Snares Of The Devil: Fear, Doubt, And Worry

We're going to take a look at some of the snares of the devil, some of the main avenues which Satan uses to entrap and enslave God's people. The devil is relentless, and some of the most insidious ways in which he can infect our minds are through fear, doubt, and worry. Satan's influence can not only affect our self image, but also the way in which we perceive others. We'll begin by looking at the inceptions of our sin, the very roots of our falling away from God. These are the foundations of disobedience, the underlying concepts which separate us from God and from His will for our life. These dividing influences include fear, doubt, and worry. We'll look at these from a biblical perspective, as God's word is to be our defining article, our proving ground. So, let's take a look at each of these influences and some verses which will provide us with God's perspective on them...beginning with fear.

We read in Psalms 118:6..."The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" These profound words were spoken by David, and are among the most reassuring and edifying thoughts found in the entire bible. David was under extreme duress, as his life was in jeopardy many times, with enemies on every side, and yet he put his hope in the Lord. He was in more peril throughout his life than most of us will ever know, and rather than choose to have fear control him, he chose to put his trust in God. David chose the fear of

the Lord over the fear of man, and this is a choice which we all must make. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:28-31..."And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." It is no coincidence that there are 365 separate instances throughout the bible in which we are told not to fear. That's one for every single day of the year.  We read in Hebrews 13:5-6..."Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." God does not want us to live in fear, but rather, to live by faith. Jesus reassures us in Luke 12:32..."Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

Doubt is a very deceptive emotion, as it comes upon us disguised as self preservation. When doubt creeps into our minds, we often think of it as a type of defense mechanism, a cautious reminder not to be too trusting. This can prove to be very beneficial at times, but not with regard to God and His love and provision for us. If we, at any point, find ourselves in doubt of God's existence, or His love for us, we know that this is a snare of the devil. One of the most treacherous ways in which the devil separates us from God is by intensifying our focus on the things around us, the troubles and problems that we face on a daily basis. The devil knows that faith cannot coexist with doubt, and so his intention is to put as much doubt into our minds as possible. We read in James 1:5-8..."If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." If we have doubt in our minds about the love and provision of God, we must ask Him to remove our doubt and strengthen our faith, for it is our faith, our belief, which motivates God. He has given us this faith as a gift, and He is ready and willing to fortify our faith so that doubt will no longer control us. Doubt can be a very powerful demotivating influence, and a paralyzing force in our lives, but with God's help, our doubt can be dissolved by the renewing of our faith.

Worry is a debilitating condition brought on by a lack of confidence in one's sense of well-being. It is extremely toxic to our relationship with God, because it is the polar opposite of faith, and contradicts it in every way. I saw a plaque once which read, "Worry is the misuse of imagination", and this is exactly the case. For us to spend our time entrenched in worry is to waste our time and energy, and a sinful waste it is, for worry is nothing more than putting our faith in what the devil has the power to do to us. Faith cannot exist where there is worry, as the one nullifies the other. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4-7..."Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Paul, along with the Christians of the first century, were persecuted relentlessly by the Romans as well as the Jews. Many Christians were killed for their faith. Paul himself was imprisoned, beaten many times, and ultimately killed because He refused to give up his faith. Yet, we never see Paul in a state of fear, or doubting the goodness and mercy of God. In fact, here he boldly states that we are to "be careful for nothing." He is telling us that we are not to allow worry to cloud our minds because "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." 

Peter was another apostle who suffered much persecution at the hands of the Romans, and was also killed for his faith in Jesus. Yet, he also chose not to be crippled by fear, doubt, or worry, as we read in 1 Peter 5:6-11..."Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

Let us have no misconceptions, we are living in perilous times. Christianity, as a whole, is under attack. Christians are being persecuted and killed around the world, and there may come a time in the near future when we, as Christian Americans, are persecuted as well. However, we cannot allow the paralyzing effects of fear, doubt, and worry to stifle and neutralize our faith. Jesus tells us in Revelation 2:10..."Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." We read the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10..."We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body." Although the devil will do all within his power to destroy us, we must stand firm on our faith, for we know that we have a crown laid up for us in heaven when this life is over, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:10..."Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 

We cannot underestimate the incapacitating effects of fear, doubt, and worry, or the damage that they can do to our spiritual well-being. They undermine our dependence upon God, as they weaken the very fibers of our faith. In fact, the common thread among these three toxic influences is their ultimate destruction of our faith. However, just as these malicious forces are able to corrupt our minds if we allow them to, God's gift of faith is the key to their eradication. Fear, doubt, and worry cannot survive where faith is present. We read in James 4:7-8..."Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you..." In all that we do, in our day to day lives, let us pray for our faith to be strengthened, that we would not be subject to the negative influences of fear, doubt, and worry, but rather, that we would be dependent upon the grace and mercy of God, and that we would live by faith. Finally, we read the encouraging words of Paul in Philippians 4:13..."I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." 

