Most Christians never figure out the difference between the soul and the spirit – two vital parts of their make-up; therefore, they live in a very soulical realm and think that they are making spiritual decisions. The Word of God is the only thing sharp enough to discern and divide between our soul and our spirit.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Some people have come to me saying that God spoke to them to do a specific thing, but the next week these same people come back again, saying that God told them to do something totally opposite. One day He has them running down the right baseline and the next day He has them running down the left baseline. On the contrary, God’s Word is “Yea” and “Amen.” (II Corinthians 1:20) It is not “Yea” and “Nay.” (II Corinthians 1:18-19) If God said to run down the right baseline, He wants us to run down the right baseline. He doesn’t change His mind from week to week. But, if we are living in our soulical realm – our minds, our wills, and our emotions – we won’t know the difference between what God is saying and our own thoughts. I believe that most Christians live in the soulical realm – not knowing the difference between the Spirit of God and their human spirits. In that case, they are driven by their minds, wills, and emotions. We are told repeatedly in the scripture that every knee will bow, with the implication that everyone will eventually surrender his free will to God – either willingly or through force. (Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10) To be able to willingly surrender, we must first recognize our human will and, therefore, be able to discern between the spirit and the soul.
If we are going to mature into the full stature of Jesus Christ, one of the foundational principles we must learn is the difference between the soul and the spirit, so that we can begin to live according to our spirits and renew our minds through our spirits.
Voices in the Night
I have had two experiences in my life that helped me to find the difference between the soul and the spirit. The first one came as a dream in which I saw a man who had very evil, lustful thoughts going through his mind at the same time that he was speaking in tongues. When I woke up, the Lord said that He was showing me the difference between the soul and the spirit. It is possible for one’s spirit and soul to be so divided that both of them actually function separately at the same time. The Bible tells us that we must be spiritually minded and that having our spirit and our mind in coordination will bring us life and peace. (Romans 8:6)
A young man was somewhat under my discipleship, but I wasn’t doing too well with him. I learned that he had spent the night with a prostitute, so I confronted him and “raked him over the coals” for doing that sort of wicked thing. He looked back at me, explaining that it was okay because he could still speak in tongues. He thought that as long as he was speaking in tongues, he could sin all he wanted and still be all right. He didn’t understand that it was possible for him to be functioning on two levels of his personality at the same time. A person can have something going on in his mind and something totally different going on in his spirit. Even when we are worshiping the Lord, we may find that our minds are wandering off, thinking about something that may be carnal or natural, while our spirit man is worshiping God.
What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. (I Corinthians 14:15 NKJV)
Paul tells us that praying and singing with both the spirit and the understanding is the conclusion. To understand this, we must look at the previous verse where we learn that our minds are unprofitable when we speak with our spirits. In other words, there is the possibility of speaking with our spirits while our minds are out of focus; therefore, we must make the determination to sing and pray in the understanding as well as in the spirit. For our worship to be profitable, we must willfully focus on involving the total personality – spirit, soul, and body. The conclusion is that we must determine to speak and sing in tongues and in our native language in order to motivate ourselves on all levels. We need to be renewed in the spirit of our minds so that we are not just speaking in tongues in our human spirit. At that point, we are moving into the arena where our spirit has control over our mind. (Ephesians 4:23)
In the dream, I saw the man who was drastically divided between his soul and his spirit. But still, I was questioning how we can know how to live in the spirit so that the spirit is in control of the total man. The answer came during another evening. I woke up in the middle of the night and lay in my bed praying in the spirit. A while later, I began to ask questions concerning issues I had been thinking about. As I asked those questions, the answers began to come. I could feel the difference between the question and the answer. I could literally feel my mind conceiving the question and deciding what it was that I wanted to ask the Lord. As soon as I could feel that question being formed in my mind, the answer would come – but it did not come through my mind; it came through my spirit man. This time, I could literally feel the answer originating out of a totally different area of my personality. The questions were coming down from my mind, but the answers were coming up from my spirit. Jesus said that it was out of the belly that the living water would flow. (John 7:38) John then added that He spoke this of the spirit. (verse 39) This means that a person’s spirit man actually resides in his belly area. That night, I could actually feel the difference as answers began to flow out of the spirit man in my belly region. I did this for maybe two hours that night with the tremendous awareness that there was a division between two parts of my personality. There was a soulical man that could think up the question and a spiritual man that was in communion with God who would give me the answer. At first, all the answers were biblical verses – many were verses I had not even memorized or stored in my conscious memory bank. Even when I asked questions that would not have specific Bible answers, the answers continued to come from the same part of my being, without Bible verses. Once I began to know the difference in hearing the answer come from down in my belly, as opposed to thinking thoughts in my head, God was able to go beyond the verses and speak things that had specific directions for my life.
