How to Counterattack the Devil - Pt. 2 ('Away From Me Satan' edition)

When Jesus became aware his mission would soon come to fruition, he spoke to the disciples about the Advocate. The Advocate, also known as the Holy Spirit, would act on behalf of Jesus and reside in our hearts, directing us into all Truth, and speaking holiness into our thoughts and actions. Though Jesus would not be walking the Earth much longer in this scene with the disciples, he reassured them that he would be with them until the end of time, providing them with peace along the way. Among stepping in as a representative of Jesus, the Holy Spirit would “teach you everything” (John 14:26) and also remind the disciples what Jesus taught them. During this time, right before Jesus would be arrested and sentenced to death, Jesus made it clear that the disciples would do the things Jesus did during his time on Earth."Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12).

That sounds surreal, doesn’t it? The same Jesus who multiplied food, raised people from the dead, and healed too many people to count in the Bible is the same Jesus who resides in me?  This is the same Jesus who cast out demons and sent them into a herd of pigs, where they then drowned (Luke 8:30-33), so the fact that Jesus tells us that we have the power of himself within us is unbelievable.

Ok, we could probably all admit Jesus directing demons into pigs is a bit strange; it’s not the type of bedtime story you’d read to your 5-year-old kid. Additionally, most of what Jesus did was considered supernatural and beyond comprehension. Still, when Jesus said we would do what he did, it’s clear he meant it, which means we should live like the power of God that was given to Jesus is in us as well. Most of the time, we think of Jesus’ miracles like when he cast out demons as examples of doing things Jesus’ way. It even frightens some of us into thinking we might have to live dangerously the way Jesus did. But we need to remember Jesus’ miracles and supernatural lifestyle do not always need to be the baseline for how we should live like him; we should also consider how he loved others, looked out for the orphans and least lovable. And, in this case…

Doing Jesus things does not always mean doing miracles, raising dead to life, and possibly displacing demons into a sounder of swine. Even when we encounter attacks from the Devil, we should respond the way Jesus did. If we to do the [things] Jesus did, as John says, we can also counterattack the way Jesus responded to Satan. The Holy Spirit in us, acting as a divine guide in our hearts, will lead us into all Truth, even in the midst of Satan's attacks.

John 14:26-27, part of which was mentioned earlier: “But when the Father sends the Advocate as [Jesus’] representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything [Jesus has] told you.”

John 14:13-14: “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

So, we not only are called to do the works of Jesus, but we are left with the Holy Spirit to lead us and continue to instruct us into all Truth, and we can ask for anything in Jesus' name, and it will be done. This means we can respond to Satan with authority the way Jesus did, walk in step with the Holy Spirit as if we are walking in step with Jesus, and receive divine assistance when we ask for help when we're under attack? According to John 14, yes we can. Talk about a deal! If this is true, we should never forget these verses when going into battle. Victory is imminent!

However, when it comes to spiritual opposition, we seem to forget the words Jesus left the disciples (and us) with. We often cower in fear like we never had armor to begin with, so it is of utmost importance that we heed the following words of wisdom and take them with us wherever we go. They promise power and authority from Heaven to our hearts. If Jesus could confront the twisted words of the Devil with Truth, so can we

When we think about what we can do with Jesus in our hearts, we cannot limit the power he contains. A good place to start when preparing our heart and mind to respond to the Enemy’s attacks is to study how Jesus behaved towards Satan when he tempted him.

I think it’s time we take the power we have to fend off Satan’s attacks seriously if we have not already done so. When Jesus says “…whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…”, he was comforting his disciples by reminding them that they have power and authority from Heaven. If we are to prepare for Satan’s attacks and schemes, shouldn’t we first study Jesus’ every demeanor, behavior, attitude, and response to these types of situations if we are to overcome the Enemy?

One place to look is in Matthew 4:1-11, where Jesus is confronted by Satan. Here, Satan tempts Jesus three times by commanding him to turn stones into bread, throwing himself off a temple, and bowing down to worship him. Despite these three temptations, Jesus eventually convinces the Devil to leave without a single second of success to boast about. How does Jesus walk away unscathed.

