I set the table with these verses because I wanted to point out the difference between these verses and their counterparts, the words that drive the sins and bad choices that are most likely to destroy our physical, mental and spiritual lives. God gives us words of life and hope but the enemy goal is to steal, kill and destroy.
The Bible says that Satan is the great deceiver. We see this from the very beginning in the Garden where Satan twisted the words of God to Adam and Eve in hope that they would choose sin over obedience. This pattern of behavior continued, all the way to the book of The Revelation, where we see that in the future, Satan will try to replicate God's Trinity. Satan's end game has never changed. History records the destruction that evil has brought about in this world. The entire Bible speaks to the deception and lies that Satan uses to deceive the people of earth. So, having been thoroughly warned, why do so many of us fall for his traps?
This moment, where and who you are right now, has not been formed and dictated by just one life-changing decision or moment. In most cases, we are an combination of many finite decisions where we chose either truth or lies, goodness or deception, love or evil. If you could fast forward into the future and see the results of choosing the path of sin, the path of least resistance, very few of us would make that choice. Yet so many of us choose death over life as it becomes the pattern of our lives.
Satan is forced to be creative, to convince us that our pleasure is more important than our future, and to accomplish these things he uses the tool of deception. He has to trick us into not looking to far back into our past, (where God's grace is prevalent and powerful) or too far into the future, (where the promises and our future with God reside). He has to get us to lower our defenses, desire pleasure more than God's promises, and most important, reduce our time in God's Word. Only the Word of God can reveal our true hearts and motivations. Without this daily reminder of who we truly are, our prayer lives will start to wither, and as astounding as it seems, we will be tempted to exchange the glory of heaven for the dust of this world.
But God built into the hearts of all of His children a fail-safe. A voice of wisdom. His Holy Spirit who will seek to protect us and guide us from danger to safety. That is why Satan seeks to exchange the voice that loves us the most for the voice of the one who desires to hurt us the most. Who would ever make that kind of trade? Me.
For many years I choose my own path, my own destiny apart from the love and protection of God. Even typing those words is embarrassing, to reveal the foolishness of my desires versus the promises of God is the height of stupidity. And I'm not alone. The path of destruction doesn't begin with a dramatic turn from God. It begins with a daily disconnect from the words and promises of God. A deliberate choice that I would rather rule my own kingdom than submit to the One who loves and desires the best for me. To move out of the protection of His will into the raging storm of the enemy is a choice that only leads to death.
Here is the truth - the principle that Satan uses to destroy our lives is to reduce our dependence upon God and our relationship with Him. When wearing the armor of God, Satan must flee. I have to take off my armor and render myself defenseless before Satan has any power or influence over my life. So why would I take off my armor? Pride.
Satan uses pride as the vehicle of change because it works. Pride in myself is the reason that I start to discard my need for God's daily wisdom, strength and guidance. Pride in my own abilities result in an incorrect assumption of my goodness, strength, resources, and spiritual position, Pride means I trust in me and less in Him. But remember, pride can only exist in the vacuum of His grace.
So here are some action steps, straight from God's Word, on how to protect yourself from the snare of the evil one who seeks to destroy all that we are and have.
". . . be made new in the attitude of your minds; and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:23-24)
". . . offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2)
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:1-2)
"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit." (Romans 8:5)
"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)
and last,
"Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:10-17)
There is hope, we do not have to remain prisoners of sin. We have a path of freedom that God has guaranteed in every temptation that we face. With daily surrender, renewing of our minds through His Word, and remembrance of the price that Jesus paid for our freedom, we can live a life devoted to serving Him and His Kingdom.