David’s Giant Difference
In the story of David and Goliath (I Samuel 17), we see an example of a young man who was able to move in the spirit, in contrast to people who were moving in the soulical realm. All the members of Saul’s army looked at the physical size of Goliath who was almost ten feet tall. They looked at the physical weight of his spear with the javelin head alone weighing thirteen pounds. They looked at this mighty warrior who had been a champion and a longstanding hero among his people, and they decided that it would be impossible for them to fight him. When David asked about the reward for the person who would go out to fight this man, they immediately began to give him soulical responses. They said that the king of Israel would give him his daughter as a bride, a financial reward, and an exemption from paying taxes for his father’s whole household. When David asked somebody else, he responded in the same way. Every time he asked the question, he got the same answer. Everyone’s answer was from a soulical point of view. They looked at the physical details about this giant: how big he was, what intimidating weapons he had, and the battle record he had. They also looked at the physical reward if they were able to fight victoriously against him. Nobody except David looked at anything from a spiritual perspective!
There are several hints in the passage that tell us how David’s perspective was different from that of the rest of the army. In verse eight, Goliath looked at the army and called them “the armies of Israel” and “the servants of Saul.” In verse ten, Goliath said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day.” In verse nineteen, they are called “the men of Israel,” designating a political state to which the men owed their lives. Verse twenty-four states that “the men of Israel” fled from Goliath and were dreadfully afraid. In verse twenty-five, “the men of Israel” spoke of the man who had come up to defy “Israel.” Everyone continued to see himself as part of a natural, physical kingdom. However, in verse twenty-six, we see a turn.
And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
David was the only one who was able to divide between the soul and the spirit. Everybody else was seeing things according to their natural perspective. They saw Saul as their leader; they saw Israel as their allegiance. It was only David who looked into the spirit realm and saw the situation as a conflict with an uncircumcised Philistine who was defying the army of the living God. In verse thirty-six, David declared, Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
In verse forty-five, David addressed the giant, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
David was able to see that he was in the army of God because he had gotten out of the soulical realm and into the spiritual realm. He had a different perspective on life. To him, it wasn’t important that he would be able to marry the king’s daughter. To him, it wasn’t important that he was going to be exempted from taxes. To him, it wasn’t important that he would be given great wealth. The only thing that was important to him was that the God of Israel had been defied; David would be able to uphold and justify the name of his God, the living God.
When the others looked at Goliath, they looked at him with an exclamation point: “He’s big! He’s mean! Look at that spear and that sword and that armor! Wow! Look at the record he has fighting!” David is the only one who came out against this man – not with an exclamation point but with a question mark: “Who is he? Who does he think he is to defy the army of the living God?” With his spirit man, he had Superman x-ray vision. He was able to look beyond that shield and behind that man’s armor to see something that nobody else had noticed about the man. Nobody else called him “an uncircumcised Philistine;” only David was able to see his spiritual condition. David saw that Goliath was not part of a covenant with God; therefore, it didn’t matter how big he was, or what kind of record he had as a warrior, or how much armor he had, or how strong he was. None of that was going to be important because he was not in a covenant with God. David had the total advantage because he was in a covenant. This young lad had a spiritual perspective and could see that he had the upper hand.
In Genesis chapter twelve, God promised Abraham that anyone who cursed him or his seed would be cursed. David knew that this was part of his covenant heritage. He knew that he was blessed by God and that whoever came against him would be cursed. The moment Goliath had defied the army of the living God, he had placed himself under a curse and was, therefore, subject to David. As long as Goliath was defying the army of Israel, he could probably win. As long as he was defying the servants of Saul, he probably could win. But when he said, “I defy the army of the living God,” David saw that the covenant was called into play and, therefore, David was the victor, and Goliath was the victim.
David also knew from the Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 28) that if he would diligently obey the voice of the Lord to observe carefully all His commandments the Lord would set him above all the nations of the earth – whether they were pigmies or giants. David understood that he was in a covenant and that he was, therefore, predestined to be seated high above all principalities and all opposition. He understood that he was predestined to be a success and not be defeated. He understood that he had an inheritance and that he was able to reach into it because he was living in the spirit and not the soul. His emotions looked at the big Philistine and said “Whoa!” But his spirit looked at the covenant and said, “Go!” David had a circumcision mark that proved that he was in covenant with God and that he had the authority to take on the challenge.
Grasshopper Mentality
The soul of man is fed by looking at the circumstances around it, while the spirit of man is fed by the Word of God, which is the covenant relationship. When we live and respond to things according to our covenant standing, we are living in our spirit man. When we respond to the physical report, we are living in our soulical man. Our souls have to be trained to respond to the spirit as the spirit is responding to God and His covenant.
In Numbers chapter thirteen, we read the story of the twelve spies who went to spy out the Promised Land. They came back with the report that the people were giants and added their summation: We were in our own sight as grasshoppers. They didn’t say that the giants looked at them as grasshoppers. They said that they looked at themselves as grasshoppers – and when they looked at themselves as grasshoppers, they became as grasshoppers. The interesting thing is that God had already told them that the report of their victories coming out of Egypt had gone before them. (Exodus 23:27) Forty years later when Israel went in to take the city of Jericho, Rahab said that the entire city had heard how they came out of Egypt and God had opened the Red Sea and how the people had walked through on dry ground. (Joshua 2:11) That was forty-year-old news. If forty-year-old news still had the people in Jericho trembling and their hearts fainting, can you imagine how petrified the people of Canaan must have been when the news was hot-off-the-press? If – instead of seeing themselves as grasshoppers – those ten spies had seen themselves as the great people who had just marched through the Red Sea, they could have taken the land. But when they looked soulically, they had an immediate soulical response, and they were not able to take the land. They were defeated before they began because they went in seeing themselves as grasshoppers instead of conquerors.