1. Jesus follows Scriptures commands

Satan comes on the scene while Jesus is led by the Spirit to the wilderness. He tells Jesus to turn the stones into loaves of bread. We all know Jesus could do it, but it was not in alignment with God’s plan. God’s reply? A reference to the Old Testament: “‘People do not live by bread alone,’ Jesus replies, unfazed by the Devil’s tactics, “‘But by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4). There is evidence Jesus uses the Old Testament to help him because Deuteronomy 8:3 says the same thing: “Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with Manna…He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

While we could go on and on about God’s challenge to live in humility and why God would allow the Israelites to go hungry just to teach a lesson, the point is that Jesus utilizes the words of his Father and how powerful they can be when applied to difficult situations. And Jesus did not hesitate! He brought the power of Scripture to life by using it within the context of temptation.

What did Satan do? He moved on from the first temptation, unsuccessful, and took Jesus to the holy city in Jerusalem. The Devil even twists Scripture to fit his agenda. Once again, Jesus, fully human, combats the fiery arrows with Scripture. But this particular reference contains more:

2. Jesus pledges his allegiance to his Master

“…You must not test the Lord your God” (Matthew 4:7), Jesus replies to Satan’s twisting of Scripture. In this part of the passage, Jesus does an exceptional job modeling his dedication to the Father. His response to jumping off the temple and saving himself is a testimony to what can be overcome when we pledge our allegiance to God. Consider this: the way we remove ourselves from temptation can be just as honoring to God as doing something good for him. God wants us to be of sound mind, which includes being transformed into his likeness. Turning our allegiance to God rather than listening to the whispers of Satan is paying our respects to the position God has in our lives. I am a child of God, so I don’t walk the wide road; I walk the straight and narrow.

As if the first two rejections were not enough, Satan tries to successfully remove Jesus from connection to the Father by commanding Jesus to “kneel down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9) and he will give Jesus all of the kingdoms and their glory. Funny, because Jesus’ mission was not to take all of the kingdoms and claim glory to be his; he came to bring glory to God and expose God for who he really is: the Savior of the world. While Satan’s ploy was to get Jesus to stop focusing on the eternal goodness of God, Jesus used this strategy to conquer Satan’s attacks.

3. Jesus doesn’t beat around the bush

For the third time, Jesus combats Satan by referencing Scripture: “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him” (Matthew 4:10). However, while these words are powerful and important to focus on (especially when the enemy attacks), let’s look at what Jesus says before this in verse 10: “Get out of here, Satan.” Jesus doesn’t have time to negotiate with Satan, and neither should we. The longer we let him linger, the more power we give him. Satan wants to destroy you, even if he disguises it by wrapping destruction in a neat bow (twisting Scripture, ‘promising’ kingdoms and glory, etc.). Jesus, in essence, says, “You don’t belong here, so you may leave.” It is not a recommendation, but a command.

Satan might have power, but his power amounts to dust compared to what God has. Because the power of God resides in us (as a gift), we too can command Satan to leave our presence. How do we know this? Check out what happens next in verse 11: “Then the Devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.”

Notice the two things that happened in verse 11. 1) The Devil obeyed Jesus; his power to continue fighting back was removed from him. He had no choice because Jesus left him no choice. “Not on my watch!” 2) Angels came to Jesus’ aid. How often do we cave in right before God sends reinforcements? Whether it is through church community, a direct word from the Lord, a family member coming to assist you, or some other miracle in your life, how often do we throw in the towel before the great thing happens?

We don’t have to let Satan get away with trickery when we have the gift of spiritual leaders and mentors in our lives. When we choose to put ourselves out there and keep in touch with a body of believers, we are putting on that metaphorical armor that can defend us from Satan’s evil plot to destroy.

From this passage, two lessons can be learned: 1) We have more power to resist Satan than we know because the supernatural resides in us and 2) Sometimes we have to go through a few attacks to demonstrate faith in the God despite the difficulties. Just because Jesus was tempted and attacked by Satan, it doesn’t mean he lost; Jesus only stood his ground on the solid rock even more and Satan walked away with nothing. 

Sure, we can argue that works means his ministry, like when he cast out demons and raised people from the dead or cured them from disease. So, when John 14:12 says "...whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing," we could strictly talk about miracles, loving others, and promoting the Gospel in supernatural ways. But, everything Jesus did on Earth was part of his ministry, even when Satan tempted him. In addition to Jesus erasing our debt to sin, his life was a model for how we as believers should live to glorify God in every situation before us. Living to glorify God includes saying no to Satan with power and authority. When Jesus was tested by the Devil in Matthew 4, Jesus established Father God as the great Authority and glorified God each of the three times Satan tempted him in this passage. Therefore, the testing of Jesus in the wilderness was part of his ministry. In the end, the Devil could not succeed against the power of Jesus! Amen!

