Spirit’s agenda, we must get serious about sanctification, overcoming sin, and becoming like Christ. But we cannot do it without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Gal. 5:22-26

“But” indicates that what is to follow is in contrast to the works of the sinful flesh, the Holy Spirit produces a harvest of righteousness in the believer’s life. To reap the harvest of walking in the Spirit, you need to occupy yourself with four ongoing actions…

Recognize the outworking of the Spirit’s sanctifying work (vv. 22-23).

“But the fruit” in contrast to the works of the flesh. Jesus used gardening language when describing our growth in Him (John 15:1-5). The fruit of the Spirit is the outworking of the new life of Christ which is active within you. William MacDonald writes, “It is significant that the apostle distinguishes between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Works are produced by human energy. Fruit is grown as a branch abides in the vine (John 15:5). They differ as a factory and a garden differ.”

Notice that “fruit” is singular. It is not fruits, but fruit. The fruit is Christlike character. The primary evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in a believer’s life is not some form of bizarre behavior, but that of stable, godly character that reflects Christlikeness. So, again, we are reminded that God’s goal for us is to become conformed to the image of his Son: For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:29). Other Scriptures indicate the same Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:13).

What does it look like to be becoming more and more like Jesus? There will be a harvest of righteousness. You and others will see that you are growing in the following nine virtues. No doubt, as the list of the works of the flesh was not exhaustive, so this list is not either.

• LOVE is the supreme Christlike virtue. “The greatest of these is love,” as Paul says in 1 Corinthians. Love holds all the other character qualities together (Col. 3:14). Love is the demonstration of putting others before yourself. It is the outworking of the life of God within you (Eph. 5:1-2).

• JOY is an inner stability of spirit. It’s being satisfied with God and how his will is being worked out in your life. It opposes the striving of the spirit that too often characterizes us, because we are discontent. Joy is finding one’s contentment in Christ, not in our circumstances, and in knowing him more and more.

• PEACE probably includes both dimensions of peace: Peace with God, as the Spirit bears witness with your spirit that you are a child of God, and the peace of God, as you walk in prayerful dependence upon the Spirit your anxiety is brought under his control.

• PATIENCE is longsuffering. This kind of patience is not easily annoyed, but describes the patience that awaits God’s will to be done in your trials and suffering, and in God’s timing. Longsuffering waits for God to vindicate you of false accusations, while you continue to love your enemies and pray for them.

• KINDNESS is as the ESV Study Bible says, “Kindness means showing goodness, generosity, and sympathy toward others.” Romans 2:4 says this is the attribute of God that brings us to repentance. Paul asks the religious person who is trusting in his good works to save him: Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

• GOODNESS is kindness in action. The Good Samaritan models this kind of character. While the Levite and the priest avoided the wounded man, as if he was a leper, the Samaritan outcast drew near and met his needs.

• FAITHFULNESS refers to trust in God which leads to obedience to God. But it also refers to being a person that people can rely upon. Sadly, this is an often-neglected character quality. Everyone just wants to follow their heart, instead of following God and being faithful to others (1 Cor. 4:2).

• GENTLENESS is the combination of humility and servanthood. In the four Gospels, Jesus only once describes himself in a personal way: “I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29).

• SELF-CONTROL is the ability to govern yourself. You don’t need others to govern you, because you have learned to say No to your own fleshly desires, and yes to the Spirit. This quality describes the person whose life is disciplined. It’s the opposite of laziness.

Against this fruit “there is no law.” If these qualities are becoming more and more evident in your life, there is less and less of a need for outside governance. Instead, you are learning to govern yourself from inside, as you walk in the strength of the Spirit.

Represent Christ and your union with Him (v. 24).

“Those who belong to Christ” are true believers.  The harvest of fruit, or the lack of a harvest of the fruit of the Spirit, says something about your true spiritual condition. Believers “have crucified the flesh,” which refers to a completed action in the past. It’s referring to what happened at the moment of your conversion. Armand Tiffe has published a helpful personal Bible study of Romans 6. It’s entitled The Liberating Truth of Romans 6. Working through that study will give you a firmer grasp on your position in Christ, and how Christ sets us free from our sinful habits and lazy tendencies. God says that your sinful passions and desires were crucified when you first came to Christ. So why return to them? Why would you want to return to that which once enslaved you?

