We face many obstacles in our lives. Sometimes things weigh on us and after a while, we want to just give up. What many fail to recognize is the activity of the devil! He is looking to take people down. He uses any means he can and things we aren't even aware of. Too many people are too bold when it comes to the devil! "I just tell him to leave me alone and get out of here!" are words that are spoken. They might sound right but we are dealing with a spiritual force of darkness.
One of the easiest ways for the devil to gain access to our heart is through bitterness! The Hebrew writer warns of such: "See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb. 12:15) One can halt the grace of God just because of bitterness. Someone hurts us (maybe even our mates) and that hurt hits our hearts. We have all felt that sting. The devil is a schemer! He wants us to focus on the hurt so our minds start thinking of how we have been treated. The grace of God is slowly traded for bitterness. A little resentment and now the root has sprung forth. Another wrong by the same person and now the root starts sprouting more until it manifests itself in an outer display or outburst at an individual.
It springs up and causes trouble and what is worse we believe we are right in revealing our bitterness toward them! The one outburst reaches and defiles others around us, even to those who are innocent. We begin talking to others how we were mistreated and it causes them trouble. It defiles them. Your words have pained them. They view the individual you speak about through the eyes of your bitterness! Bitterness in the heart will open the door to all sorts of evil actions and attitudes, even to the point of refusing the Lord's way to forgive! This is the complete scheme and accomplishment of the devil!!
We need our hearts guarded and the power to overcome when we have been wronged. We need to take our concerns to the Lord, laying them at His feet so His peace, which is beyond human understanding will guard our heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7). The Lord has to set up the guard and that comes through our surrender and holding to Him. We must depend on the Lord's defenses so we won't fall prey to the devil and his wiles (Eph. 6:10-17). We need to put over our heart His righteousness so it can't be hit by wicked spiritual forces and the Lord's righteousness directs us. We need the shield of faith, trusting in God when we have been wronged to let Him defend us and not allow any bitterness, resentments or anger to build from within our heart.
The very power that kept bitterness and resentments from the heart of Jesus is the same power that He makes available to us through Himself. The only question left is will we hold tightly, knowing the devil is looking for someone to devour and will use whatever means he can to accomplish his goal?
No comments:
Post a Comment