So, where is your allegiance when things don’t go your way? How do you demonstrate unequivocal faith to God when the tables turn against you like Jesus did in the wilderness? How is your attitude when you’re dealt a bad hand in your wilderness? Does Satan merely push you around into doing what he wishes, enslaving you and shackling you into the ball and chain of his lies and empty promises? Or do you “Submit, yourselves, then, to God. Resist the Devil…” (James 4:7) and he flees from you the way he did with Jesus in Matthew 4? Will you say no, "away from me Satan," just as Jesus did? Will you allow the power of the Holy Spirit, the sovereignty of the Almighty, and the authority of God's Holy Word command the Enemy to back down and have no place in your life?

When you look at Matthew 4, be inspired by the little power Satan does have when confronted with the magnificence of God’s Truth. It’s not that Satan is not powerful, but that God’s sovereignty and supremacy is infinitely more powerful. So, the next time you feel the wrath of Satan nipping at your heels, remind yourself how you can overcome the Enemy with these strategies:

1. reference the power of the Word

2. declare your allegiance to the One True God

3. be strong, bold, and forceful towards Satan (if he speaks lies over you, spit the Truth back to him!)

4. surround yourself with a courageous, fierce, wise body of believers who are committed to putting God first.

Do these things, and the ground you build your house upon no Enemy can destroy. You can silence the Devil and sever ties with his tricks through partnership with God's will for you today, in this very moment! It's time to start are divine revolution in your life NOW!

How to Counterattack the Devil - Pt. I

Though times have changed since the resurrection of Jesus, one thing remains true: Satan will not stop doing what he can to disrupt the connection we have with God the Father and disable us from living out our influence to further his Kingdom for his glory. I have never heard Satan tell me to turn the rocks into bread or throw myself off a cliff so I can demonstrate my own power to save myself. However, Satan does come after us in other ways: lust, worry, greed, laziness, mistreatment of those around us, pride, selfishness, jealousy. If I can just get Josh stuck, even if it’s temporary, I could convince him to permanently walk away from this so called ‘freedom in Christ’ he is embracing. That’s Satan’s goal. Since he cannot eliminate God, he will do what he can to eliminate God from our hearts and minds. A day without God is a victory for Satan, and he’s been at work since before Jesus’ birth.

In Job 1, when Satan approaches God and challenges him, God tells him he can put Job to the test, “…Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically” (v. 12). What does Satan do? He tries to prove to God that Job will lose faith in God once all of his possessions are gone. It’s almost as if Satan says to God, “I don’t need to make him walk away from you, he will do that himself; watch.” All in one chapter (Job 1), Job’s possessions are taken from him: first, the animals are stolen. Second, sheep and shepherds are burned up. Third, servants get killed, and camels get stolen. And, to end chapter one, the fifth thing Satan strips from Job are his kids after the house collapsed on them. Yet, through all of this Job did not sin against God. When Satan approached God again, God once again told Satan about Job, this blameless man of integrity and great fear of the Lord. What did the Devil do? He struck Job with boils from head to toe; it was so bad, even Job’s wife told him to ‘curse God and die’ (Job 2:9). 

From that moment forward, Job’s friends come to him with their theories about why Job’s life has become an utter disaster. We know why, but his friends are oblivious. One friend says, “Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin” (Job 5:17), and the same friend also says, “If God does not trust his own angels and has charged his messengers with foolishness, how much less will he trust people made of clay?” (Job 4:18) Keep in mind, this foolish friend is still referring to the same man who God called “the finest man in all of the Earth…”,  “Blameless”, “a man of complete integrity…”, “fears God and stays away from evil” (Job 1:8). But friend number one does not stop there! He even calls Job out on being a sinner who God trusts less than the angels! Job has two more friends ready to provide their own wisdom on the matter. Friend number two, Bildad,  calls Job “an ungodly, wicked man, [who] was unjust and uncharitable” (according to Matthew Henry’s commentary/translation), and that Job was justly punished for his ungodliness. Friend three is not any better in his reproving of Job. Among other reproofs, Zophar theorizes that Job is a hypocrite unless his possessions are restored. To Zophar, a wealth of possessions meant you had righteous favor with God, so if they are removed from Job, not to be returned, he must be a hypocrite. In addition, Zophar encourages Job to repent, even though we know the reasoning behind Satan’s attacks.

