131. HOW TO OVERCOME THE POWER OF SIN IN MY CHURCH? – How do we protect Jesus’ life within our churches against Satan’s attacks? (a)

INTRODUCTION

From Meditation 120 onward we have reflected on Ephesians 6:10-17. The apostle Paul writes in this passage about the full armour of God that He has given to all His children to protect Jesus’ life within them against Satan’s attacks.

Now we need to ask ourselves if this divine armour only is meant for protecting individual Christians against Satan’s assaults or if it equally aims at protecting the entire local Body of Christ?

Let us start with a quick overview of what we have written so far about this subject:  

In Meditation 45 we asked the question: does God’s transformation process into Christlikeness only deal with His reborn children individually or does God also aim at transforming the entire church (i.e. the Messianic community or the Body of Christ) into the likeness of Christ?

In Meditation 29 we saw that through Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection and through the gift of His Spirit, God has created a new (Messianic) community, called the ‘Body of Christ’, or the ‘Body of the Messiah’. It consists of all Jesus' followers. This Messianic community is universal in being, and knows no discrimination of status, race, colour or nationality. Paul writes about it to the Christians in Corinth (Greece), saying: “Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews), some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's Body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13*).

In Meditation 46 we realized that Christlikeness is the distinctive character of this new Messianic community. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus (Turkey): “God placed all things under His (Jesus) feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1: 22-23**).

From Meditation 47 onwards, we learned that growing into Christlikeness is a process of transformation. The apostle Paul writes to the church in Ephesus: “We will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Ephesians 4:15-16*).

Furthermore, Paul urges the followers of Jesus in Ephesus to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to strengthen and safeguard this God-given community life among them: “Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace” (Ephesians 4:3*)

We can also read in this meditation that our Triune God - Father, Son and Spirit – is preparing Christ’s universal Church for the glorious end-of-time wedding celebration of the Lamb. We noted that He does that on a minute scale: one local church at a time, within its own geographical and cultural setting! Isn’t that truly breathtakingly divine?

In Meditation 63, we wondered if there is a distinction between my personal love for God and my church’s corporate love for Him. Does the local church only exist of individual believers? As we read God’s Word, we understood that the Bible makes a difference here. We realised that God looks at my local church as the ‘Temple of His Spirit’, as the ‘Body of Christ’, and as the ‘People and Family of God’.

We understood that in God’s eyes the role and significance of my local church is different from that of me as an individual Christian. In God’s view, my local church is ‘a corporate personality’ with its own life, its own function and its own dynamics. Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthian Christians: “I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God Himself. For I promised you (plural!) as a pure bride to one husband, Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2*). What a beautiful picture of the Church as a ‘corporate personality’!

In Meditation 100, we wrote: As ‘maturing in Christlikeness’ is the theme of our meditations, we decided to focus in the future on two tracks: our individual lives as followers of Jesus and our communal life as the local Body of Christ.

So far, when we looked at the use of God’s full armour in Ephesians 6:10-17, we followed track 1, i.e. we asked ourselves how to use this divine armour personally to protect Jesus’ life within us against Satan’s attacks.

In the upcoming meditations, we want follow track 2 and struggle with the difficult question: is this full armour of God of which Paul talks only meant to protect individual Christians against Satan’s assaults or does it equally aim at protecting the entire local Body of Christ?

So, please join me in wrestling with this complicated question.

Translations: * New Living Translation; ** New International Version.

About: "God's major project: transforming me and my church into the likeness of Christ", see Meditations 45-48.

About “The Church as a ‘Corporate Personality’, see Meditation 63-65.

About “The Church as a new (Messianic) community, consisting of all the followers of Jesus”, see Meditation 29.
About “The Holy Spirit and His ministry”, see Meditations 27-34.

About “The two Tracks of Maturing in Christlikeness”, see Meditation 100.

130. HOW TO OVERCOME THE POWER OF SIN IN MY LIFE? – How do I protect Jesus’ life within me against Satan’s attacks? (k2)

From Meditation 120 onward we have seen that the full armour of God is a divine gift to all God’s children. The apostle Paul takes the armour of a first century Roman soldier to show us how we can protect Jesus’ life within us against Satan’s attacks. We have already spoken about girding our waist with truth, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, shoeing our feet with the preparedness of the Gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith and receiving the helmet of salvation.

In Meditations 129 and 130 we reflect on the ‘sword of the Spirit’. Paul writes:

“Take (or receive) ... the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”      (Ephesians 6:17**)

(Continuation of Meditation 129)

How does Jesus wield the Sword of the Spirit?

