more fire

Have you ever heard a sister having a bad day say, “The devil is on the attack!” Or perhaps you have heard a brother struggling with sin blame it on Satan? While Christians must beware of the wiles of the devil, they must also be accountable for the decisions they make. The devil is real, but he is not omnipresent. The devil can’t (and shouldn’t) be blamed for every problem that arises. He will try to dupe people into believing that he is an omnipotent, omnipresent force, but this is to attribute him with more power than he actually has. One thing for certain is that the devil is a liar and an arrogant beast.

Paul warns us that Satan “masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11: 14) and we are not to “give the devil a foothold” (Eph. 4:27) and Peter tells us to “be alert” with regard to the devil (1 Peter 5:8).

The devil is called by many names in the Bible including Satan, Belial, Lucifer, Beelzebub, the morning star and the prince of this world. The devil is not omnipresent, but he does have the means to reach and lead astray people in every corner of the world. Not only does he have legions of demons to do his bidding, he has also set up a system that strives to bring eternal ruin and destruction to every living soul on earth. It is evident that the Babylon system the devil is finagling to keep in place is attacking people through TV, radio and the Internet. And he even has the power to use government institutions to attack and oppress people. In the Book of Matthew the devil showed that he has power over worldly governments when he tempted Jesus in the desert:

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’” Matthew 4:8-9

Yet technology and government are not inherently wicked. Although people can be led astray by the sleaze on TV they can just as easily turn the channel to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. And while the devil has power in worldly governments Paul’s letter to the Romans shows that God has the last word:

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” Romans 13:1

And if there is ever a conflict as to whether we should obey God or government, Acts 5:29 tells us “We must obey God rather than men!” James tells us that we are to “Resist the devil” with the result that “he will flee from you” (James 4:7). If he flees (runs away) he cannot also be present. Wherever Satan may or may not be God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit have promised to be with us forever (Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20). Be encouraged by the seventy in the Book of Luke:

“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.’” Luke 10:17

Rebuke Satan, but be accountable for the sins which you commit with your own free will. Repent of your sins and don’t play victim. Don’t look for excuses. Be dependent on God and filled with His Holy Spirit. Abide, fearless and faithful, in the Lord Jesus Christ for there is no righteousness besides Him.

Born broken,
we are the descendants of a plagued race,
the remnant of a failed utopia.

Mindful of original sin
and forgetful of original grace,
we are burdened by woes
and fail to remember sincere faith.

Cast aside your burdens
and be born again,
bathe in lamb’s blood,
gain new vision,
return to glory,
and let your mouth be filled with praise,
give thanks,
be whole.

Sing glory!

As soon as the new believer repents and confesses Christ as Lord the Spirit of God begins a process of breaking the hardness of the new believer’s heart so that he might have a heart of flesh. The Word might be planted in the heart of the believer, but if the Word (which is life) isn’t cultivated by diligent study, prayer and fellowship it will never be strong enough to break through the hard shell that has formed through worldly living. Through this breaking the Spirit grants the believer a new perspective so that he becomes sensitive to the word and will of God. In predicting His own earthly death, Jesus said:

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24)

This can also be applied to our own spiritual life. This same breaking, death and crucifixion must happen to every believer who hopes to be born again and thus flourish spiritually. As a seed sprouts and takes root in the earth the Christian should be firmly grounded in the Word of God. The mightiest tree and the most delicate flower both begin with a single seed, but to grow the seed must take root in fertile soil. Keep firm in the Word and continue to drink from the living waters so that you bear the fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). If you read your Bible but don’t pray you will surely wither; but if you read, pray, fellowship and serve others in the Spirit of Christ then you will mature to spiritual fruition. Another example of breaking is found in Mark:

“And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster box of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the box and poured it on His head.” (Mark 14:3)

When she broke the alabaster box some disciples said that the woman shouldn’t have anointed Jesus with the oil. They said it was a waste and they murmured that it would have been better to sell the oil and give the money to the poor. Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has done a beautiful thing to me.” It appears that Jesus had already been anointed and that the oil was probably still dripping from his head when the disciples were upset. It seems strange that people in the very presence of the Son of God could be indignant to His anointing. Yet this is not atypical of some believers today who claim to follow Christ and to be indwelled by His Holy Spirit, but fail to acknowledge their own need to be broken before God. They come into the assembly of believers, pray and sing praises to the Lord God Almighty, but fail to open their heart to Him.

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the “oil of joy” on at least two occasions in the Bible. The author of the Book of Hebrews quotes Psalm 45 when he writes: “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” In many regards, the believer must be broken like the alabaster box so that the oil, which is the Spirit of God, can be released and have power in the life of the believer. It is what is inside the box, rather than the box itself, which has the value. It is the Spirit that must be cherished, not merely the outward expression of religious piety. Perhaps the greatest example of breaking can be found during the Last Supper:

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’” (Luke 22:19)

Praise God that we have a Savior who was willing to give of Himself so that we might have life. As Christ’s body was broken, so must we break. We must die to our old self and bury the sinful nature so that we can live a life which bears the fruit of the Spirit. It is in the new life, the resurrected life, in which we are able to glorify Christ. I pray that the oil of joy drips from each believer’s head to the hem of their clothes. I pray that the life of Christ is magnified. I pray that more people become broken before Christ, completely surrendered and dependent on Him for all things. I pray that each believer might break and be made whole.