All three perspectives shared by his three friends are abhorrently false, and it should be noted that if they condemned Job with false allegations and incorrect assertions, did they really comfort him in his time of need? Worse, did they encourage Job to trust in God? At this point, Satan must love the misinformation Job’s friends are feeding him because confusion can often separate us from the Truth of who God is, which is Satan’s ultimate goal. The three friends, with or without knowing it, have added to the confusion that Job might already be experiencing, and when all is said and done, it is Job’s conversation with the Lord that brings clarity and understanding to the situation. Near the end of the book of Job, it is God’s turn to respond, and he starts with this:

“Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.” (Job 38:2)

Can we call a full timeout here? If you ever need a reminder of God’s sovereignty, go to this verse. We all know God is omniscient, so he is not required to ask Job anything. God does not answer to Job, because God does not lack wisdom. However, do you recall Job 1 and 2? God publicly boasts about Job in front of the angels and Satan. Job 1:6 says, “One day, the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.” Following Job 1:6, God tells Satan what an incredible man Job is. So, God has his reputation on the line too, yet he allows Job to live up to the reputation God gave him. When Job complains and compares his present afflictions to his former glory in Job 30, it is the opposite of the behavior God brags to Satan about. I believe God shows Job tough love in chapters 38-42 because Job is living below the standard that God empowered him to live! It’s almost as if God is saying, “You are blameless and full of integrity; the finest man in the land! Don’t lower your standards when I have empowered you to live with boldness!” Before Job goes any further, God does not cut corners and gives him perspective on who he is:

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job 38:4)

“Do you know where the gates of death are located? Have you seen the gates of utter gloom? Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know!” (Job 38:17-18)

“Who gives the wild donkey its freedom? Who untied its ropes?” (Job 39:5)

“Have you given the horse its strength or clothed its back with a flowing mane?” (Job 39:19)

“Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south?” (Job 39:26)

God continues asking Job hypothetical questions like these; questions that point back to His power.

Then, the Almighty God finishes the first challenge with this:

“Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” (Job 40:2)

There is more in God’s second challenge to Job, where God talks to him about the strength of the two colossal creatures, the Behemoth and Leviathan, and goes on an epic monologue about only giving Job praise if his “own strength could save you” (Job 40:14). Spoiler alert: Job’s own strength cannot save him, and God knows this.

Shortly after God puts Job in his place, Job humbly approaches God to verbally declare his sovereignty. Once God sees Job’s repentant spirit and humble heart, he not only reprimanded Job’s friends and commanded them to pay Job with bulls and rams (Job 42:7-8), but He also “restored his fortunes” and “gave him twice as much as before” (Job 42:10).

As a result, we can look at Job’s story as a lesson in never losing perspective of God’s sovereignty and wisdom in times of crisis; in this case, in situations where Satan stands ready to attack. Job’s possessions were restored to him after he recognized his position compared to God’s. When we limit God’s power and authority, we open our heart to deception from the Devil. Satan wants to divide us from reassurance in the true King.

The greatest shield that will protect us from the Enemy is intimacy with and trust in God Almighty. Not only does intimacy with God give us eternal clarity, but it gives us hope and trust in a higher power as we navigate through troubled waters. Our faith in the power of God will remove us from any temptation and stabilize us under the protection of His love. It is promised that we will be given wisdom if we ask God for it (James 1:5) and that, if we “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God…we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16).

Will you seek our Heavenly Father first, as it says in Matthew 6:33? Will you ask for wisdom in the midst of the darkness where Satan lurks? Even Job’s friends could not provide Job with wisdom, yet God is a merciful, loving Father who approached Job and restored to him all that was lost.

We don’t have to wait like Job did; we shouldn’t whine, complain, and wallow in self-pity before God reminds of who we are in Him. We can boldly approach God immediately, no matter the circumstances. We can rest in the unchanging power of God as a resource during desperate times.