Relinquish control to the Spirit’s leadership (v.25).

“If” means since. Since you are a new creature in Christ. Since the life of God now dwells within you, in the person of the Holy Spirit, do not be controlled by your sinful flesh. Instead, walk in submission to the Spirit. The word walk here, in verse 25, is a different word than the one used previously. Here it means to keep in step, or march in line, with the Spirit (see also Eph. 5:15-21).

Repent of prideful attitudes and actions (v. 26).

Pride is an enemy. It is the enemy of the development of Christlike character. When you say in your heart, “I’m not going to change that part of my life” then you are demonstrating a stubborn determination to remain in control. Instead, the Holy Spirit wants to help you change—to be humble, flexible, and moldable like a lump of soft clay. Paul mentions three prideful attitudes to repent of.

• Conceited = holding false, empty opinions of yourself. This is the person who enjoys always being the center of attention. Christians should not be puffed up, larger-than-life characters.

• Provoking one another = challenging one another, describes the person who is argumentative simply because they enjoy a verbal fight. It flows from and feeds pride.

• Envying one another = craving what others have, due to your own discontent. MacDonald says, “Envy begrudges another person’s superior success, talents, possessions, or good looks.”

He goes on to say, “All such attributes are foreign to grace.” Wherever you see these attitudes in your life, you need to repent of them. You need to humble yourself and esteem others are more important than yourself.

God’s call is clear. In Christ, we are called to walk in a manner that is worthy of our calling. But we cannot do this successfully without the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. As we yield the control of our mind and heart to the Spirit’s will, as revealed in the Word of God, we will see His fruit become increasingly evident in our lives. Seeing progress in your Christian life is the chief means by which God builds assurance of your salvation (2 Pet. 1:3-11).  This is the work of God’s grace in our lives, not only saving us, but transforming us into the image and likeness of Jesus.

Watch or listen to the sermon here.

Posted at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/01/20/reaping-the-harvest-of-walking-in-the-spirit/

Three Marks of a Godly Person

Colin Smith

The Bible tell us that King David was a man after God’s own heart.

So what set him apart as such? David was a regenerated man, a man with a new heart, a man with a different spirit than other men of the world. We read of his godliness throughout the Old Testament books of first and second Samuel, as well as in the Psalms.

I want you to notice three truths that made David such an outstanding servant of the Lord, what distinguished him from all the rest. Let’s measure ourselves against these and remember that these are the gifts that Christ holds in His hands, and He offers them to us.

A New Heart

The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).

Where did David get this heart? Certainly he was not born with it! David was born with the same heart as all his brothers: “I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). David was saying, “I was born with a sinful heart.”

So how did he get a heart after God? There’s only one possible answer: God gave it to him! That is why God says, “I have provided for myself a king” (1 Samuel 16:1). God provided the new heart that He was seeking.

This new heart that God gave to David is central to God’s new covenant promise in Jesus Christ: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). A heart after God is what Christ seeks, and it is also what Christ provides. God looked for this new heart, and He found it because He gave it!

God gave David a new heart early in life. He can begin a work of grace early in your life. Here’s what it looks like: You used to giggle and fidget in church, but now you find that you want to listen. You don’t understand everything, but you want to learn more. What is happening?

God is doing this! He is giving you a new heart for worshiping Him. He is regenerating you. And, He is putting a new spirit in you.

When God gives you a new heart, you will still sin and fail in many ways. But the trajectory of your life is different. The desire of your heart has changed, because you are coming to love Christ. You want to please Him. It hurts you when you grieve the Spirit, and that leads you to repentance.

You can come to Him today and say, “God, take away this heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh. Give me a new heart, according to your promise in Jesus Christ. Move me to live a new life, according to your laws.” Do you see the evidence of this in your own life?

A New Power

The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward (Samuel 16:13).

The Holy Spirit came on David like a mighty rushing wind. After the day that he was anointed king by Samuel, David had a new power that had not been in him before. In this strength, he was able to see off a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:34-36). In the power of the Spirit, David was able to face Goliath, that great tormentor of the people of God.