Protecting the Soul
It is important for us to understand how to keep and protect our souls.
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. (II Timothy 2:25, 26)
Have you ever watched someone paint himself into a corner? In a great classic comedy, Lucille Ball painted herself into a corner when she was varnishing a floor. She came in the door and just started working. By the time she looked up, she was in the far corner. The door was on the other side of the room with a whole floor of wet varnish between her and the exit. There are people who do things like that because they don’t think of the consequences of their actions. I have watched people at work in their workshops or in their offices. They just pile stuff up on their desks or workbenches until there is so much work around them that they don’t have enough elbowroom to do anything. They wind up creating more work for themselves because of all the confusion they have brought in. They are opposing themselves. There are some people who, if given enough rope, will hang themselves. The Bible says that we are to correct these people with humility.
Years ago, it was thought that if a man or a woman had a disease, the problem was that he or she had “bad blood.” So the doctor would cut them to drain out part of the “bad” blood. But doctors now know that such a loss of blood only weakens the patients and in some cases hastens death or makes the disease even worse.
I remember having to have a wisdom tooth extracted when I was in high school. The doctor prescribed a codeine medicine for me to take as a painkiller. What we didn’t know was that I was somewhat allergic to codeine. Every time I started feeling pain from the tooth surgery, I would take a pain pill – and feel even sicker. I didn’t know that it was the medicine that was making me sick. The sicker I got, the more codeine I took – until finally, I was so sick that I couldn’t move in the bed. Just to roll my head on the pillow was enough to make me nauseated and almost sent me into convulsions. I was opposing myself, but I didn’t know it because I was not well informed.
Paul’s instructions to Timothy illustrate how we are to teach those who oppose themselves. If instruction is part of the deliverance, then the problem must be that they don’t have the recognition of the truth and a full knowledge of the scripture so that they are well instructed. Our soulical man must be strong so that our minds, wills, and emotions become channels through which God can move via our spirit man. By doing so, we close the door on the devil; when we live by the spirit, he cannot move in our carnal man. On the other hand, negative emotions can become holes in our vessels that let the oil of God leak out.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (II Timothy 3:16)
We need to center our lives on instruction from God; otherwise, we become ignorant. We also want to be careful that we don’t have the wrong instruction. The Bible says that there are those who believe a lie and are damned (II Thessalonians 2:11-12).
Because some have yielded themselves to the devil, God has given them over to reprobate minds. These people have changed the truth of God into a lie. (Romans 1:25)
They deliberately thought the reverse of what God has said. There are false Christs in the world today who want to deceive us. (Matthew 24:5) This deception is such a real possibility that we are repeatedly warned against it. Luke 21:8 tells us not to be deceived by these false Christs. First Corinthians 6:9 tells us not to be deceived because the wicked will not enter into heaven. First Corinthians 15:33 adds, Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. In Galatians 6:7, we are warned, Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
We are commanded by three of the great apostles in the New Testament to be careful that we do not deceive ourselves. In I Corinthians 3:18, Paul tells us not to deceive ourselves. In I John 1:8, the Apostle John says that it is possible to deceive yourself. In James 1:22, the Apostle James echoes the idea that it is possible to deceive oneself. For those people who oppose themselves and paint themselves into corners, the deception comes from themselves. It is characteristic of human nature to always want to blame everything on others or even on the devil. When God confronted Adam about eating the forbidden fruit, he tried to justify himself by saying, The woman that You gave me. Eve murmured, The serpent. We always want to put the blame on someone else, but we have three apostles in the New Testament who confirm that the deceptions that we have and the lies that we receive are our own fault. Second John verse seven tells us that the devil is a deceiver. Certainly, the devil is the author of the lie, but we are the ones in control of whether we receive that deception.
Recovery
The wonderful promise of the scripture is that there is the possibility of recovering from this deceptive snare. Paul said that victims of such deception could recover from the snare of the devil if they were instructed through humility. This doesn’t necessarily take deliverance or someone praying and commanding the devil to come out. It is just a matter of instruction, training, and teaching. I have seen many, many people whose lives have been turned around and brought out of snares because they were taught truth, they received it, and when the truth entered into them it brought new life.
In John chapter eight, a sinful woman was brought to Jesus by the religious leaders who wanted to throw stones at her. When the accusations about her were finished and she was standing before Jesus – the only innocent one there – He said that He didn’t accuse her and that she should go and sin no more. She didn’t have to have a deliverance. Jesus didn’t have to pray against a spirit of lust and cast it out of her. She had to simply be brought to the revelation that Jesus had forgiven her. It can be a simple thing to bring correction, rescue captives from the snare of the devil, and send them out to sin no more.