If we fill our hearts with faith, hope, and praise to God for who He is, we can overcome the attacks of Satan, because our greatest counterattack is resting in the one who made the Behemoth strong and mighty, who commanded the sun to set and the moon to rise, who gives the “donkey his freedom” and “horse its strength.” Will you trust in the all-sufficient protector who keeps the “sea inside its boundaries”, knows where “the gates of death are located”, and “sends rain to satisfy the parched ground”?

God thinks you should. Satan may throw trouble your way, but this God we serve is mighty to save. Go to him, and the trouble you endure will turn to dust in the palm of His hand.

The Evidence of God's Love: Good News if You're a Bull - Part I

Do you ever have that moment when your error feels greater than the forgiveness you receive from that person? You are so ashamed, so weary, and so guilty that one apology does not suffice. It might satisfy the one hurt by your actions, but you are your own worst critic. You are not content with the apology you gave, but your insistence that there must be more you could do irritates the one you hurt. They command you to drop it, let it go, and stop giving it negative attention, but you refuse. They want to move on, but you keep digging in and bringing up what you have done. They declare it is in the past, and they might even grab your shoulders and tell you it’s nothing to worry about. Nothing they tell you will convince you to move on from your misdeed.

                

Whether we voice our displeasure with the mistake we made or not, admitting that we are prone to sin and likely to make mistakes is difficult to do. To some degree, we are all OCD about being good to others and living a mistake-free life. When we do sin against someone, it feels like a point is being deducted from our scoresheet. We want to make it right with others, but all too often we don’t forgive ourselves and/or don’t feel forgiven. Criticism of ourselves comes naturally to us, and it can become difficult to move on when we should.

This type of criticism is nothing new. A long time ago, before Jesus’ time, a sinful nature meant paying a steep price every year. The old system directed the people to sacrifice animals like a goat or a bull in order to take away sin. The act of sacrificing an animal was meant to provide the people with a reason to move on from the sin and live in freedom temporarily. If sacrificing an animal could atone for sin, even temporarily, that’s a pretty good bargain. For a guy like me, I would do whatever I could to remind myself that I am worth more than my mistakes.

           

However helpful the act of sacrificing goats and bulls was for the people, there was one minor kink that needed to be smoothed out: atoning for sin happened one too many times. The people were reminded every year how sinful they were. There had to have been some level of moaning and groaning with all of the repeat sacrificing going on. “I forgot to take care of Pumpkin this weekend! Now the dog is dead. Time to sacrifice another goat.” The people were born into sin, and now they had to pay for it every time? Maybe that’s not such a good bargain after all.

           

 The worst part of animal sacrifices? God did not even like that system! Take a look:

 “That is why, when Christ came into the world, [Jesus] said to God, ‘You did not want animal sacrifice or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will O God – as is written about me in the Scriptures’” (Hebrews 10:5-7).

So, God did just that; He sent someone to atone for all sin for all time. Jesus became the High Priest and “offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time” (Hebrews 10:12). In other words, there no longer needed to be a priest who “stands and ministers before the alter day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins” (Hebrews 10:11). Remembrance of our sin has already been canceled out because of a one-time sacrifice that actually works. Jesus came not just to cancel our sin, but to give us a reason to never remember it again. All debts have been paid, and no bull or goat is needed to be slain to forgive us.

              

It sounds like a pretty simply pill to swallow. When Jesus was that sacrifice, good for all time, we don’t need a bull or a goat to sacrifice. Simple concept, right? While it is certainly a simple concept, we don’t live like it. Though most of us do not have a physical bull to sacrifice, the metaphorical bull rests on our shoulders the same way. We have the mindset that we owe something to God to balance out our sin. Carrying our burden and strapping the bull to our back, we drag our feet to the top of the mountain. Then, we throw the bull to the alter, wearily crying to the heavens, “Take my bull! I am a sinner. I am unworthy to be yours. Here is my sacrifice!” 

You must stop dragging your feet! Put down that bull and come down from that mountain! Lift your praise to God! The High Priest came, and he represents hope and an Old Covenant forgotten. Your burdens are no more, brother. Your sin has been removed, sister. Your Father and Savior says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds” (Hebrews 10:17).