This new heart and new spirit is the promise of God’s new covenant in Jesus Christ: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). The Gospel is more than good news to be believed; it is power to be deployed. If you have not grasped that, if you have not experienced that, then you have missed the very heart of what it means to be a Christian: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

When God makes you a new creation in Christ, you not only have a new heart, you have a new power. The Spirit of the Lord lives within you. He makes it possible for you to do what God is calling you to do. You will be able to forgive that wound that hurt you so deeply. You will be able to stand against the power of that temptation. And, you will be able to face the pressures of life that overcame you before. You will be able to persevere in the face of difficulty.

You will say with Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

A New Struggle

When God gives you the gift of a new heart and He indwells you by His Holy Spirit, don’t expect the road ahead to be an easy one. God gave His Spirit, which was immediately followed by intense struggles.

That’s what we learn from the story of David, and from the story of Jesus. David was anointed, and then for years he had to put up with Saul, who hated him and hunted him. Jesus was anointed for ministry: He was born without sin, from the virgin, Mary, and the Spirit descended on Him like a dove at His baptism. What happens next?

The Spirit drives Jesus out into the wilderness where He is tempted by the devil. He launches into public ministry where He faces intense opposition and the relentless demands of crowds of people. Then He goes to a cross when He suffers and dies in agony—no crown yet.

There was a great struggle between the day of Christ’s anointing and the day when He rose from the dead and ascended in power and glory to take His seat on the throne. The pattern for David was the pattern for Jesus, and the pattern for Jesus will be the pattern for you and me!

Christ gives His people a new heart and a new Spirit, but then He gives us something else—a new struggle: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

What About You?

Christ gives you a new heart. He fills you with His Spirit. Then it’s back into the world with all its pressures and relentless demands. Back to that difficult marriage, back to that secular school, back to that hostile environment. Why? To honor Christ there!

So here is what Christ offers: A new heart, a new spirit, and a new struggle. Do you see evidence of these marks within yourself? These are the gifts God holds in His hands for you today. Will you take them, trusting in His ability to set you apart for Himself?

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2020/01/three-marks-of-a-godly-person/

God Hates Hypocrisy

Tim Challies

God hates. Those words may sound foreign to us. They may sound improper. But the God who loves what is good must hate what is evil. The God who loves what honors his name must despise what dishonors it. The God who loves what blesses his people must hate what harms them. It could not be any other way and we would not want it any other way. Over the course of a few articles, we have been looking at what God hates by examining passages that use words like “hate,” “abomination,” and “detestable.” We have seen that God hates idolatry, sexual immorality, and injustice. Now we turn to hypocrisy.

God Hates Hypocrisy

God hates hypocrisy. Specifically, he hates it when people go through the motions of worship and pretend to bring him their best while they actually bring their cast-offs. “You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 17:1). This theme is repeated in Isaiah 61:8: “For I the LORD love justice; I hate robbery and wrong [or robbery with a burnt offering]; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.”

God also hates worship that follows the letter of the law while violating its spirit.

God also hates worship that follows the letter of the law while violating its spirit. “Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.” (Isaiah 1:13-14). God wants nothing to do with such worship. He will not tolerate worship that follows the prescribed rituals while ignoring the demands of justice. “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (16-17).

Why God Hates Hypocrisy

God hates hypocrisy because hypocrisy misuses religion, taking advantage of its laws and decrees for self-advancement. Hypocrites want religion—even the Christian faith—only for the advantages they gain from it. They fail to truly turn their hearts to God and do good to God’s people.

It is important to understand what hypocrisy is not. Hypocrisy is not the disparity between what we are and what we long to be. It is not the gap between what we want to do and what we actually do. Rather, in the words of Kevin DeYoung, hypocrisy is “the gap between public persona and private character. Hypocrisy is the failure to practice what you preach. Appearing outwardly righteous to others, while actually being full of uncleanness and self-indulgence—that’s the definition of hypocrisy.”

The hypocrite is the Christian who uses the veneer of public virtue to cover the rot of private vice.

This is exactly what so arouses God’s anger in these Old Testament passages. The people want the blessings of God and the approval of men, but without actually turning their hearts to God and submitting their lives to his rule. The people want to follow the law’s prescriptions for worship, but only out of custom and superstition, and only to look good in the eyes of others. They do not want to change their lives, their habits, their affections to conform to God’s will. DeYoung says, “The hypocrite is the Christian who uses the veneer of public virtue to cover the rot of private vice. He’s the man living a double life, the woman fooling her friends because she has church clothes, the student who proudly answers the questions in Sunday school and just as proudly romps through immorality the rest of the week.”