Second Timothy 2:22 tells us to flee youthful lusts. There are things that we just have to turn around and walk away from, run away from, and leave behind us. This verse doesn’t necessarily say that we have to be delivered from these lusts; we just have to decide that we are not going to allow them to be part of our lives. We must take authority over them, and turn from them.
Philippians 2:5 tells us, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Paul says that we can let the mind of Christ be in us; he doesn’t say that we need to cast out a bad mind. We can simply decide to let the mind of Christ live in us. Just as turning on a light dispels the darkness, the mind of Christ will expel the carnal or evil mind.
James 4:7 says that if we resist the devil, he will flee. We don’t necessarily have to cast him out. We just have to resist him. In the original passage in this study, we learned that there are those who are taken captive by the will of Satan. Some translations make it sound as though they are taken captive by their own will. When we oppose ourselves, it really looks as though it is our will that lets us be taken captive, but the truth is that it is Satan’s will when we are captured. If we oppose ourselves, we become trapped because we have closed our own minds to the truth and received a lie. At that point, we are backed into a corner, and the devil can easily pick us off because we have nowhere to run.
If you have a stalled calf, you don’t have a problem when you decide to have a steak dinner. Remember the story in Genesis chapter twenty-seven about how Jacob stole Esau’s birthright. When Isaac sent Esau to shoot a deer for him, he had to go out hunting in the field, chase down his prey, and kill it. But when Jacob and Rebekah decided to deceive the father, they just went out to the stall and got a couple of the young goats that were already captive there. That’s what the devil can do to us if we oppose ourselves and paint ourselves into a corner. Satan can only take us captive if our minds are not instructed and we are not acknowledging the truth. If we know and live by the truth, then we are free. We are like that deer running through the forest that Esau chased. But if we don’t know the truth, then we are captive, and the devil can take us at any point. We are like the stalled goat that Jacob took without a chase.
Eve and Job
Eve was not forced to sin. She was tempted through her own mind and was deceived. She deceived herself. She hung around the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil even though she had lots of other places to be in the garden. She had lots of other activities to be involved in, but she deceived herself and, thus, opposed herself. According to I Timothy 2:14, she was deceived and that deception made her a sitting duck for the devil.
Job’s body and his possessions are a contrast to Eve. The devil had to ask permission to attack Job; in fact, he asked twice for permission to torment the righteous man (Job 1:12 and 2:6). One astonishing truth in the book of Job is that the devil never took over Job’s mind. He tormented his body from head to toe, took all his possessions, and even took his family; but Job never gave the devil his mind. The entire book of Job describes a constant battle for Job’s mind. Some of the greatest philosophers of that time came into Job’s house, presented their logic and argued with him that he was wrong. But every time they went through their great logical points, Job resisted their lies and confessed, I know that my Redeemer lives. (Job 19:25) He kept responding with what he knew while they kept propounding what they thought. Job never gave up his mind. He continued to stay with the truth and not waver. Because he didn’t waver, God brought him out on the other side completely victorious. Eve didn’t argue with the devil. She did not protect her mind. She let her mind be changed, and she was taken captive. But Job, in chapter after chapter, refused to yield. The story of the loss of his property only takes a few verses. The story of the loss of his health only takes a few more verses. The entire book is not about Job’s physical and fiscal sufferings. It is about Job’s mental torment and how the enemy kept trying and trying to change his mind. But he held on to his mind; he held on to his reasoning; he held on to his logic; he held on to what he knew was right, and that is where he won his victory. Satan attacked Job’s body, his family, and his possessions; but Satan found out that without Job’s mind, he did not have Job.
Being wise through the Word keeps us from the snare of those who are deceived and who have deceived themselves.
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (II Timothy 3:13-15)
If we keep our minds on the Word, we can be rescued from those people who are deceived and who are deceivers. Satan’s stronghold is in our minds. (II Corinthians 10:4-5) Spiritual battles are won and lost in the battlefield of our minds.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:6)
Colossians 1:21 tells us that before we were born again we were enemies of Christ in our minds. First Peter 1:13 tells us that if we are going to go into battle for God, we have to gird up the loins of our minds. It is in our minds, the soulical realm, where the decision is made. The victorious mind is the new mind.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)
The person who opposes himself and paints himself into a corner can be captive to the will of Satan, but the person who has renewed his mind is the one who proves the good, perfect, and acceptable will of God. The will of Satan is manifest in the person who doesn’t protect his mind; the will of God is manifest in the person who does protect and renew his mind – a dramatic contrast. We must deliberately choose what we are going to think about. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8 that we are to think on those things which are pure, just, holy, and of a good report. Ephesians 6:17 tells us to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the rhema Word of God, meaning the specific truths, which are relevant to the individual situations we face.
To renew your mind on how you think about God, I suggest meditating on the following scriptural truths until they resonate inside your spirit:
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (I John 4:4)
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (I John 3:2)
Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. (Hebrews 11:11)
There are specific thoughts we need to renew our minds with:
When we are sick, I Peter 2:24.
