Metropolitan Gleanings

“Broken But I’m Healed” by Byron Cage

2 Corinthians 2:10-11
10. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
11. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

How the Devil Makes You Do It

When we think of the devil, we often think of him in terms of situations, and other people, how their actions affect us, what we have (sickness) or do not have (money, a spouse, a job, friends, status or home). But the word “devices” means “thought, mind, device.” Satan is an attacker of the body and all resources that the Lord would have us to have, but his devices as are more subtle. The “devices” of the devil involves our minds.

Depiction of the Devil from the Codex Gigas by Herman the Recluse of the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice, early 12th Century. Image from Wikipedia.

By invading our thoughts, Satan weaves his web of doubts, suspicions, wrongful analogies and false perceptions in order to harness our emotions and actions. When we accept his thoughts as our own or as being correct, we act on them. As we act on them, we are deceived into taking first one step, then another. Eventually we find ourselves way traveled down a pathway that is dark and very very far from God. Thanks be to God that He is never far from us! He does not leave or forsake us, even though we have wondered astray.

King David is an example of a great rise and great fall of a man of God. In 2 Samuel 11, we see David resting at home while his men are engaged in battle elsewhere. At leisure, David takes a stroll along the rooftop. It is from there that he sees Bathsheba bathing on her rooftop. With a home already filled with wives, concubines and children, David does not turn his eyes away. He indulges in impure thoughts and decides that he will take Bathsheba to be his. The unexpected happened: Bathsheba, became pregnant. King David then had to develop a scheme to cover it up. When that failed, he decided to murder Bathesheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite. This singular act of the abuse of power and the willingness to indulge in sensual pleasures paved the way for heartache and stress in the life of the King of Israel.

Painting of Uriah the Hittite. Image via Wikipedia

Once David’s thoughts had been tethered by the enemy, his actions became deceptive and impure. The consequences were deadly, not just for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, but for the child that was born to David and Bathsheba. Bathsheba’s pregnancy was the motive for the murder of Uriah. Getting rid of Uriah was supposed to hide David’s unfaithfulness as a husband, a father, a friend, a king and as a commanding officer. Every aspect of his life had become tainted by this act. The consequences of sin cannot be contained for “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (1 Corinthians 5:6).

 
The attacks on our mind do not always lead to sins such as adultery and theft. Sometimes the attacks on a mind are subtle and direct assaults on our integrity as humans. Constant attacks can pressure the human mind with thoughts of worthlessness and inability to forgive others or ourselves. There are many believers who suffer from depression. This post does not imply that there are no biochemical or genetic components to depression. But in as much as failure to forgive ourself or others and low self esteem are contributing factors, learning to see ourselves through God’s eyes can stabilize our emotional and cognitive environments.

 
Being unable to forgive ourselves is a manifestation of unbelief, because it asserts that there is some sin present for which Christ did not die. Christ died for all sins; therefore if the Lord forgives and removes our transgressions from us, then why continue to withhold forgiveness from others and ourselves? It is written: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) Despite the grievousness of King David’s sin, the Lord was merciful to him. Although the child conceived in David’s adultery died soon after birth, their second child was King Solomon. That’s just how deep the love and mercy of our God is.

But how to we defend ourselves against the trojan horses and myriad self destruct viruses planted in our minds by the enemy of our souls? The first defense is to remain in an offensive posture by staying prepared. Daily reading and meditating on the word of God cleanses our minds and our spirits as well as our bodies. The word of God tells us that the words of God are “spirit and life.” According to John 6:63
Jesus said: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

The Bible is able to instruct us in all things pertaining to righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). This is essential, because without growing in righteousness we cannot learn more of God. If we do not learn more of God, how can we become more like Him? We must have faith and believe that the word of God is essential to our lives or we will not immerse ourselves in it. Without faith that God is the source of all our strength and that reading His word will make us strong in righteousness, we will think its OK to go a day or two or more without reading His word. Then we cease to pray, and our hearing becomes dull. Eventually the voice of God will become inaudible or unintelligible to our spirits. Regardless of how ethical we think we are at any point in time, without the power of the living God infusing our lives daily, even that which we know to be wrong will begin to look “alright.”

We must praise God for His faithfulness. The words “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ” give us the confidence that the Good Shepherd will lead us and cause us to become victorious. He will keep our minds pure and our eyes full of light. He alone is the anchor who is sufficiently strong to keep our missions in life from being aborted. Hold on to the Savior’s hand in all things, in all ways, in all your days and you will be triumphant in Christ.

Reflection: Knowing that one of the major devices of the enemy is to invade my thoughts, and that if I allow this to happen, my actions will become wicked and I will stray away from the righteous safety of the Lord, what then is my prayer?

My prayer is this: Father God, I praise You holy and matchless name for the instructions in Your Word. Thank you Lord that You have given me a righteous guide and help, by showing me that a major weapon of the evil one is to plant evil thoughts in my mind. Thank You Father, for showing us plainly how sin spreads and eventually taints all that we hold dear. Bless You Father, for instructing and cleansing us with Your Word, and making us fit for the battle and able to win the war against the enemy of our souls. Help me Lord to yield to Your wisdom and love. O God, forgive me for the many ways I have not kept my mind and heart cleansed by You. Forgive me for having neglected my study of Your word. Forgive me for preferring other things, even sleep and the mundane things of life, to conversation with You. Grant me a desire to know You. Help me to want to study Your word. Help me, Holy Spirit, to pray. Thank You, Father for my Savior, Jesus, Who is able to keep me from falling. Hallelujah, Lord. Bless Your name! In Jesus’ precious name I pray and say, Amen! & Amen!

© 2011 Verneda Lights

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Video “Broken But I’m Healed” by Byron Cage was uploaded on Youtube.com by JahalQ on Oct 25, 2007. Verneda Lights and E-graphX Omnimedia have no ownership of this video. It is used for instructional purposes only.

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