If we want to know how we should handle this divine sword effectively, we need to look at Jesus’ example. Before His earthly ministry began, God moved His Son to the desert for an initiation test by Satan to see if He was worthy of serving His Father on Earth. Three Gospel writers describe this event: “Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil” (Matthew 4:1*). “Immediately the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness” (Mark 1:12*). “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, where the Devil tempted Him for forty days” (Luke 4:1-2*).

First example

At the end of the forty days of Demonic temptations, Satan launched the last three attacks. Jesus had not eaten all this time (Matthew 4:2; Luke 4:2) and must have been exhausted and desperately hungry. Therefore, Satan’s first temptation was all about food: “The Devil came and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.’” (Matthew 4:3* and Luke 4:3*). The New King James Version translation of the original Greek text is better: “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread’” (Matthew 4:3***).

The apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Colossae (Turkey): “Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth” (Colossians 1:16*). Therefore, He did not have to prove that He had the power to command stones to become bread. Yet, Paul writes to the church in Philippi (Greece): “He (Christ) made Himself nothing; He took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form” (Philippians 2:7*). He had come to lovingly serve His heavenly Father. That was part of His Earthly ministry.

That’s why Jesus resisted this temptation of Satan with the sword of the Spirit: “No! The Scriptures say (Deuteronomy 8:3*), ‘People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God’” (Matthew 4:4* and Luke 4:4*). The New King James Version renders more correctly: “Jesus answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4***; Luke 4:4***).

Second example

The second of these last three temptations began as follows: “Then the Devil took Him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple...” (Matthew 4:5*; Luke 4:9*). We don’t know how that happened. Was this during a vision, a levitation or a real life experience? The original Greek text gives the impression that the latter took place. The verb used here means ‘to take along (as a companion)’. Was Jesus willing to follow Satan to the temple to be tested according to His Father’s will?

Standing together on the flat roof of the temple, Satan said to Jesus: “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, He orders His angels to protect you. And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone” (Matthew 4:6*).

This second temptation develops as follows:

1.) For the second time Satan questions Jesus’ authority by saying: “If you are the Son of God”.

2.) Besides, Satan invites Jesus to prove His divine Sonship.

3.) Satan quotes the passage from Psalm 91:11-12 incorrectly and out of context. It originally says: “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11-12***). Satan omits the words “in all your ways.” This verse has been written as a comfort to God’s children on their way through life and facing all possible dangers. Satan bends this verse and misuses it as a means to invite Jesus to test God and prove His divine Sonship. By jumping and being miraculously saved by angels, Jesus would manifest His divinity in a spectacular way. However, He had come to earth as a humble servant of His heavenly Father to suffer and die for the salvation of mankind.

Interestingly, Jesus does not start a discussion with Satan about his false quotation of God’s Word. He simply confronts this satanic deception by correctly quoting Scripture, saying: “The Scriptures also say (Deuteronomy 6:16*), ‘Do not test the Lord your God.’” (Matthew 4:7*; Luke 4:12*) 

Third example

Matthew writes that for the final of these three temptations, Satan takes Jesus to a very high mountain: “Next the Devil took Him to the peak of a very high mountain...” (Matthew 4:8*). Which mountain is so high that you can see all the nations of the world? Did Satan show this picture to Jesus in a vision? We might think of the prophet Ezekiel (7^th century BC) who lived with the Jewish exiles in Babylon. There he writes: “In a vision of God He (i.e. God) took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain...” (Ezekiel 40:2*). Did the same happen to Jesus? We don’t know.

However, more important is the way Jesus was tempted by Satan. Matthew writes: “... (Satan) showed Him the nations of the world and all their glory” (Matthew 4:8*). Luke writes: “... (Satan) revealed to Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time” (Luke 4:5*). The actual temptation was about power, yes even world dominion! Satan would give that to Jesus if He would acknowledge him as supreme authority. Matthew writes: “‘I (Satan) will give it all to You,’ he said, ‘if You will only kneel down and worship me’” (Matthew 4:9*). Luke writes: “... And he (Satan) said to Him (Jesus), ‘I will give You all their authority and splendour, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if You worship me, it will all be Yours’” (Luke 4:6-7**).

Jesus says later in one of His discourses that “there is no truth in Satan. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44*). Also in this third temptation, Satan lies about his pre-eminent authority. Everywhere in the Old Testament we are told that only God is the King of all the earth. We only remember Psalm 47:2*: “The LORD Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth.”

