Battle

Where does the believer’s battle really lie?  It is in the mind.  Is there any discernment out there any more or do most of us just take things for granted because we might feel good about them.  How many times when someone doesn’t agree with you about something do you hear be careful you don’t get to negative?  Do they ever think that it might not be negativity at all but it might be discernment?  Doesn’t the Word of God say in James that if we lack wisdom we should ask God for it and He will give it to us?  Why do we need wisdom anyway?  This is why, so that we can discern good from evil or what is true from what is false, basically we can use the wisdom that God gives us to keep us from deception and to do what we should or should not do, it helps us in many areas of our lives.

Read James 1:5-8, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.”

There are so many things that pass for truth today.  Many people are being deceived because they don’t know the truth or they just want to feel better so they look for a feel good pastor to tell them what they want to hear, it is sort of like a fix.  Years ago I used to attend a Catholic church because when I left I felt better.  At the time I was living a terrible life and God wasn’t even listening to my prayers, I was totally deceived.  I know someone right now that is living with someone out of wedlock that prays probably most every day, but that person is totally deceived.  

Read Isaiah 59:1-4, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you so that he does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness. No one enters suit justly, no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.”

Remember everything that glitters is not diamonds or gold and not everyone that acts nice to you has your best interest in mind.  I am not saying you can’t trust anybody because you can trust many people but there are many that are deceived and don’t even know that they are.  

Read what it says in 1 John 4:1-6, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world, and the world listens to them. We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

Many people take people’s word for truth because they don’t know what the Word says, or they make them feel good hearing what they want to hear and not what they need to hear.  Think of the cults, most of them have a little truth sprinkled in with their false teaching so that they can try to disguise their error.  People, it is so important to read and study the Word of God.

Jesus said this in John 8:31-32, “Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”

This will be my last point and I know there is a lot of reading here, but if you want to see deception here it is, read John 8:33- 59, “They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, ‘You will be made free’?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for ever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.’

They answered him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God; this is not what Abraham did. You do what your father did.’ They said to him, ‘We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But, because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.’

The Jews answered him, ‘Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ Jesus answered, ‘I have not a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it and he will be the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.’ The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, ‘If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God. But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad.’ The Jews then said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’ So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.”

These were supposed to be the Jews that believed on Jesus.  Think of how deceived they really were to the point that they wanted to kill him.  Their discernment came from false teaching and their own righteousness, as they would have called it.  What does the Bible say?  It says there is none righteous, no not one, for all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God.  

I think you got the point.  I have given you something to think about and I hope you will.  Then start studying and listening to preachers, teachers and people that bring you the truth even though it may hurt, and check out what they say in God’s Word and possibly some other resources and if it doesn’t line up with the truth, don’t buy into it!!  God bless you and yours and have a super day!!