When we are worried, I Peter 5:7.
When we need money, Philippians 4:19.
When we can’t think, Ephesians 4:13.
When we are tempted, I Corinthians 10:13.
When we feel condemned, Romans 8:1.
When we have sinned, I John 1:9.
When we are afraid, II Timothy 1:7.
When we have low self-esteem, I Peter 2:9.
When we are tormented by the devil, James 4:7.
When we are lonely, Proverbs 18:24.
When we are faced with a major decision, James 1:5.
When we were little children, we all heard the story about the choo-choo train that had to climb the big hill as its little engine kept saying, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” Finally, it crested the hill and came bounding down the other side saying, “I knew I could. I knew I could. I knew I could.” We must be like that choo-choo train, thinking thoughts of progression and victory. It is the way we think that determines if we are victors or not. We have to keep our mind. If we don’t, we are not protecting ourselves – but are actually opposing ourselves.
When we don’t have a specific promise to stand on, we can always hold fast to what seems to be in line with the character of God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Real knowledge is not just a Band-Aid, it is a matter of our core belief system – the inner conviction that controls our lives. When a high wire aerialist asked his audience if they believed that he could push a wheelbarrow with a man seated in it across the tightrope, the audience roared in agreement; however, when he asked for a volunteer to get into the wheelbarrow, the crowd became silent. True faith will cause the believer to be willing to jump into Jesus’ wheelbarrow.
The first time I took my wife to the mission field, we knew about the trip for a full year in advance. This long preparation time gave my wife plenty of time to prepare herself spiritually for the trip. She had never been to a place like India or Sri Lanka before and there was some fear she had to deal with. She had heard all the missionary horror stories about India and Sri Lanka and had seen all the pictures of all the starving children there. It was a traumatic thing for her to come from a nice Western culture into the third world. For that full year, God would speak to Peggy and give her promises every day during her quiet time. She wrote those promises in a notebook and meditated on them until there was no more fear in her. Instead, there was strength and power in her spirit. That year of preparation brought a turnaround in her ministry. She has never been the same since – not only because of that trip but because of that year she spent before the Lord in preparation. Her mind was so totally renewed that she began to walk in victory. It was a powerful step in her maturing into the full stature of our victorious Christ!
In Proverbs chapter twenty-three, we find an oft-quoted passage that I have frequently ministered and taught on – and even wrote a whole book about. Yet, I have always been rather perplexed concerning the context in which this passage appears. Verse seven begins with the revelation that a man’s personality is determined by how he thinks in his heart. This is a powerful truth, and it certainly warrants all the attention it has received from all the teachers and preachers who have ministered on it. However, the way it abruptly appears in the middle of a seemingly unrelated context demands that we delve a bit deeper into the verse to quarry out the true mother lode of truth it conceals.
Before we actually look at the text, let me confess that I want to skip a couple verses in order to make the message a little more readily obvious. Verses four and five carry the general theme of the section but shift the focus toward a different aspect of consideration before returning to the central point in verse six.
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat…Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. (Proverbs 23:1-3, 6-8)
The perplexing question is, “Why does Solomon make this reference to the way a man thinks in his heart right in the middle of the discussion about eating?” The key to unraveling this mystery is found just a couple pages earlier in the Proverbs. Proverbs 18:8 in the King James Version of the Bible at first looks like it is totally unrelated, “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” Here it looks like Solomon is saying that gossip is like an injury deep inside our vital organs. However, more modern translations communicate a totally different message by recognizing that the old English word “wound” referred to a kind of pastry. With this in mind, we see that gossip is something so tantalizing and irresistible that we readily swallow it up. The American Standard Version, for example, translates this passage as, “The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts.” In this respect, we can see that Solomon must have learned some principles from his father King David who wrote, Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. (Psalm 141:4)
Looking back at the passage with this new understanding of what the dainties offered to us represent, we begin to see that the paragraph actually has nothing to do with food. Rather, the whole message centers around what we listen to and allow to get inside of us. Now it becomes crystal clear as to why Solomon injected into this context his statement about a man’s personality being determined by how he thinks. If we listen to the words of a talebearer and are enticed by them as if they were the delicious treats offered at a royal banquet, these thoughts will enter into the very deepest parts of our psychological and spiritual person to determine how we view ourselves, the world around us, the people we interact with, and everything that happens to us. The result is that – just like our body weight and general physical health are determined by our natural diet – our whole personalities are molded by the “dainties” we consume.
At this point, I feel like one of the scriptwriters for a TV infomercial as I type out the next few words, “But wait. There’s more!” There is much more in this passage that suddenly becomes obvious as soon as we understand that these dainties represent the words of a talebearer. The whole idea of vomiting the food back up suddenly takes on a new light. What is the first thing you want to do any time someone shares a bit of gossip with you? The natural human response is to find someone else to spread that gossip to. In fact, the more private the conversation is, the quicker it will spread. Phrases like, “This is just between you, me, and the fence post,” “Don’t tell anyone else,” “I’m just sharing this with you because I know you love the person and would be concerned,” and “Can you keep a secret?” are like accelerant to a flame, making it spread all that much more quickly. The most effective Christian gossip is baptized by introducing the tidbit with “This is just so you can help me pray about the matter.” Like frosting or delicious toppings on the morsel of gossip that make it more tempting, these imitations of privacy enhance the appeal of the gossip so that it is gobbled down more readily and then spread that much more rapidly.