At heart, hypocrisy is theatrical religion, religion as a means of personal enrichment or enhanced reputation. It is an abomination to the God who sees and knows the heart. It is an abomination to the God who is blasphemed when people misuse his name, his law, his decrees.

God’s Judgment on the Hypocrite

The New Testament makes clear that God’s most severe judgments are reserved for hypocrites. Jesus never speaks in harsher terms than he does in Matthew 23 where he pours out woe after woe against the religious authorities. Six times he repeats, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Another time he varies his words slightly by saying, “Woe to you, blind guides.” He castigates these leaders for their insincerity, for making their religion a selfish pursuit, for blasphemously misusing the law of God. He offers the sternest warning: “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell” (33)?

In Romans 2 we find Paul warning of the consequences of hypocrisy. “Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? … But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (3, 5). God’s judgment falls on those who practice the ugly deeds of unrighteousness Paul has just listed. His judgment falls severely on those who condemn such sin publicly while indulging in it privately.

Hope for the Hypocrite

Though hypocrisy is an abomination to God that incites his sternest woes, still there is hope for the hypocrite. The hypocrite’s hope is Jesus Christ. Paul warns of the dire consequences of hypocrisy, but also offers this word of hope: “Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4)? God holds off his immediate judgment against the hypocrite so he has time and opportunity to repent of that sin. And if he does, God will receive and cleanse him. Years earlier Jesus had rhetorically asked the Scribes and Pharisees, “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell.” He offered the answer through his crucifixion. They, even they, could be forgiven if they simply repented of their sin and turned to God, this time not only outwardly but first inwardly.

Key Verses on Hypocrisy

1. God hates blemished sacrifices (Deuteronomy 17:1)

2. God hates vain sacrifices (Isaiah 1:13)

3. God hates the feasts of the new moon celebrated by the Hebrews during the days of Isaiah (Isaiah 1:14)

4. God hates robbery for burnt offering (Isaiah 61:8)

5. God’s severest judgment falls to hypocrites (Matthew 23)

6. God’s wrath falls on those who condemn sin publicly but practice it privately (Romans 2:3-5)

Posted at: https://www.challies.com/articles/god-hates-hypocrisy/

Ten Truths about a Liar

by Sam Bierig

Editor's Note: The following article is adapted from the latest issue of the Midwestern Magazine. The full issue can be viewed free online.

Is Satan capable of inception? Does he whisper temptations in our ear? Is Satan’s authority, power, and relationship to unbelievers the same or different from Christians? These are all valid and, frankly, somewhat haunting questions. I am not left emotionally unmoved by the many destroyed marriages and ministries around me Satan has devoured. I trust your experience is comparable. It is vital that you and I rightly discern and evaluate Satan. He is not to be trifled with nor buffooned, but in Christ, his back was utterly broken on Calvary’s hill. Therefore, it is important we establish a few implications that help us to discern the person and activity of Satan:

1.) Satan is not omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, nor eternal.

There was a time when Satan was not. In contrast, there was never a ‘time’ when the Son of God was not (i.e., The Son is eternal). Satan is created and contingent just as humans are (Col 1:16-17). In Job 1:6, the Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” to which he responded, “From roaming through the earth.” He is physically positioned in the universe. He is not omnipresent and thus is unlikely to be personally tempting individual Christians. In Matthew 4 and Job 1-2, he fails to know the future and his potency is shown to be limited by God. 

2.) Satan exercises his otherworldly dominion by way of a hierarchical, geographical, and militaristic strategy.

In Matthew 4, Satan legitimately offers Jesus the kingdoms of the world. These kingdoms seem to have a geographical and governmental nature. This offer is textually grounded in Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 82. But through the cross, Jesus took back the authority forfeited in Adam (Col 2:14-15). Therefore, in Matthew 28:18, Jesus states that all authority has been given to Him. In John 12:31 we’re told Satan is the “ruler of this world,” which rings of realm and region. Then, there is that peculiar reference to the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” in Daniel 10:13, 20. This dark prince opposes the angel Gabriel and the angelic prince Michael. It’s hierarchical. Experientially, this rings true. The nature of spiritual warfare varies depending on the continent and culture (North America, Asia, Africa, etc.). Satan leads a hierarchy of demons (Mt 12:24), a divergent and highly capable army, which implies he is leading an otherworldly ‘outfit’ that personally tempts persons (Col 2:15, 1 Pt 5:8-9) depending on the sinful sensibilities of a given culture.