Yet, God’s Word is also clear about the fact that man’s rebellion against God has brought him under Satan’s power. Jesus calls Satan “the prince of this world” (John 12:31) and the apostle Paul points to Satan as “the god of this evil world who has blinded the minds of those who don't believe” (2 Corinthians 4:4*). It is God’s rightful judgment that rebellious man has been handed over to Satan’s dominion (see Romans 1:18-32). Therefore, Jesus came to save mankind from this evil trap.

Jesus does not give in to Satan’s lies and temptation. He wards Satan’s attack off with an authoritative command and by quoting for the third time God’s Word again: “‘Get out of here, Satan,’ Jesus told him. ‘For the Scriptures say, You must worship the Lord your God; serve only Him’” (Matthew 4:10* and Luke 4:8; Deuteronomy 6:13 and 10:20).

This last round of temptations results in Satan’s defeat. Matthew finishes the story by telling: “Then the Devil went away, and angels came and cared for Jesus” (Matthew 4:11*). Luke ends his report by saying: “When the Devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left Him until the next opportunity came” (Luke 4:13*).

What do we learn from Jesus’ example?

 God did not only command us to receive the sword of the Spirit from Him to ward off Satan’s attacks, He also gave us His Son Jesus to show us how to encounter the Evil One. Here are some things we can learn from Jesus’ confrontation with Satan:

1.)      First of all it is important to know that God sometimes leads us (like Jesus) into direct confrontation with Satan and his demonic powers to test our loyalty to Him and our divine strength to protect Jesus’ life in us. I can think of the following texts:

--- “Remember how the LORD your God led you (Israel) through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey His commands.” (Deuteronomy 8:2*)

--- “You must not listen to the words of that (false) prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 13:3**)

--- See also Job’s story in the Old Testament Book of Job.

--- “Remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13*)

--- “It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God's promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.” (Hebrews 11:17*)

--- “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (James 1:2-2**)

--- “God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12*)

--- “So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-- and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” (1 Peter 1:6-7*)

2.)      Like Jesus, we should know that Satan never tells the truth. Jesus said: “He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44*). He might promise us the world but the end will only be ruin. Think only of Adam’s fall (see Genesis 3). He might try to sow doubt into our hearts about being God’s children, like “if you were a child of God, you would not do such a thing.”

3.)      We should be aware that Satan might transfigure himself as an angel of light when he fools us by believing his false presentation of God’s truthful Word which results in leading us astray while we delude ourselves that we are doing God’s will.

God warns us through the mouth of the apostle Paul about this Satanic strategy when he writes to the Christians in Corinth (Greece): “Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light”
(2 Corinthians 11:14*).

Instead of reasoning with Satan and ourselves, we should always fight off his temptations (like Jesus) by proclaiming: “The Scriptures say” or “It is written”. Needless to say, this declaration presupposes that we know God’s Word, i.e. the Bible.

It seems that nowadays many Christians in western society either don’t know the Bible or don’t accept the full authority of God’s Word over their lives. The obvious result is: the invasion of a secular worldview, a materialistic lifestyle, a hedonistic attitude, sexually immoral conduct, etc.  It seems that time and again Satan and his demonic armies find inroads into Christian lives and churches. The apostle Paul warned of this moral decline in Christian circles at the end of time. He writes to one of his co-workers: “You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5*)

4.)   Finally, when Jesus knew that His testing time had come to an end, He commanded: “Get out of here, Satan!” With divine authority, we might resist Satan in the same way as Jesus did when we know that our testing time is over. I think of James’ appeal: “Humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7*). The apostle Paul urges the Christians in Ephesus (Turkey): “Do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:27**).

Last but not least, I think of the warning words of the apostle Peter: “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are” (1 Peter 5:8-9*).

We are not alone in our struggle against Satan and his Demonic army. Our Christian brothers and sisters worldwide are standing in the same battle. We can learn from their experiences as we all follow our Lord Jesus on the way to His messianic kingdom.

Translations: * New Living Translation; ** New International Version; *** New King James Version

About “Satan and our rebellious lives”, see Meditations 19-21.

About “The Holy Spirit and His ministry”, see Meditations 27-34.

About “God’s major project: transforming me and my church into the likeness of Christ”, see Meditations 45-48.

About “Do not bring sorrow to God’s Spirit”, see Meditations 49-55.

About “How to overcome the power of sin in my life and in my church?” see Meditations 101-121.