Romans, Chapter 5, Pt.4: Accept The Free Gift

This week, we'll conclude our study of the fifth chapter of Romans as we take a look at verses 18-21, and the amazing gift of God's grace and the peace of mind that it affords us...

"Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

Paul expands upon his previous thoughts and closes out the chapter in a beautiful and reassuring way. Let's take a closer look at these verses, and how they apply to us...

"Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life." Much more than a simple reiteration of the points that Paul had previously made, this bold statement highlights the contrasts of the actions of Adam, with their condemning consequences, with the actions of Jesus, and their resulting justification. Let's think about this phrase for a moment, "justification of life." Because of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, and because of His righteousness, our life is justified in the eyes of God. What does it mean to be justified? So many times, we feel that we just don't belong, or that we have no purpose or meaning, but these verses prove otherwise. Because of Jesus, we are justified to be here, to be who we are. We are somebody in God's eyes, we matter to Him, because we have obeyed the gospel, and believed in what Jesus did for us. This feeling of belonging and of being seen as precious in the eyes of God is absolutely vital to our well-being, and we cannot allow the darkness around us to steal it out of our hearts. This all important peace of mind is what is missing in the world around us, what so many people are searching for. No small wonder that despair has taken hold of so many, and weighs on their minds so heavily. They are seeking for something, but it won't be found through vanity or possessions, or in a needle or a pill or a bottle; no doctor can prescribe it, only the healing of the Great Physician can bring the cure. This is what we are compelled to share with others. This is our very identity, for without it, we are lost and without hope. It is only through Jesus that we can find, and feel, this justification of life. 

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." This is a description of the transference of Adam's disobedience onto all of us, and in contrast, the transference of the righteousness of Christ onto us through His obedience. One point of clarification becomes necessary here. In order to grasp the full extent of the sacrifice as well as the obedience of Jesus, we must come to terms with the fact that He was not "murdered" for our sake. He was crucified by the Romans at the insistence of the Jews, but this was all a part of God's plan, and Jesus was well aware of it. Throughout His ministry, Jesus referred many times to the fact that He would have to give His life. He also made it clear that this was not only by Divine design, but also by His own choice. He told His disciples in John 10:18, referring to His life and death..."No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." This gives us a deeper insight into the amazing sacrifice that Jesus was willing to make on our behalf. When we read this verse in the original Greek text, we find yet another aspect which often goes unnoticed. When we read that, due to Adam's disobedience, "many were made sinners", the original Greek word used is "katestathesan", translated literally as "were appointed." In other words, Adam's sin caused us all to be predetermined to be sinners, designated worthy of death. By comparison, when we read that, due to the obedience of Jesus, "shall many be made righteous", the Greek word used is "katastathesontai", which literally means "will be appointed." This tells us that the obedience of Jesus will cause us, at the day of judgment, to be declared as righteous, our belief in His sacrifice deeming us worthy of eternal life. The distinction which Paul makes between the past and future tense of the verb is an important one because it shows us that, while we all have been established as, and declared to be, sinners in the past, we, as believers, look forward to a future ordination of righteousness, as God, for Christ's sake, forgives us our trespasses.

"Moreover, the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:" One question which naturally arises when reading this verse is, "If God's plans for mankind centered upon Adam and Christ, what was the point of the law, and what was its intended purpose?" The law was given in order to reveal the ruin which sin had created as well as the recovery which was to come. Simply put, the law was instituted so that sin could be seen for what it is, and be labeled as disobedience to God. Even so, the longsuffering love and mercy of God would not allow us to be left in a state of separation without hope. The unspeakable gift of grace was given in order to provide a way of reconciliation back to God.

