The fact that the Bible describes the Christian life as the good “fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) reveals that the believer’s warfare is spiritual and never fleshly. In like manner, the enemy lives within the spiritual realm and this battle cannot be seen with the eyes of flesh. The enemy does not simply reside in a country on the other side of the world. In fact, it is no person or people group on this earth. Believers are told that they do not wrestle “against flesh and blood.” Ultimately, the saints’ enemy is the Devil, but his minions include principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. This means that the saints should never look to flesh and blood (mere mortals) for the source of their frustrations or victories. The fight is one of faith; the enemy, the Devil and the Lord our spiritual Captain (Hebrews 2:10).
Sometimes the most difficult and significant tasks involve the simplest truths. For instance, every Christian should quickly learn that vengeance belongs unto the Lord. God confirms as much throughout scripture (Deuteronomy 32:35; Psalm 94:1; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). This should be understandable as only the Lord has all the necessary information to execute just vengeance 100 percent of the time. When man attempts to execute vengeance, he often does so out of an improper motive or without key information of the evil that appears to have been done. Furthermore, when a believer takes vengeance into his own hands, he robs the Lord of His right and responsibility to exact vengeance at the right time and in the right manner.
Paul and Barnabas admonished the heathen to turn from “vanities unto the living God.” One cannot trust in the Lord and simultaneously trust in anything else. In order for an individual to be saved, he must repent of trusting in anything other than the Lord. One aspect of repentance involves ceasing to trust vanity and turning one’s faith toward the living and true God. This saving faith needs to become a living faith following salvation. Believers should consistently turn from “vain thoughts” and love the law of God (Psalm 119:113). They should turn from the vain labours that spend their strength for nought (Isaiah 49:4) and be “steadfast . . . in the work of the Lord” knowing that their “labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Additionally, believers should turn from “vain words” (Ephesians 5:6) and hold “forth the word of life” (Philippians 2:16).
God’s desire is that His people would grow into unity. The “perfect man” will experience this unity. The word perfect does not suggest a person without sin; but, rather, an individual who has matured in the Lord and been “furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:17). A perfect man is not without error, but is mature enough in the Lord to exercise the lowliness, meekness, and forbearance discussed in the previous devotions. The Bible says, “Mark the perfect man . . . for the end of that man is peace” (Psalm 37:37). The will of God is that “we all” would come to this “unity of the faith.” It will only happen as believers grow “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
Unity only comes from and through the Lord Jesus Christ, but once it comes, the saints of God must endeavour to keep that unity. One of the reasons why people find unity so elusive is because it requires sacrifice from all those who would enjoy its benefits. Only saints who exercise “lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering” will experience unity. No two believers who are using the minds that God gave them will believe every minute detail alike, yet they can enjoy sweet unity and fellowship in the Lord. Obviously, there are times and reasons for believers to divide, but there are also times for believers to forbear “one another in love” and endeavour to keep the unity. This unity works by love and can only be bonded through peace.
Though the means of worldly safety have changed throughout time, people have always put their trust in various things to offer temporary safety. The Bible depicts those who trusted in fenced walls (Deuteronomy 28:52), nations (Isaiah 30:2-3), horses, horsemen and chariots (Isaiah 31:1), weapons (Psalm 44:6), and mountains (Amos 6:1). People today place their trust in weapons, security systems, governments, insurance policies, and even medicines. Though the sources of trust have changed, the Lord remains just as grieved today when men place their trust upon the things of this world rather than upon Him. Ultimately, every source of worldly safety will fail, often in the moment we perceive as our greatest time of need.
Thoughts do not have to be wicked in order to be troublesome. Any thought contrary to faith will eventually cause a man to stumble. In Genesis 20:11, Abraham’s thoughts hindered his faith. He perceived that the fear of God was not in Gerar and decided to lie about the identity of his wife in order to insure his personal well-being. Rather than trusting God, he trusted his thoughts. Another example is Naaman. He refused to wash in the Jordan River because he thought that the prophet should have recovered his leprosy by coming out, calling upon the name of the Lord, and striking his hand over the place of leprosy (2 Kings 5:11). When a man trusts in his own thoughts over the words of God, that man shows a complete disregard for truth.
Singing has become more of a performance than worship because most churches have lost any concept of biblical singing. Singing was not intended to be something performed by the few to be witnessed by the multitudes. All of God’s people ought to sing, but how shall we sing? According to 1 Chronicles 13:8, God’s people should worship the Lord in song “with all their might.” In agreement with that passage, the Bible suggests that God’s people should be singing aloud (Nehemiah 12:42; Psalm 51:14). This is further confirmed when the Bible likens singing to a breaking forth (Isaiah 14:7). This breaking forth should come from an overflowing heart (Ephesians 5:19).
What does the Bible mean when it says to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness”? Does this mean that believers should never speak to those who do not know Christ as Saviour? The key involves understanding Bible terminology. The word fellowship is a two part compound word. A simple Bible study of the root word fellow indicates that it involves two people working as one (John 11:16; 3 John 8); therefore fellowship involves two people being closely associated. The command for believers to avoid close association with unbelievers is further confirmed when the Bible says believers and unbelievers should not be “unequally yoked together” (2 Corinthians 6:14). When two people are yoked together, they are united in work; but the saved should never unite with the lost in such matters. More importantly, believers must never yoke up with unbelievers in God’s work (Ezra 4:3).
The Bible clearly points out that by God’s grace the apostle Paul laid the foundation which is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. All those who have come after the apostle Paul have built upon that foundation. It is with this in mind that Paul warned believers to take heed how they built upon the foundation. The foundation has been laid, and no other foundation can be laid, but each believer must carefully examine the means by which he builds upon Christ. Not only should believers take heed to their daily walk, but self-examination is also necessary in their manner of service for the Lord Jesus Christ. Each believer should search the scriptures to ensure that his efforts glorify the Lord. Far too much effort is self-serving and selfish and not God-centric. Self-examination helps define one’s motives.