The most serious problem with the “prayer line rumor mill” is that much of the content that it spreads is simply not true. I remember the story of one pastor’s wife who became the object of the chain reaction of the “concerned” members within her church by having her hair done in a beauty salon. The problem wasn’t that she had her hair fixed but that she chose a salon that had a big glass window facing the main street in her little town. The fact that she took a chair in front of that that large sheet of plate glass while waiting her turn for the beautician’s chair soon led to such a serious defamation of her character that her husband’s career as the pastor of the congregation was jeopardized. But how could a picture window in a beauty parlor ruin a woman’s reputation, upset her husband’s career, and damage a church? You see, the real issue was that she decided to write a letter while she sat in the chair in front of the window as she waited for her hair appointment. Well, that was only part of her problem. It seems that the real culprit in her crime was the white ink pen that she used to write the letter. But, I guess that her real problem was that she hesitated over exactly how she should word her thoughts and put the pen in her mouth to chew on it while she was “chewing on” her choice of words to use as she wrote to her daughter in college. Well, just at the moment that she put the pen to her lips, one of the “sanctified” ladies from the church happened to pass the beauty shop’s window and “witness” the pastor’s wife with a “cigarette” in her mouth! Before the sun set that day, the entire church had been alerted about the prayer need and was “interceding” as they passed the request to more and more members. Like vomit, the dainty morsel of the talebearer was being spewed up by everyone who had received it!
We’re back to the infomercial script again. I have to add, “But wait! There’s even more!” Not all the tales that are borne by the talebearers are false assumptions like the ink pen that magically morphed into a cigarette. Some of the stories are actually true. And even worse, some of the talebearers are not busybody gossips who whisper over the back fence or in hushed tones on the phone; some of them are legitimate sources and even card-carrying authorities on current events. By this, I mean that the media who boldly proclaim well-researched and documented reports in magazines and newspapers, on television and radio, or over the internet may be just as guilty of spreading factual rumors as those little church ladies were of spreading false information. For example, an entire nation can be thrown into an economic crisis by the media’s decision to focus their reports on a few companies with unsound or even unethical business practices. The public reaction to such news is that the general populace will lose confidence in not only the guilty companies but in other businesses as well. In response, they decide to sell their stock shares before the prices start to drop. When enough people try to sell off their stocks, the overall stock market prices drop, due to the fact that there are more people selling than there are people buying. Before long, there is panic and the stock market begins to collapse. As the overall economy declines, even the companies that have always based their operations on good business practices and ethical principles are affected. Soon, all companies wind up having to lay off employees and cut back operations. Everyone suffers, but why? Was it because of the businesses that were operating with shady principles? Partially, yes. But more significantly, it was because the media decided to focus on their problems rather than featuring the majority of the companies that were operating under sound business models.
Continuing to think about the passage in light of the media reports, have you ever noticed how quickly bad news spreads? As our country recently fell into an economic decline very similar to what I just described in the previous paragraph, it was amazing how every conversation seemed to focus on or at least reference the failing economy; however, I didn’t seem to remember the same kind of emphasis on the economy when things were going well. No, it was not gossip over the back fence, but the tale of the talebearer was still being vomited up by everyone who had swallowed his dainty morsel.
An outbreak of a certain strain of flu in Mexico was so widely discussed in the American news media that several churches and mission organizations canceled their plans to send teams to Mexico that summer. We can only guess how many Mexicans missed the opportunity to hear the gospel and settle their eternal destiny simply because of all the media attention given to the flu. Though tens of millions of Mexicans were disease-free and hundreds of travelers crossed in and out of the country each day, it was only the few who were affected by the disease that made the headlines. In like fashion, it’s interesting how the ninety-three percent of people who are working or the ninety-six percent of the people who pay their mortgages on time never become the topic of conversation, while the seven percent who are out of work and the four percent of people whose homes go into foreclosure are a major focus of attention. Just like the pastor’s wife was not a major issue as long as she faithfully played the piano, taught Sunday school, and brought fried chicken to the church suppers. There’s something wrong with this picture.