Use the time spent sulking about your sin and making up for your misdeed and instead praise Jesus for what he has already done. Recognize that you are a “new creation, the old is gone and the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17) and live in the promise that “if we confess (acknowledge) our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9). We do not need to be reminded of our sin when we have a High Priest to cleanse us of them. All we have to do is acknowledge our sin, admit that we need his grace, kindness, and mercy, and our sins will be atoned for, once for all time.

After all, this is the Gospel and this is the Truth.

A New Approach to God

This is for the fist-shakers; for those who are promised one thing, but given another; who firmly believe that light is at the end of the tunnel, but it consistently does not show up. This is for those who feel every opportunity is a dead-end, where life is sucked dry and hope is but a passing shadow. This is for all people who have the wrong perception of God and hope to change that. This is for all who desire to see past their circumstances and into the goodness of God and his plan for those who believe wholeheartedly.

The script says "God is good. God is powerful." Some would say there are aspects of God that make him worthy of that title. Paul did the best he could to express to other Christians how intense God's love is for us. Ephesians 3:17-18: "And I pray that you, being established in love, may have power...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." Pastors preach sermons and family members encourage and remind each other of God's infinite love. Naturally, it is easy to believe it when others speak about it or write about it.

But those experiences don't always line up with what people say or write. Exit what people say and enter those dirty, abhorrent situations when God doesn't make sense. God becomes an ostensible thought. You compare him the world around you: What about the kids starving in Africa? What about people who have chronic disease without deserving it? Has God vanished in those times? It seems that God no longer exists when it comes down to crunch time. It seems the miracles Jesus performed back then are only from yester-year. Everything goes our way one day and the very next God steps out for a bathroom break. "Where is God when I need him most?" We murmur. Where is this almighty God, worthy of praise and deserving of all glory? Sometimes, we go as far as mocking God's existence because it isn't the type of existence we like. It doesn't line up with the God we want and we hope to get in every circumstance. While God's love and other such traits are wonderful to have in our lives, his mysteries are also part of the relationship, and it is the mysteries of God that can sometimes leave a bad taste in our mouth.

The negative view of God becomes most apparent when it involves the messy parts of our own lives. Our anger becomes bitterness, and our bitterness separates us from the Truth of who God is. At a point where we justifiably want answers and shake our fists doing so, we often forget who we are shouting at. Our words are a mixture of finger pointing, grumbling, complaining, and a sprinkle of self-pity.

We might also cry out as Job did: "Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows? Have I been stingy with my food and refused to share it with orphans? No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father, and all my life I have cared for widows. Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes and the needy with nothing to wear, did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them warm? (Job 31:16-21)"

In other words, "Why me? What did I do to deserve your wrath? I have done things for you, God! I shouldn't be punished!" Though we might not say the same thing as Job did, we become so demanding when God doesn't fulfill our needs. We want him to fix everything and make all problems dissolve before our eyes.

Ok, you might not throw your grenades at God when things don't go our way, but there are other ways we speak to God that might not be all that beneficial...and that you might relate to. Most of the time, other than when we throw tantrums, we resort to a quiet prayer that cries out for help. We come before God, bowing down in reverence, ready to remind God of our list of things we need from him. He becomes our supplier, giving us any survival kit we will need. Sometimes it's good to ask God for help, but not like this. Sometimes it becomes a list.

Job was one to quickly "remind" God of his suffering: "These outcasts oppose me to my face. They send me sprawling and lay traps in my path. They block my road and do everything they can to destroy me. They know I have no one to help me. They come at me from all directions. They jump on me when I am down. (Job 30:12-15)"

Well, God, do something! Get in there and help Job! Help me when I need it too! We cry out in our prayers and our tantrums. We want God to give us grace, peace, mercy, wisdom, etc, as if we ran out a long time ago. "God, everything you have been giving me is not enough. Give me more please!"

God's response? Epic. God basically reminds Job who he is. Not the typical, "Hey, I made the mountains" response. Not the "I made animals, trees, and the sun" mini-lecture. Not at all. This was an all out confrontation, "brace yourself like a man," "Are you talkin' to me?" face-to-face chat. Job kicked down the door, and God gave the stern, "Sit down!" after Job ran his mouth; an unnecessary monologue in the midst of an all-knowing Master of the Universe. Sit down, and let me tell you more than just the mountains. Let me tell you more than just the animals, trees, and the sun.

