Hi all,
We’ve established that we are sovereign beings. If you struggle with that, we have Adam and Eve demonstrating that they could go God’s way or the devil’s way. Consider also Deuteronomy 30: 19-20 as God urges Israel to choose wisely:
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Amazing that God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, had to make statements urging the people to make the choices which lead to life and happiness. Their will was not pre-set to go one way or the other, it was totally up to them. Joshua’s statement is known by many in part, but look at the context in Joshua 24:
14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
In v15 he acknowledges that some people will choose one god or another that is not God. They might make a choice to serve this demon, or another demon, setting their will against serving the Lord. This is true today of many people, but it is their choice. For a Christian learning to shut doors on the old gods so that Christ may fill that space in their lives, it can be a battle.
In ancient Israel, they had to fight the people in the land. The tribe of Judah had to fight one group, the tribe of Asher another group, Dan another group, and so on, until they fully occupied the land God gave them that the locals rejected. Paul said 2x in I Corinthians 10 (v6 & 11) that what happened to Israel was as an example for us. So the example of Israel fighting various groups to take the land God gave them is like a person today reestablishing their will over their relationships, their money, their education, workplace, health, and so on. It’s like each of the 12 tribes were trying to eat a 12-slice pizza, each tribe given a slice to conquer. So it is today with us – one slice is our health habits. Another slice is our finances, and so on as we try to see God fill the whole pizza.
Getting the ‘slices’ conquered through wise choices takes time. It takes time to regain ground God has given you. But stay with it. You’ll reach a point where you suddenly recognize ‘I’ll never come back this way again’ – you’ll perceive it in your spirit, and that is a great day.
Consider New Testament encouragement to make right choices:
Count it all joy when you fall into various tests, trials, and temptations….but let no one say when they are tempted, tested or tried that God is doing it to them. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice. (James 1: 1-13, Philippians 4: 4)
But how do you do that?
James 1: 14 says God doesn’t tempt/test/try anyone; “…but everyone is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. When lust conceives (with the enticing) it births sin. And when sin is fully mature, it produces death.” For instance, the sin of adultery will produce death of a marriage, and more, not just physically death.
Knowing that all a demon can do is entice, that the real issue is with our flesh, assures us we can set our will and shut the door on the enticer. This is the single biggest factor to remaining sin-free, or at least sinning by falling to temptation. Set your will. Understand that demons follow you and have watched you for years, maybe decades. So they know your strengths, weaknesses, patterns in life. It is a matter of your will against their will. It is that simple.
If you set your will, saying out loud sometimes helps: “This is not me. The person that used to do those things is dead, I now live through Christ and am a new person.” This is not me. Out loud. If they have been around you for years it may take you truly setting yourself with consistency to resist them. Eventually they will go away to find someone easier. I have found in casting out many demons, that they are basically lazy, taking the path of least resistance. Even Jesus noted in Matthew 12: 43-45 a demon would rather leave for a while, then return to the same person rather than seek out someone new to influence. Even the demon named Legion in Mark 5:10 begged Jesus that He would not cast them out of that region, for they knew the people in that area. Set your will. That’s not you any longer. Prove to them you refuse to give in like you used to. Think right thoughts. Make yourself think right thoughts.
Paul wrote in Romans 13: 14, in the Greek: “Put on (think about) the Lord Jesus, don’t think ahead of time how you will fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”
IF you keep that temptation rolling around in your imagination all week long, or ‘ahead of time’ as Paul wrote, you will probably lose the battle. Speak it out. Then redirect your thoughts. Redirect your attention.
If web sites are tempting, physically get up and go do something else. If a certain business is a weakness, alter our path so you don’t come near it. Think that the Lord didn’t set aside a time for you to sin, so ask what you should be doing with that time. Cleaning the kitchen? Doing some laundry? Working in the garden? Going for a walk? Redirect your attention, and get it out your mouth – ‘That is not me’.
Know yourself. Proverbs 4: 23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Know yourself, your weaknesses, strengths, patterns and habits. And hold those according to Proverbs 4: 23 – guard your heart (spirit and soul). Make the choice to guard your heart. Set your will, then do practical things to prevent yourself from entertaining thoughts and plans of temptation. It is the mix of spiritual and practical that will reinforce your wise decisions from one small victory after another, until a momentum for godliness builds in your life.
Your will is sovereign. The devil can’t make you do anything. Jesus can’t make you do anything. Take responsibility, set your will, and ‘walk in the spirit and you won’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh.’ Galatians 5: 25: If we live in the spirit, let us walk in the Spirit.
I hope this series has been a blessing, new subject next week.
Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