About “Sexual immorality: Divorce and Adultery”, see meditations 91-93.

About “Sexual immorality: the Greek word ‘porneia’ (from which comes our word pornography) as a New Testament definition of any kind of sexual sin”, see Meditation 94.

About “The problem of discrimination”, see Meditations 97 and 98.

129. HOW TO OVERCOME THE POWER OF SIN IN MY LIFE? – How do I protect Jesus’ life within me against Satan’s attacks? (k1)

From Meditation 120 onward we have seen that the full armour of God is a divine gift to all God’s children. The apostle Paul takes the armour of a first century Roman soldier to show us how we can protect Jesus’ life within us against Satan’s attacks. We have already spoken about girding our waist with truth, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, shoeing our feet with the preparedness of the Gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith and receiving the helmet of salvation.

In Meditations 129 and 130 we reflect on the ‘sword of the Spirit’. Paul writes:

“Take (or receive) ... the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17**)

The sword is the last piece of the Roman armour that the apostle Paul mentions in this passage. The Greek equivalent is the machaira. It was a small sword or dagger which the soldier used for stabbing in close combat.

The Sword of God in the Old Testament

The apostle figuratively speaks of the “machaira of God’s Spirit” and explains that it stands for the way God’s Spirit wields God’s Word as a sword. To understand the warlike character of the machaira, we need to look first into the Septuagint, where the word is the Greek rendering of the original Hebrew Old Testament. There we see that the various passages which speak figuratively of God’s use of the machaira, deal with God’s judgment. Here are some examples:

-- When God speaks through Moses and declares His Laws to His people Israel at Mount Sinai, He warns them, saying: “Do not exploit widows or orphans. If you do and they cry out to Me, then I will surely help them. My anger will blaze forth against you, and I will kill you with the sword (machaira).” (Exodus 22:22-24*)

-- When God warns Israel against the consequences of breaking His covenant, He says: “I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out My sword (machaira) and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.” (Leviticus 26:33**)

-- Before Moses dies, he blesses Israel saying that God Himself is the sword that will pass judgment on their enemies: “How happy are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is the shield that protects you, the sword (machaira) you boast in.” (Deuteronomy 33:29****)

Furthermore, the Book of Proverbs shows how upsetting hurtful words can be:

-- “Reckless words pierce like a sword (machaira), but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18**)

-- “There is a generation whose teeth are like swords (machairae), and whose fangs are like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.” (Proverbs 30:14***)

When the Old Testament speaks of God’s sword, it points to God’s judgment on individuals, groups or nations. When it mentions the sword as an image of the spoken word, it refers to a hurtful and distressing way of speaking.

The Sword of God the Son in the New Testament

In the New Testament, and especially in the Book of Revelation, it is the Messiah who wields the sword of God’s judgment on the church and the world. In chapter one, the apostle John describes his face-to-face with the exalted Messiah: “When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across His chest. His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And His eyes were bright like flames of fire. His feet were as bright as bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in His right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from His mouth. And His face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance.” (Revelation 1:12-16*)

In chapter 2, we read twice about Jesus as the messianic Judge speaking to His church in Pergamum (Turkey). Again the image of the two-edged sword is used here:

-- “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.” (Revelation 2:12**)

-- “Repent, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them (i.e. false teachers) with the sword of My mouth.” (Revelation 2:16*)

Finally, we read in chapter nineteen about the Messiah’s last judgment on Satan and his global army: “Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came out of the mouth of the One riding the white horse (i.e. Jesus Messiah).” (Revelation 19:21*)

In the light of all these texts (and many others!) from the Old and New Testament, it is clear that God’s sword always speaks of battle and judgment.

The Sword of God the Spirit in the New Testament

When we now return to Paul’s command in our original text “Take (or receive) ... the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17**), we might wonder what the apostle Paul wants us to do. By now we understand that he certainly does not charge us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others in an aggressive way. On the contrary, this command can only point to war! But war against whom?

From Meditation 120 onwards, we have dealt with the full armour that God has given to all His children. With it they are able to protect Jesus’ life within them against Satan’s assaults. Interestingly, all pieces of this divine armour are given to shield ourselves against Satan’s demonic army. The only exception is God’s Word. It is given to us as a divine sword to fight off Satan’s attacks. How we should wield this sword of God’s Spirit we will see in the next meditation.

(to be continued)

Translations: * New Living Translation; ** New International Version; *** New King James Version; **** Christian Standard Bible

About “Jesus Messiah judging His Church”, see Meditations 54 and 78-90.