Here's God in response to Job. You might want to read this 30 times:
"Have you explored the springs from which the seas come? Have you explored their depths? Do you know where the gates of death are located? Have you seen the gates of utter gloom? Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know! (Job 38:16-18)

God goes on. More rhetorical questions that God knows Job cannot answer. More questions than Job can do with. Furthermore, God's sense of humor comes through:
"Where does light come from, and where does darkness go? Can you take each to its home? Do you know how to get there? But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created and you are so very experienced! (Job 38:19-21)

After approximately 71 verses (Job 38-39:30) of God responding to Job's reminders of his anguish, suffering, and good deeds, He asks Job these two questions:
"Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God's critic, but do you have the answers? (Job 40:1-2)"

Job's reply? "I am nothing - how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say. (Job 40:3-5)

But God was not finished.

God goes on to describe the creatures of the earth, large and explainable. In fact, He effortlessly describes many of the creatures today's websites have difficulty putting a finger on. In regards to the Behemoth, Wikipedia says "Suggested identities range from a mythological creature to an elephant, hippopotamus, rhinoceros or crocodile." In Job 40:15-19, God describes it from head to tail: "Take a look at Behemoth, which I made, just as I made you. It eats grass like an ox. See its powerful loins and the muscles of its belly. The sinews of its thighs are knit tightly together. Its bones are tubes of bronze. Its limbs are bars of iron. It is a prime example of God's handiwork, and only its Creator can threaten it." God could have just said, "I made an animal called a Behemoth." But he doesn't. He describes what he made, "just as I made you."

Wikipedia begins the page about the Behemoth with these words:
"Behemoth is a beast mentioned in Job 40:15-24." These are God's words to Job. They are words about a beast that clearly its Creator knows the most about. "Only the Creator can threaten it." Only God himself can disturb the lifestyle of such an animal. God's message to Job: I made the Behemoth and you. Both I know by name, and I can describe each in tremendous detail. This is who you complain to, Job.

God continues to speak of the Leviathan, another large creature, which goes for another 35 verses (Job 41:1-34).

If these verses provide any sort of evidence about God, its that He 1) is an expert on his creation and 2) he knows exactly what is going on. He knows all of the nuances, personality traits, quirks, characteristics, defense mechanisms, techniques, habitats, capabilities, limitations, formations, transformations, life cycles, moods, symptoms, ideas, behaviors, etc. He knows what has happened, is happening, and what will happen. Edwin Louis Cole, author of Maximized Manhood, writes, "God created this whole thing, including you and me, and by His active presence. He sustains it all. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing. (45)" 

Since God created all of the Earth, God is also in control, and many times, whether we come to him with a list or with murmurs, both methods can be detrimental to the relationship and the work the Lord is doing in and through you.

God doesn't just speak to Job this way. Isaiah 40:25-26 shows that God is not ignorant and unaware of your troubles:
"'To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?' asks the Holy One. Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?"

David, over a period of time, modeled a similar approach in many of his Psalms, and this is the perspective of God we should all adopt:

"When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? (Psalm 8:3-4)"

David is asking, "In all of your great power and sovereignty, what kind of Master thinks so highly of something so small in comparison to all He has made?" He is placing value on the perspective God has of him, and it changes how he approaches his Savior. This is the same song David sings that starts with, "O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!"

So, what can we do differently?
#1. God offers hope, and he freely gives us wonderful things in Him (2 Corinthians 2:12). These are already promised to us in full, so why do we need to beg God for what he is already giving everyday? Why do we throw complaints and murmurs God's way? God knows exactly what he is doing. Though David went through plenty of trouble, he was good at giving God credit where it was due, and he did so in Psalm 34:4 - "I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened." If this is true about David - if he was radiant with joy when he seeks and prays to listening God, then perhaps we can view God this way too.  It is not about your list. It is not about you telling God what to give you. Perhaps we can rid ourselves of the notion that God doesn't care about us or that he negligently looks the other way while we suffer. It is time to dispel the lie that God only desires that we suffer to learn our lessons. It's time to stop thinking we need to convince God to do what's best for us and start noticing that God is and has been. David received plenty of reward from just meeting with the Lord and praising him through joy and sorrow. His reward was a deeper intimacy and understanding with his Creator. You can reach that same level of intimacy by praising him no matter what circumstances say otherwise.

