Hammer on Anvil '

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11).


Have you ever sensed that you were under spiritual attack? I have experienced it many times -- most notably when involved in a ministry where people are set free who have long been Satan's prisoners.

Satan doesn't like it when we intrude and try to take what belongs to him. He does not relinquish captives without a fight, especially those he has held in his grip for decades.

But God has made ample provision for us in this battle. The armor of God is given so we will be able to "stand against the schemes of the devil." Why, then, do so many of us seem to live defeated lives? The trouble is twofold:

• We are ignorant about this wonderful provision.
• We know about it, but have not taken the necessary action to clothe ourselves.

The steps Paul outlines in Ephesians 6 may seem daunting. Certainly discipline is involved on our part -- most notably, we are responsible for seeing to it that we are so saturated with God's Word that we can wield it effectively in battle as the Sword of the Spirit. We must gird ourselves with truth and be above reproach at all times. We must be ready -- in season and out of season -- to share the gospel. Faith is paramount, for without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

If you feel like you are being pummeled in battle, consider whether you have forgotten to clothe yourself properly. In whom or what do you put your faith? Are you feeding on God's Word daily, and taking time to meditate on it? Do you pray for opportunities to share your faith, so that when God brings someone your way, you are instantly aware that it is a divine appointment?

I have encountered battles while fully clothed with God's armor, and I have encountered battles where I stood naked and vulnerable against my enemy. I much prefer being properly protected. God's purposes are always better served when we obediently heed His Word and take full advantage of the abundant provision He has made for us.

Recently I was worshiping, thanking God for His magnanimous grace and mercy. I thanked Him that we no longer have to trudge to the temple on a regular basis to present offerings for various things (a cursory read of the first five chapters of Leviticus will get you up to date on what I mean, if you are not already familiar). Because Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb who paid the price for our sins, we no longer have to corral sheep and doves and other animals and lay them on the altar to be sacrificed.

I would imagine making those regular sacrifices was a rather laborious undertaking. You had to be aware of the exact offense, what animal and precisely what PARTS of the animal were to be sacrificed. Grain offerings had to be mixed with salt and oil. Certain offerings were made on certain days or during annual celebrations.

As I said, I am grateful we don't have to do that anymore as followers of Christ. But what I fear is that we have swung the pendulum entirely the other direction. Instead of making all those sacrifices for our sins, we accept the atoning blood of Jesus, get our free ticket to heaven, and then skip away as if we hadn't a care in the world.

This is one of my biggest grievances with the modern church. Instead of discipling new believers, we push them to make a profession of faith and let them go on their merry way. Their only recourse, in the absence of a solid discipleship program, is to observe others in the church and do as they do. This can be tragic, because most of the others are doing only what they have observed because THEY were never taught, either.

We no longer have to sacrifice animals to have our sins forgiven. But what IS required of us? Our very bodies are to be LIVING SACRIFICES, surrendered to God, devoted to Him and His purposes (Romans 12:1). That means you lay yourself on the altar and ask for God to consume your "old man" (pre-conversion) so that your "new man" can live entirely for Him. That's what Paul means in Galatians 2:20 when he says, "I am crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Friends, let us not live our lives knowing more about "Dancing with the Stars" or "American Idol" than we do about our Savior. Let us seek His face and inquire of Him what it means for us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. May He be our first thought in the morning, as we spend unhurried time in worship and prayer and feeding on His Word. Let's ask the Holy Spirit to guide our steps throughout the day, and to give us opportunities to share God's love with another who may desperately need it.

What does the Lord require of us? Micah 6:8 says it well: "To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

It is considered a basic truth that we are all sinners, and that even Christians still sin. When we accept Christ's atoning death on the Cross, we don't suddenly get zapped and never sin again. Spiritual formation is a process.

Yet in two situations I have encountered personally, I witnessed Christian people spouting a skewed theology which essentially communicated that Christians don't sin.

The first happened several years ago following a church service. Anne Beiler, the woman who founded Auntie Anne's pretzels, shared her testimony of having been seduced by a pastor following the accidental death of her 18-month-old daughter. She went to her pastor for help in dealing with her enormous grief, and he preyed on her vulnerability. The two ended up having an affair that lasted for years. (You can read Anne's story in Twist of Faith.) God has restored the Beilers' marriage, and they now minister to other families whose lives have been shattered by tragedy.