3.) Satan can manipulate matter, weather systems, and bacterial life.

We see in Job 1 that Satan is able to manipulate matter and weather patterns and, in Job 2:8, he infects Job with a skin disease. His purpose is to afflict Job, and for our machinations, we note he is capable of feats not afforded to humans. 

4.) Satan can influence and sway legal proceedings and governmental structures.

In Revelation 2:10, Jesus states that Satan is in the process of influencing Smyrna’s legal proceedings by throwing a collection of Christians into prison. Likewise, in Job 1:17, he manipulates the Chaldeans, encouraging them to steal Job’s livestock. Though we are not told how he exerts his influence, we surmise he is the agent of these activities. 

5.) Satan aggressively seeks to trap individual Christians.

1 Timothy 3:7 says he seeks to trap elders. He is spoken of as a federal head type of figure. His minions study individuals and then seek to tempt and twist them in accordance with particularized patterns of sin. They cater and concoct a seemingly irresistible elixir of poison just for you. Television, social media, fast food, biology, age, and gender are all thrown into the recipe.

6.) Satan is more skilled at deception than any other created being. 

John 8:44 says his nature is to lie. If his mouth is moving, he is lying. He is the original liar and, therefore, the father of lies. Every lie was and is birthed in him. However, deception is all he has in his arsenal against Christians. As Colossians 2:15 teaches, this side of Calvary, Satan can accuse, but he knows—and his rebel realm know—that he has been reduced to utter fragility at the cross.

7.) Satan is able to kill Christians.

He is able to kill you physically (Job 1-2), but not eternally (Rom 8). In Job 2, when Satan goes a second time to the LORDin the divine courtroom, he asks permission to kill Job, but God denies his request. I take that to mean Satan could have killed him, but God would not allow it. Everything Satan does comes crashing down on his own head, eventually crushing his skull (Gn 3:15) unto the glory of the Son of God and for the Christian’s good. 

8.) Satan is the Lord’s lackey for the Christian’s holiness.

In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul says his thorn is “a messenger of Satan,” and yet the Lord kindly uses the thorn (against Paul’s will!) to produce sanctification and spiritual power in Paul’s ministry. How kind of the Lord to give Paul his thorn! Satan plays the pawn in God’s economy, and the thorn stays against Paul’s will. Thus, Satan is ever regulated by Romans 8 and, therefore, is providentially powerless to wound Christians in any resurrected or eternal sense. Neither Satan nor death, neither “angels nor rulers … nor powers … will be able to separate us from the love of God” (Rm 8:38).

9.) Satan will be thrown into hell in the end.

Satan can and surely has read Matthew 25:41, which states he will ultimately be thrown into hell. That is what I mean by “Satan is so smart he’s stupid.” This is his end, yet he rages against all “born of God” (1 Jn 3:9). He lies. He accuses the brethren (Rv 12:10). But he cannot succeed in bringing a guilty sentence upon the Christian anymore (Col 2:14). 

10.) Satan is resistible.

James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” He will flee from you, Christian. Resist him. If Christians resist temptation, hold firm the promise of resurrection, and do not give in, do not accept the enemy’s lies, and do not give into his accusations—Satan will eventually depart. He is limited. He is finite. He will eventually move on to easier prey. 

Conclusion

 In the final analysis, we are not told precisely how or why Satan does certain things, but when we analyze the pertinent texts and take into account all of the data, we see what he does and what he is capable of. The Christian, then, is broken over the plight of the unregenerate, properly sobered, and bolstered that Jesus so decisively routed Satan at Calvary. 

Sam Bierig

Sam Bierig serves as Dean of Spurgeon College. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theology from Ouachita Baptist University and received his Masters of Divinity from Southern Seminary. Sam pastored in Arkansas for six years and now serves as an elder at Liberty Baptist Church in Liberty, Missouri. Sam is married to Mallory and they have one daughter, Abby Mae, and two sons, Levi and Owen. You can follow him on Twitter @ecclesiologian.

Posted at: https://ftc.co/resource-library/1/5039