"That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." Paul here sums up the entire chapter as we see the stark contrast between the sin that reigned over us and brought death upon us, and the grace which brings righteousness and eternal life by Jesus Christ. No greater gift has ever been given, or higher price been paid, than that which Jesus gave for us. May we never feel alone, unloved, or abandoned, because we have a Savior who gave His all for us, who loves us with a love that we cannot begin to comprehend. His is an unspeakable and boundless love that transcends all that we know or feel. Let us never be discouraged or downtrodden, because we were bought with a tremendous price, paid for by His precious blood, and therefore we belong to Him. He lived to teach us, He suffered in our stead, He died to save us, and He was resurrected to reconcile us back to God. May we find peace and rest for our souls in the knowledge that He intercedes on our behalf even now, as well as in His promise that He is preparing a place for us, that where He is, there we may be also. 

Romans Chapter 5, Pt.3: Grace Changes Everything

We'll pick back up in Romans chapter 5, and this week we'll take a look at verses 12-17. This section of the chapter can prove to be quite perplexing, and more than a little difficult to follow. Though it is rather challenging, it is also quite rewarding to study, as it proves to be the most profound part of the chapter. Admittedly, in time past, when reading this section of scripture, I've glossed over it, thinking that I understood it, but never really grasping it completely. So, I hope that this study will help us all to come to a better understanding of what Paul was trying to convey here.

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)"

There are questions which naturally arise when reading these verses, and there has been much dispute through the years concerning this section of scripture. So, we'll take these verses one by one and look at them in depth, making use of various resources and multiple commentaries. Beginning with verse 12...

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" This refers, of course, to Adam, and the original transgression which changed the course of history. Why do you suppose that Adam is mentioned, and blame placed squarely at his feet, when it was actually Eve who first consented to partake of the forbidden fruit? It comes down to an assignment of responsibility. Eve was made from the rib of Adam, therefore she was a part of him. God could have formed Eve from the dust, just as He did Adam, but He chose to form her from Adam's rib because it is on his side, as Eve was meant to stand by his side. The rib was under his arm, as he was to shield and protect Eve. The rib was close to his heart, as he was to love Eve. There has been much debate as to whether or not Adam was present at the time of Eve's indiscretion, but I don't think it really matters whether he was there or not. If he was there, why did he not step in to shield Eve from the cunning lies of the serpent? If he was not there, why was Eve alone and unprotected? Either way, we know that Adam was a willing participant, as well, and so, the blame ultimately falls upon Adam, and because of his disobedience, death entered into the world. His sin, like a cancer, spread throughout all of humanity, making us all guilty by association, his sin a part of all of us, along with our own sin. In the original Greek text, when we read that death "passed upon all men" the phrase is translated as death "went through all men", which tells us that it pervaded humanity, and came to be attached to the human race, as one transgression which all are held accountable for.

"(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come." Although there was no specific law during this period, death reigned over mankind, even over those who had not blatantly disobeyed God. All were subject to death, the penalty of original sin. This tells us that the law of Moses is not the only rule of life, because there were rules, and they were transgressed, long before the law was given. Likewise, it tells us that we are not justified by our obedience to the law any more than we are condemned by our disregard of it. Our own sins, which are many, are simply a by-product of the rebellion of Adam, which is transferred upon us all. It is original sin, which stems from resistance to the will of God, that we are all guilty of, and it is this inherent disobedience which we all must repent of in order to be saved. Verse 14 closes by referring to Adam as "the figure of him that was to come." Though the interpretation of this phrase has proven to be a source of contention for many, I believe that the simplest explanation is the correct one. Adam bears similarity to Christ in that one, being born in human flesh, brought sin and death upon mankind by his disobedience; while the other, being born in human flesh, brought forgiveness and eternal life by His righteousness to all those who would believe on Him. Thus, Jesus is referred to by many as "the second Adam." Furthermore, we gain insight when we refer back to the original Greek text, as the phrase "the figure of him that was to come" translates directly as "the type of the future one". This lends further credence to our interpretation, and gives evidence that it is indeed Jesus who was referred to here.

