Several years ago, my life changed - at first, it appeared to be for the worst. Yet, ultimately, the Lord brought the greatest victory to me through that tragedy. Hallelujah!
I have written about portions of that time of testing in other blogs (Stand in the Gap, Place of a Skull), so I won't go into detail here.
I preface with that time in my life to say this:
When Satan presented his demonic self to me during that time, I didn't have much of anything in my spiritual armory. I didn't have much to combat him with. I was 32 years old when all of this began. However, there was one area of truth that had some how and some where along the way made its way into my understanding:
God is absolutely against sin.
Psalm 1:1, 1:5, 4:4, 19:13, 32:5, 51:2, 51:3, Isaiah 1:4, 1:13, 1:14, 1:15, 3:9, Jeremiah 7:9, 7:10. 7:11, Isaiah 59:2, Matthew 5:29, 18:9, Ezekiel 3:18, 3:19, 3:20, 3:21, Revelation 21:7, 21:8, 21:27
God is absolutely against sin. Knowing that was crucial for me.
So when I was faced with this particular temptation (sin), I was floored! Satan presented this temptation to my mind (my thoughts), and I nearly lost my ability to function in the smallest matters. That is not an exaggeration. Insanity loomed around every corner of my mind. It was a very, very dark time. The battlefield was surely my mind. Satan attempts to usurp our thoughts, and he hopes to carry out these thoughts in reality by weakening his prey's mind.
Although Satan infiltrated much of my thoughts during that wilderness period, praise the Lord, he was destroyed and conquered in that very same place, too.
How? By the Lord's Standard.
I clung to the only weapon I had in my arsenal! God hates sin. Sin does not come from God.
Friends, we are living during a time when the word sin is not used very often. Many refuse to speak about God's disgust with sin. Many won't say anything against sin for fear of losing friends and church members. This society celebrates what God calls sin, and they call it right. They call it acceptable. They call it normal.
So many have been made to falsely believe that speaking against sin and teaching God's true disgust with sin will "run" people off and that those people will never get saved, but the devil has forged this lie - Satan has taught people to believe such nonsense.
When people refused to accept Jesus' teachings, we do not see Him changing the Gospel or running after those who did not want it. No. Instead, in one story, Jesus turns to the remaining disciples and asks if they will also leave... We must remember that most people will reject the whole Gospel. Few will accept the Word of God cover to cover. Few.
When I had reached the end of me - when my mind was on the brink of disaster - when I knew I didn't have any strength on my own to fight off the devil, that's when I ran to the One who hated sin! I knew God was against sin, so I knew HE was my only hope to overcome the thoughts that were raging in my mind. If He hated sin, then He would justly and righteously show me how to overcome those thoughts.
1 Corinthians 10:13
Psalm 25:18
Psalm 32:5
2 Timothy 1:7
Because I knew the Lord was against the thoughts Satan was trying to drive me insane with, I knew the Lord was my greatest ally! When man withholds God's stance against sin, man is withholding one of the greatest foundational weapons there is. We must know that God stands against sin. We can't afford gray area here! Gray area leads people to think they can continue in sin and still be accepted by Christ. Not true.
Look around - we are living during a time when people think they are born again, unfortunately, because they lack this foundation of truth. God hates sin. He does not approve of it. He became flesh, dwelt among us, and was brutally crucified for filthy sin. Jesus is not our way to continue in sin but to instead be forgiven and to overcome sin - IN and THROUGH Jesus we can overcome sin.
During these anguished months, I prayed and sought and read God's Word - The Holy Bible- and fasted and pleaded for this Great God's intervention!
Because God was against sin, I knew He was the only One who could rescue me! And He did! In miraculous ways, Jesus proved faithful and stronger than sin. The Lord victoriously destroyed lies Satan was forging in my mind. The Lord rode in like a conqueror, and Satan had to go. Glory to God. A sound mind returned in that moment. The One who hated sin was mighty to save the one who did not want to sin against Him. I weep now when I think back on this terrifying time of my life. Oh, how the Lord was faithful to save me in that day of salvation. Isaiah 49:8.
There is a day quickly approaching when every eye will see, will hear, and will know that God hates sin. In growing numbers, man is claiming God does not, but when that great and terrible day of the Lord arrives, it will be too late to make Jesus your ally in order to overcome the chains of sin.
Cry out to the Lord now. He is mighty to rescue and to destroy the works of the devil in your mind.
Exodus 13:21, 13:22
No comments:
Post a Comment