I left that service in awe of God and His grace. When I remarked to a coworker how wonderful I thought the service was, her response floored me. She said, "Well, obviously she wasn't really a Christian when all that happened, or she wouldn't have done it." Incredulous, I said, "You mean Christians don't sin?" Her answer led me to believe she doesn't think Christians commit THAT kind of sin.

The other instance involved a man (I'll call him Guy) who contacted me about abortion recovery. Guy was so broken that he could barely speak when he called. I explained the basics of SaveOne, and encouraged him by sharing some success stories. In halting, hesitating tones, he finally managed to ask if any Christians ever came to me for help. I assured him they did. Abortion statistics are nearly the same for Christians and non-Christians.

Come to find out, Guy's neighbor had been "counseling" him, and trying to help. When Guy told him he was responsible for a woman having an abortion, the neighbor said, "Well, you weren't really a Christian then, so it's okay." The problem is that Guy WAS a Christian then.

Where in the Bible does it say that we don't sin? I absolutely love what Scot McKnight says about this in his book The Jesus Creed. After referencing how the disciples regularly made blunders, McKnight says:

This pattern of imperfection found in the gospel stories reveals that a disciple of Jesus is not sinless... A careful reading of any of the gospels reveals what I call the "pattern of imperfection": failure is followed by rebuke, and rebuke by repentance, and repentance by restoration.

How can anyone read the Bible and think that, if we are truly believers, we won't sin? Again, I think the issue in both of these cases is the type of sin involved. Instead of realizing that sin is sin in God's eyes, and that gossip is every bit as damning as adultery, we prefer to categorize our sins. The ones we rail against the most tend to be abortion, adultery, and homosexuality.

It grieved my heart so much that my coworker, instead of rejoicing in God's magnanimous grace and how He masterfully wrought beauty from the ashes, preferred to stand in judgment. Guy didn't follow through with getting the help he desperately needs because his neighbor convinced him that "it's all under the blood." Yes, Guy's sin is under the blood, but that doesn't mean he doesn't need mentoring in order to be completely restored.

We all need to remember that our hearts are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), and that we are capable of committing the most monstrous of sins. All of us have a breaking point, and have no idea what we might do if placed in a vortex of overwhelming circumstances.

Let us endeavor to extend the healing, restoring, gracious hand of God to hurting people. I echo Oswald Chambers' sentiments: "I have never met a person I could despair of after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God."

Recently in my devotions I was reading from 2 Samuel 24. David had sinned against the Lord, and was instructed by Gad to build an altar. David set about his task immediately. He asked a man named  Araunah to sell him his threshing floor, which would become the site of the altar.

Since David was the king, Araunah humbly bowed before him, and told David he could have the threshing floor free of charge. David's response is what I want to focus on today: "I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."

What does it mean to sacrifice to God offerings that cost me nothing? It could mean any number of things. It could mean my "devotional time" is a few seconds at the end of a busy day, rather than rising while it is still dark to soak in His presence before the day begins. It could mean doing everything I want to do with "my" money, and tossing Him the crumbs I have leftover. It could mean only ministering to the needy when it fits conveniently into my schedule.

The missing link in these scenarios is that no sacrifice is involved -- and sacrifice is precisely what Jesus calls us to do. Rising while it is still dark may mean getting less sleep. Giving to God the first fruits of your finances (as we are instructed to do in Proverbs 3:9) may mean sacrifice in other areas of your spending. Being available to God 24 hours a day requires sacrifice. He may awaken you at 2 a.m. to pray for somebody. An acquaintance from church may call in the middle of the night, desperate for prayer and some words of encouragement. You may need to visit someone in the hospital, when you would prefer to enjoy an evening at home with family.

David was unwilling to offer to God that which cost him nothing. Yet many Christians prefer to remain in their comfort zones, and wince at the thought of sacrificing their time or money.

Romans 12:1 urges us to offer our very bodies as living sacrifices. My prayer for 2014 is that Christians everywhere would desire to "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). I pray that we would remember that we are not our own; we were bought with the precious blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:20) and are to honor Him in all that we do.

Instead of focusing on our possessions and how many more things we think we need, let's think of how little we can get by with, in order that we may bless someone else less fortunate. Instead of hoarding our savings, consider giving sacrificially to a worthwhile ministry, or travel to a third-world country yourself and be broken bread and poured-out wine to the poverty-stricken and HIV-infected.

The opportunities are endless. All Jesus requires of us is that we be completely HIS.