#2. We can train our mind and heart to dwell on greater things that are eternal, not just the temporal. Paul encourages fellow believers to press on, never give up, and look ahead to greater things: "That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen... (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)" If we are striving towards what is already promised to us, we will not be intimidated by things that come and go like the wind because they cannot measure up to the greater things in store. This is a gift we can cling to, even though we do not have it right away. When our perspective changes, turning our hearts towards what is eternally true, we prepare our hearts and minds for heavenly desires and thoughts.

These strategies, lived daily and intentionally, will provide a more successful life free from the imaginary bondage we place on ourselves. Let us break free from them by changing our false perspectives of God and turning them into truths that are evident throughout Scripture.

Identity Crisis

We all put our identity in something: possessions, position, and people. As a result, our identifiers control our temperature. We get heated when we lose something, our authority is in question, or we disagree with a loved one. Like a roller coaster, our days have their ups and downs. We often do not see them coming, but once our ups become downs, we let our worst become evident.

We have created a love relationship with the world around us, glorifying the good it brings us, and being corrupted by its tempting beauty. At night, we go to bed with it, and in the morning, it leaves us unsatisfied. The result? Destruction of our spiritual, emotional, and even physical well-being.

Once sin plagued this world, Satan used deceit, lies, and evil to enslave God's Image to his purpose: total annihilation of any possible love relationship with the Almighty God. One of his greatest weapons is convincing us to be content with the world. Like a one-night-stand, we try to get what we want quickly, and when the night is over, we go on seeking another form of happiness that is as fleeting as the air we breathe.

As we go from one hotel room to another, sin slowly devours us; unrealistic comparisons, lust, greed, coveting, uncontrollable temper, self-pity, lying, malice, the list goes on. We become the monster we promised we would never become. If we were to be interviewed with the question, "Do you wish to inflict harm on anyone?" most of us would consciously say "No." Unfortunately, when worldly expectations are not met, we lose control and live a destructive lifestyle. We unconsciously change our answer to "Yes."

If we keep these things from becoming our identity, they are good things to have. When we construct a golden calf (Exodus 32) in honor of the world, we become a slave to it. We befriend the world and bow down to its commands. The world tells us, and we do it.

We have become adulterous people, sleeping with the world and shunning the love that God offers us all the time. James 4:1-4: "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God...You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

So, we become enemies of God when we put our trust, faith, and loyalty into the world. How is this encouraging? How is this uplifting? None of this is, but what God offers is truly the greatest gift we can receive. When we read James 4:4, it can be easy to take pity on ourselves because we have so often become friends with the world. But, we can take heart because "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted, beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out, so that you can endure it."

In other words, all of the sins that mankind has had to endure in the past can still be endured through God's promise that no temptation is beyond your control. Hence, any friendship with the world can be avoided because it is not beyond what we can bear. We can choose to focus on God's will for us and not on the temptations of the world.

See, Satan wants us to get entangled in our sin and lose track of God's purpose for our lives. On the other hand, God wants us to see our potential through his eyes - and we can only reach it when we allow him to direct us at all times. Again, we must choose him as our guide.

So, how can we avoid climbing in bed with the world?

Romans 12:2 speaks about how we need to think - "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world," it says, "But be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The rest of verse two is the kicker: "...Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

When you give God the opportunity to open your heart and mind, he will renew it. Psalm 1 clarifies what will happen to those who are "planted" in the Lord: "...That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not whither - whatever they do prospers" (v. 3).

Plant yourself in Christ. The true definition of success is not found in the world's dictionary, but in the libraries of Heaven. God wants you to prosper in him! We do not need to fear man (Hebrews 13:6) and conform to their patterns. If you rest in God's love, a love that fears, worries, evil, and even the gates of hell cannot vanquish, you will find an identity that only God can perfect.

Take a look around you. Do you see anything that will eternally give you peace? Wisdom? Love? In Ecclesiastes 1, Solomon is lamenting because he has searched and searched all human things, only to find them "meaningless." Even wisdom and knowledge he found to be meaningless because is all relayed back to the wickedness of man (source: Biblegateway commentary). Evidently, Christ was where Solomon could find true value. No gimmicks, no wickedness, and no flaws. Pure perfection in all things.

Sure, you can take pride in the temporary things of this world, but they will eventually fade away. So, what will be left when all of it does fade?