The thing that is out of focus with this scenario is that we have overlooked a couple very important concepts from the scripture. In Ephesians 4:15, the Apostle Paul instructed us that we should speak the truth in love and follows up in the next verse that our purpose in life is to edify one another in love. Several verses later, he concludes with, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)
First, we see that everything we say must be determined to be the truth. Obviously, this point was overlooked by the lady passing the hairdresser’s window – not to mention much of what is circulated in current conversation. Next, we see that even if it is true, it must still pass the love test. This means that we don’t have the privilege of sharing things just because they happen to be true. Suppose that we revisited the beauty salon and discovered that it really was true that the pastor’s wife was sitting there puffing on a cigarette. Would that give us the right to begin to whisper behind her back and spread the fact around the community? Certainly not! Even though the facts had been determined to be true, gossiping about them would not be motivated by love; therefore, it would be unscriptural to share the news. The only loving response to the situation would be to humbly and sincerely approach the pastor’s wife directly and ask her if she realized what impact her actions would have on her health and her testimony in the church and community in general. With genuine concern for her best interest in mind, we would be free to talk to only two individuals – the woman herself and God. Anything beyond that would violate the love principle. Next we see that anything and everything we say must result in edification or positive construction in the lives of everyone involved. News about the pastor’s wife’s faults is not constructive. News about how bad the economy is destroys rather than builds the spirits of those who hear. Reports about epidemics engender fear and panic – the opposite of edification. These reports may be true, but if they do not pass the test of edification, they are disqualified. (I Corinthians 14:26, I Timothy 1:4) In fact, Paul summed up his discussion on this point by labeling all such conversations as “corrupt communication.” Wow, what a powerfully new way to understand the significance of what we hear and say!
Thinking back to what King Solomon was saying, I see the idea of vomit as carrying with it an inherent significance of its own. Although vomit is the regurgitation of the food we have eaten, it is much more. It is now mixed with gastric acids and is awful smelling, sickening in its appearance, and vile tasting. So it is with these reports when they are retold. There is a bitterness, a stench, and an acidic nature to them as they pass down the chain from person to person. Whether whispered gossip or publicly published news reports, any message that does not pass the tests of love and edification bears with it a corrupt nature of stinking, bitter, acidic vomit. The effects that it has on the hearers are always negative.
Don’t forget the infomercial, there’s still more! One other thing that Solomon mentions is that when we vomit up the dainty morsels we have swallowed, we also lose the sweet words we had. To understand this part of the statement, we again have to go back a few pages in the book of Proverbs and also consult the words of Solomon’s dad in the book of Psalms. Proverbs 16:24 records, Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones, and Psalm 119:103 defines the message as referring to the Word of God rather than just any pleasant words in general, How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! This same message is repeatedly conveyed in other psalms such as Psalm 141:6, When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet, and Psalm 19:10b, Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
In the same way that a person who has experienced severe vomiting is at risk of dehydration and loss of the nutrients that were already in his body, the person who participates in this spiritual vomiting will soon find out that it is draining his spiritual personality of all the benefits he has previously gained from the Word of God. Meditation on negative reports – even if they are true – robs us of the positive spiritual and mental perspective birthed from scriptural truths. Let’s take the scenario about the pastor’s wife as an example. Before the rumor mill was activated, the people in the church were probably thinking of her as a Proverbs thirty-one woman:
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies…She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness…Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised…Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. (verses 10, 26, 30, 31)
But as soon as the fabrications and vain imaginations mixed with the gastric juices of the busybody who happened down the street in front of the beauty parlor started making their rounds, the sweet words of Proverbs suddenly evaporated.
The same is exactly true of the news media’s reports on the economic situations or the spread of a flu virus south of the border. As soon as talk about an economic downturn begins to circulate, believers somehow begin to forget that the God they serve is Jehovah Jireh, the God who supplies all their needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Genesis 22:14, Philippians 4:19) As soon as the deadly flu in Mexico became a major topic, even strongly evangelical and mission-minded believers seemed to no longer remember the sweet words of Exodus 15:26, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
By this point, I’m sure that you must be thinking that I’m advocating Christian Science or some other philosophy that suggests that we simply ignore the true and pretend that it doesn’t exist. No! That is absolutely not at all what I’m trying to communicate. Simply ignoring something will not make it go away. Thinking that it will is absolutely ludicrous and very dangerous. However, there is a way of dealing with negative truths that de-fangs and de-claws them so that they have no bite and pose no threat.
A few paragraphs back, we made reference to Psalm chapter nineteen. If we revisit that passage, I believe that we will find a powerful key in verse fourteen, Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. David prayed that the words of his mouth – the sayings he initiated and the things that he repeated from others – would be acceptable unto the Lord. From what we have seen in the Apostle Paul’s writing, he probably passed all his words through the litmus tests of truth, love, and edification. But he also asked that the meditations of his heart also prove acceptable in the sight of the Lord. To figure what his filter here might have been, I’d like to suggest another one of Paul’s writings. In Philippians 4:8, the apostle wrote, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Here he listed eight criteria that must be met before any thought qualifies to be meditated upon. Simply being true does not make it eligible to become part of our thinking process. Once it passes the truth filter, it then must be subjected to the filter of justice and the honesty filter, followed by the purity filter, then the filter of loveliness, the good-report filter, the virtue filter, and the praiseworthiness filter. If it makes it through all these filters, then – and only then – is it acceptable for a Christian to think or meditate on it.