"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many." Further comparing and contrasting the contributions of Adam with those of Jesus, Paul here asserts that, just as Adam's sin has convicted us all, and sentenced us to death, God's grace, through Jesus Christ, has freed us, and brought us life eternal. Furthermore, this shows us that the mercy and grace of God are such that He is much more willing to save us through the righteousness imputed to us through Jesus than He is to condemn us by the guilt imposed upon us through the sin of Adam.

"And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification." The thought is here taken an important step further, as it contrasts that single sin of Adam, by which death entered into the world and infected all of mankind, with the bestowal of the righteous acquittal afforded by the all encompassing gift of grace, by which we are justified from many offences. The scourge of sin held us in captivity, but we are freed from sin by the gift of God's grace.

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)" The whole of humanity owes its ruin as well as its reconciliation to two men, one whose sin brought condemnation, one whose life brought justification. Although death has reigned over us as a direct result of sin, if we will accept the abundant gift of God's grace, and the righteousness which comes only through Jesus Christ, we will reign in life. We can then look forward with anticipation to an eternity filled with peace, joy, and love. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift, because grace changes everything.

Romans Chapter 5, Pt.2: While We Were Yet Sinners...

We'll continue our study of the fifth chapter of Romans this week as we take a look at verses 6-11...

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."

Let us first begin by acknowledging the fact that the overall importance of these six verses simply cannot be overstated. This is the plain truth of the gospel in its rawest form, and Paul lays it out for us here in a way which is not only easily understood, but is also beautiful in its simplicity. The foundation of our salvation and the source of our justification is the precious blood which Jesus shed on the cross. 

Let's take a closer look at these verses one by one, beginning with verse 6..."For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." We, as human beings, were in a hopeless state, unable to help ourselves out of our condition.

We were lost, with no way to recover, but God's love is such that, in spite of our sinful nature and our utterly unworthy state, He provided the supreme sacrifice in order to pay the price for us. What does Paul mean by "in due time"? This simply means that, at the time which God appointed, Christ gave His life for us. Now bear in mind that time, as we know it, is an invention of man. Clocks, calendars, hourglasses, sundials, these are all inventions of man. God is not bound to the constraints of time. We read in 2 Peter 3:8..."...one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." Although time is very real to us, and our lives are bound by schedules and deadlines, in true reality, time does not exist at all. Let's take this fact to its logical conclusion...If we realize that time does not exist, and that God exists outside of time, this means that the death of Jesus on the cross need not be thought of as something that occurred over 2000 years ago, but in reality, may just as well have happened yesterday, or 5 minutes ago, or even be occurring as we speak. We read in Hebrews 7:25..."Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." So we know that Jesus is continually making intercession on our behalf, even now. The point is, our sin, past, present, and future, is what Jesus gave His life in order to reconcile. This brings the sacrifice of Jesus to a much more personal level. Not only did Jesus shed His blood, and give His life, for each of us personally, but He continues to cleanse and purify each of us, as His sacrifice is not a one time event, but a continual offering. He died once, for all, but we are in a continual state of washing by His blood, and by God's word.

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die." Paul is telling us here that there are very few men who would actually give their life in order to save someone else, even if it happened to be a good, or even righteous, person. This is not only a true statement, but it also provides a point of sublime contrast between what men are willing to do for others with what God was willing to do for us.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The truth of the gospel was never defined more clearly. God loved us so much, and so deeply, that even though we were still in sin, Jesus freely gave Himself to die for you and me. He shed His blood in order to pay the price for us, and to make a way, to build a bridge, back to God. Bearing our sins, He willingly took our rightful place upon the cross, and suffered the fate that we all deserve. 

Verses 9, 10, and 11 combine to provide us with a blessed assurance..."Much more then, being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." Comforting thoughts, and certainly reason for joy and hope. We are justified by His blood, and saved by His life, because He is the atonement for our sins. Furthermore, we will be saved from wrath through Him. We find peace and reassurance because we know that when the wrath of God is poured out upon the wickedness of this world, that Jesus will be our Shield and Protector, because He loves us. He gave His life to pay the debt that we could never hope to pay on our own, and therefore we belong to Him.

When we meditate on these things, we find rest and contentment for our souls. May we strive not to be so controlled by the hectic day to day, the schedules and the deadlines, that we may find ourselves in a state of continual gratitude, and ever be thankful for the amazing sacrifice that Jesus made, and continues to make, on our behalf. No greater love has ever existed.