Attack Attack Attack. (The Discipline of a Disciple Part – 9)  

Today we’re going to talk a little bit about the second major tactic of the devil. That is to get you to either return to the world or live a life of compromise.

Jesus expects us to be focused and determined in our discipline. said, “If your eye be single then your whole body is full of light“ (Mat 6:22). And James warned the believers not to be double-minded. “That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (Jam 1:7,8).

Recently, we’ve been highlighting the discipline of a disciple. Why? Because unless you make a concerted effort to apply the teachings of Jesus in your life, the pull of the world will draw you back.

John talks about the “lures” of the world and says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world” ( 1Jn 2:15).

If you have a lust for the world you need to study the effects of sin. James says, “Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (Jam 1:14,15). Sin is no small thing. Sin leads to death. It leads to destruction. The sin of Cain, which appeared to be simple anger against Abel, led to murder.

Nowadays the churches tend to be soft on sin. They call it a “problem”. They say, “I have a problem with pronography.”  –Or with anger, or jealousy, or with drinking. The end-purpose of the devil is to take you OUT. That’s why it’s called WAR and not a “game of tag”.

It’s a spiritual war. The enemy is out to render you useless spiritually. Jesus calls us to be separate from the world. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Mat 6:24).

You don’t want the world to have any part of you. “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). The world draws us into so many different distractions that are very appealing. –sports, politics, fashion, comfort, TV and on goes the list. John is pretty adamant about staying clear of the things of the world. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn 2:15).

If you want to be dedicated and live fully for God and abide in his protection and blessings you need to draw the line between the world and your commitment for God. “Pure religion and undefiled before God, the Father, is … to keep oneself unstained from the world“ (Jam 1:27).

In many churches nowadays, you hear a very dominant false doctrine that says: “Whatever happens, God’s will be done. God is sovereign and God is in control. It’s all in God’s hands.” That’s a cop-out. For one, that is not true. That’s not in the Bible. In fact, what the Word says is that God gave dominion to man. Man’s in control of his life.

In the garden, unfortunately, man gave the dominion to the devil, but at the cross Jesus took the dominion back, and gave it back to us. So, we have full authority over the works of the devil (Lk 10:19). That is part of the new man’s inheritance.

If we don’t get this, the devil will simply run all over us because we will feel helpless expecting God to do everything for us. God gave us the authority to destroy the works of the devil, even in our own lives. Jesus said, “YOU speak to the mountain” (Mat.11:23). You don’t talk to God about the mountain, you talk to the mountain about God.

We have a big part to play in bringing the will of God on earth as it is in heaven. And we can’t do that with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom of God.“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2Tim 2 4-6).

But you say, “How can I get rid of my bad habits?” The answer is fairly simple. As in any war, you can’t win a defensive warfare, you can’t be undecided… Attack, Attack, Attack. “Attack the devil and he will flee from you” (Jam 4:7). Make a concerted move against that problem in your life. Focus till you win. If you fight, you’ll win, but you have to fight till you win.

We’re not to turn our back on the enemy. We face him and chase him. We go after our sins with God’s Word and we get delivered. And we fight till we win. Faith is not passive. It is aggressive and on the offensive. Faith speaks of the victories ahead, in the past tense. It is knowing that you will be winning, therefore it is considered done. You cannot just try out faith. You have to commit to a victory and attack till you win. “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith“ (1Jn 5:4).

When the devil tries to hit you broadsided, attack with God’s solutions. If you are faced with an unexpected bill, go ahead and raise your giving to missions. You must do what is against your carnal reasoning. Faith is the opposite of carnal mind. “Those who operate in the realm of the flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:8).

When times are tough and the money is scarce, carnal reasoning tells you to save your money, get all you can, and keep all you can, and cut back on expenses. But those following God will have a different reaction. They’ll increase giving, and increase any moves towards the furtherance of the gospel

They’ll find a way to hit the devil where it hurts. When Jesus found out about John the Baptist’s death, He didn’t go after Herod, he went out to heal the sick, open the eyes of the blind, raise the dead and preach the gospel, just to hit the devil where it hurts.

God meets us in the impossible. –Not in the possible. That’s why we must stretch our faith. When we exercise and need to increase to 25 push-ups, the real effect and the real progress is in the 25th one. All the previous 24 ones were to push you to the 25th one, into the impossible. Push yourself beyond what you think you can do. That’s where God meets us. That’s faith.

When we FOCUS, is when the mind is the most powerful and productive. That is why we have to be single-minded and not double-minded. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom.12:2).

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).

Hallelujah. Let’s keep WINNING.

Photo arts by:  Ant.Tracts