The Enemy in Our Land of Promise
The Enemy in Our Land of Promise
When the nation of Israel made its exodus from Egypt, God did the fighting. When the next generation sought to take possession of the land of promise, the Israelites had to do the fighting, with God's help.
The passages below are the kind of enemies we must fight in order to enter our land of promise:
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption . Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:17-32—NIV)
It is my point of view that the "Day of Redemption" has begun. It is for this "Day" that we have been sealed by the Spirit of God.
Self-will
There is another enemy that confronts us. It is our self-will, self-love, self-centeredness. We are under the impression that God has been created to meet all our needs and desires. The truth is, we were created for God's pleasure, to meet His needs and desires.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11)
God is seeking a home, a resting place, and people in whom He can install His Throne. God and we rest together because His work was finished from the beginning of the world.
This is why self-will is the ruination of the people of the world, and also of the Christians. We are attempting to create our own Heaven and earth. God did all this thousands of years ago, and now He and we are to rest in God's finished work.
The overcomer of the Church in Smyrna must endure the prison in which he or she is placed. We understand that such confinement is under the strict control of the Lord Jesus, in that He said, "You will suffer persecution for ten days."
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown. (Revelation 2:10—NIV)
When Christ permits us to be placed in some kind of prison, the purpose is to destroy our self-life. We can choose to escape from our prison, to come down from the cross, or to be faithful to the point of death.
We cannot have fellowship with the Father and the Son when we are being directed by our self-will.
When the new generation was getting ready to invade Canaan, they had to be circumcised. This circumcision typifies the crucifixion of the old nature and the putting on of the new man of the Lord.
And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed. (Joshua 5:8—NIV)
Our old nature may have many good features. But until those good features are born again in Christ they are not of eternal quality.
We understand, therefore, that Heaven is not our land of promise. Our land of promise is our own personality made new in Christ and housed in an incorruptible body.
Satan and his demons are persuaded that they have a right to our personality, even though Christ removed that right on the cross of Calvary.
Because of the Lord Jesus Christ we have legal standing to invade and conquer the enemy in our personality, just as Israel had a God-given right to Canaan.
This is a real change for us, because we thought God would do all the fighting for us and bring us into Paradise if we would just "accept Christ."
But that is not the case. From this point forward we have to call on Christ day and night to help us overcome the enemies in our land. There are great rewards for those who drive out their enemies and find rest in the center of God's Person and will.
I do not know from the Bible what will prove to be true concerning those who wait for God to save them and bring them to Heaven by "grace."
One episode that comes to mind is the Lord's rebuke directed at the servant who had buried his talent.
Well, there it is. The Spirit of God is looking for those who will set aside their own plans and desires and enter wholeheartedly into the present phase of redemption.
I hope to be one of these. How about you?
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 —NIV )
Do not get drawn into an anxious struggling against sin. Confess your sin clearly and ask the Lord Jesus to remove it from you. Do this every time you think of it, and mingle your supplication with praise.
Do whatever you can to avoid temptation. The force of the sin will leave relatively easily if you are determined that it go.
Some bondages are determined to remain in your personality. If you do not surrender to temptation, eventually you will gain total victory over every force of sin and self-will.
Overcoming sin is not a question of power. Christ spoke the universe into being with the Word of His power. He certainly can deliver a creature of dust from spiritual bondage.
It is your patient determination to be in the image of God and to do God's will at all times that eventually will gain complete victory over sin and self-will.
Do not be troubled about anything. When a worry comes to mind, ask Jesus to solve it. He will. Then go on your way rejoicing.
I have learned during my lifetime about some of the traits of God's Personality. God is strict, loving, faithful, playful, honest, upright, loyal, creative, knowledgeable, wise, righteous, holy, gentle, slow to anger, helpful, honorable, courageous, fatherly, friendly, patient, upright, fair, charitable, peaceful, joyous, good, meek, self-controlled, plain and simple, kind, courteous, gentlemanly, has a sense of humor, keeps His promises, is practical, cheerful, diligent, and compassionate.
Everything that Christ says is established eternally according to the intent to which it was spoken.
We may begin to reveal some of these traits in our own personality as Christ is formed in us.
Satan is the opposite of most of these traits.
It certainly is a good thing for us that God has the greater power!
God's also has other traits, such as all-power and authority, the avenger of all injustice, a judge of the behavior of people, jealous over His role and possessions, harsh and destructive when the need arises. These traits possibly may be true of us in the distant future, but not as yet.
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