Choices…

I don’t usually like to give Satan any focus. However, we have to acknowledge what happens in our journey on this strange alien planet and the fact that there is a definite enemy and evil that we battle on a daily basis.

Every moment, I have a choice. The bless-ed frustrating gift of free will. I either choose to listen to the lies of Satan, or I choose to listen to my Heavenly Father. More often than not, I realize now that I listen and give into the lies of the enemy. It’s really a lot easier for me. It’s my default after all, and a tendency I’ve inherited since the fall – that is, if I do not hold fast to the redemption of Jesus Christ. Everything about me and even the sin nature inside me screams in my ears and my mind begins its chaotic game of confusion. I’m realizing more and more lately just what a terrible decision maker I am, so this reflects into every area of my heart and life…

The media, people around me, the world, society, myself ,Satan, all thing here on this sinful planet say things contrary to what God tells me. I’m blasted every moment, every second with it. Man, they are SO much louder and easier to listen to. It’s a habit God needs to break in me and I have to willingly practice doing the opposite… I have to become more inclined to listen to Him. I have to practice my God-listening skills, because I’ve obviously been listening and giving in to the former much more often. If I listen to the lies and louder voice screaming at me to be one way, then where is my faith? Keith Green says in his song Lies “…if you believe then your faith just dies… don’t you be a fool, don’t you even open up or expose yourself to just one of his wicked lies”… he’s referencing Satan here.

This is an all too familiar battle for each one of us, isn’t it? How do we overcome? I KNOW the answer, but it’s so difficult to walk in sometimes. The enemy likes to use whatever tactic necessary to throw us off of our pursuit of Christ. More often than not, I have no idea I’m off the path until I’ve gone so far down that road that I’ve lost where I am and haven’t a clue how I got there…

I bring this up because I’m beginning to understand more and more just how often I give in and choose to listen to the lies Satan tells me and I tell myself. In all honesty, I used to get SO annoyed with the Christians who (I used to think) over-spiritualized the “lies of Satan” thing. I’m starting to understand it more… but I don’t like giving Satan credit or adopting the “Satan made me do it” mentality. God gave us a free will, He daily gives us a choice – “Choose Me! Take up your cross daily and follow me.” The accountability still comes into play, Satan can be extremely persuasive, but ultimately it is I who decide to listen to him and I will have to stand before God one day… but on the other hand, we are battling things beyond the physical.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 6:12

It’s hard for me to accept this verse sometimes. Perhaps because I’ve seen way to many “Christians” and “ministries” abuse this verse by sensationalizing these “spiritual forces”. Or they blame their sinful actions on this evil but still continue to live in it and I’ve often seen this turn people away from Jesus Christ as a result of this focus… or hurt other believers in the process.

Regardless of how the “Christians” abuse or sensationalize this though. There are definite powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. You can often witness it in many things around you, or feel it creep up inside you. Satan and demons do exist. It’s scary and creepy, and should not be ignored. However!

If we acknowledge Christ and let Him reign and take over during those battles, then He will WIN because He is far more powerful than any evil. He triumphed over evil when He gave up His life on the Cross for our sins. This is why we can’t boast in our abilities, or say that ‘I overcame’ the powers of this dark world. Because without Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross, we cannot overcome anything! This is why we can boast in our weaknesses because we understand and acknowledge that in our weaknesses Christ’s power is more apparent and the Cross is even more necessary. This then turns us to boasting in Jesus Christ and the Cross.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I’m not certain if this is connecting correctly as I express it. The main point is, although I am WEAK and listen and often give in to the lies of Satan; 1) I have a choice of who to listen to… 2) I have a far more powerful Messiah who is the only One who can win the battles against the dark and evil spiritual forces… 3) He can guide me and mold me into listening to Him more, but I have to be willing… 4) Combine 1,2, & 3 – meaning I can choose to give myself over to the risen King of Kings so that He can be glorified…

Bottom line is: Jesus Christ. Daily walking with Him and pursuing Him no matter what’s going on around me or inside me – something I then can’t do without Him or without the Cross.

Is it this simple… a relationship with this Man? I think so.

I complicate everything else (even this blog post was complicated-ly written, ahh!); I want to be done with trying to complicate my relationship with Christ.

3 comments / Add your comment below

  1. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

    "and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because GREATER IS HE WHO IS IN YOU than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 1 John 4:3-5"

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