Sunday, April 3, 2011

One foot in the world and one foot in church

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”      Eph. 6:13  NLT

Do you remember the bitter lesson King Ahaz learned in trying to play both ends against the middle?    He appeased the King of Assyria by giving him expensive gifts from the Temple.

Result?     “He helped him not….”   (2 Chr. 28:21 KJV)

Poor and distressed King Ahaz turned to Syria and sacrificed to their gods, “…but they were the ruin of him….”  (vs 23, KJV).

The King’s mistaken hope was that in appeasing his enemy he would be satisfied and move on.  The more he appeased, the worse the situation became!

Have you ever noticed how compromise has the same affect in our life?

Am I so self-deceived that I believe that if I give in to sin, I can control it?

Do I really think that if I give in to Satan he will leave me alone?

I cannot succumb to spiritual appeasement:  compromise!

I must learn not to feed the temptation of sin to merely satisfy my flesh.

Paul wrote in Eph. 4:27, “..Do not give the devil an opportunity.”
Do not give him an open door, a look, a glance or the satisfaction of listening to him.

Look at the destruction in the lives of a few who gave Satan an open door:   Adam and Eve, King David, Judas, Achan, Ananias and Sapphira….etc.

Our carnal nature loves to appease.   We shrink from pain and struggles so it is easy to feed the ‘tiger’ in order to keep him quiet.

Appeasement is the habit of a careless life, not the life of a soldier.

There is something inwardly decaying if I am not able to stand up to Satan and say as Jesus did, “…Get thee behind Me, Satan….”

Appeasement……compromise is my confession of defeat and failure, my abandonment from discipleship and surrender to the one who crucified my Redeemer.

“Lord, help me to stand strong and speak with confidence to resist the devil.  Please, help me to remember to use the authority given to me in the name of Jesus to walk in victory and overcome the temptation of sin.”

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”     James 4:7-8  NLT

No comments:

Post a Comment