So, what does this say about the bad news reports that we hear? How should they affect us? First of all, we need to determine if they are true. Quite simply, much of what is published today – especially in tabloids and on the internet, but even in many reputable news sources – simply is not true. In that case, ignore it unless you have an opportunity to correct the misinformation in order to protect other innocent subjects. Next, we must apply the just and honest filters to determine if what is being said is being presented with a bias that is distorting the truth. The kernel of truth that inspired the gossip may be true, but what about the assumptions or exaggerations that came along with it? An old expression goes, “Figures don’t lie, but liars figure.” For example, all of the scientific evidences which have been presented as proof of evolution actually have another story to tell – one that proves the instantaneous creation of the universe by an intelligent being. However, the scientific publications as a whole are unjust and dishonest in the way they report this information. Since the reports have failed the next layers of filters, we have to discard them from our meditations unless we have the ability to correct the interpretations into honest and just concepts. Other filters include purity, loveliness, praiseworthiness, and virtue. These filters readily disqualify any kind of reports that slander and harm others. Obviously, when people are in error, they need to be corrected; but slander or “getting even” are not correction! Therefore, we must not meditate on these aspects of the issue. Rather, we must meditate on a positive quality associated with their wrongdoing – the fact that Jesus came to redeem fallen man and that He gave us the ministry of reconciling these wayward men to Him.
One other test is the good-report filter where we have to ask ourselves if the report is good as well as true. If what we hear is true but negative in nature, it does not qualify as a tenant for space in our hearts and minds. That doesn’t mean that we ignore the truth; it simply means that we are not to meditate on it. Going back to the example of the economic downturn for an example, it would be foolish to ignore the fact that the economy was in serious difficulty; however, to allow that negative report to become a focal point in our thoughts would be disastrous. My own personal experience when our country entered a financial crisis demonstrates how this principle can work. The newspaper reported the results of a study that showed that giving to not-for-profit organizations had fallen off around twenty percent during the first months of a major economic setback. At the same time, a number of ministries I knew of were forced to lay off employees due to lack of funding. All this happened just at a time when I was making the most aggressive faith decisions in our ministry. These news reports were true reports that I could not – and did not want to – ignore. However, these reports were not good reports, so I knew that I could not allow them to become the focus of the meditation of my heart. Instead, I found another report that I also knew to be true but also passed the good-report test: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) This passage became the focus of my meditation even when I acknowledged the currently prevailing economic difficulties. I knew that I couldn’t ignore the facts, but I also knew that I could not focus my attention on them. With full awareness of the financial strain, I chose to focus on the fact that I had a God who would supply all my needs – not according to the present economy, but according to His riches. Almost as soon as I made the decision to focus on the good report of Philippians rather than the negative report of the media, I was faced with a major request. A pastor I had been assisting in Burma contacted me with a need. Revival was spreading through his area, and he had seen a major influx into his church. In fact, it was so great that he needed to expand his facility. He asked me to help him with the cost of this expansion. Had I been focusing on the news reports, I would have told him that I was sorry; however, I was focusing on the good report that my God would supply every need. Because of that, I was able to promise him in faith that I would help. Not long afterwards, I went to Africa on a mission trip and was given a huge offering which covered the pledge I had made toward his building. Who would ever have thought that I would receive an offering on the mission field – much less, one generous enough to undertake a building project! Imagine – even while we were experiencing an economic downturn in America, God supplied for a church in Asia by an offering in Africa!
Here you see the point of Solomon’s teaching. It was what I was thinking about in my heart that determined the kind of man I was. Instead of one who vomited back up the negative report of the news media and forgot the sweet promises of God, I was man who was convinced that God would supply according to His riches – no matter if He had to go halfway around the world to get the funds!
Shortly after that financial victory, I had another opportunity to put the same principle to the test again. One of the decisions we have made in our ministry is to help missionaries send their children to college because we don’t want to see these sons and daughters suffer if their parents are not able to cover the college bills. Our commitment has always been to help one student per year; however, when the economic downturn began to affect the missionaries on the field, we wound up with two emergency cases on our hands at the same time. There was no way we could deny either one, so we decided to sponsor both students – a totally illogical decision based on the economic report, but a purely anticipated one based on God’s promise to supply every need. You guessed it; we were able to cover both tuitions without suffering any deficit in our other financial obligations!
The pastor of the church in Africa that gave me the generous offering to build the church in Asia often says, “God is not Pharaoh who expects us to make bricks without any straw.” It would have been against the very nature of God to ask us to build the church or give the scholarships unless he was going to supply the funds. None of us would hire staff to print a newspaper without a printing press, and God is at least as smart as we are!
An even more pungent example comes from the life of a friend of mine who had a true but very bad report about her health. When her doctor told her that she had the fastest growing form of cancer known to man, he was totally certain that his diagnosis was correct because he had had it confirmed by ninety doctors who worked under him at a major medical facility. In fact, he was so concerned because of the rapid growth of this malignancy that he advised her to leave his office and go directly to the airport and book the first flight available to a certain clinic in Texas which was the only facility able to treat this form of cancer. He told her that the time she would waste going home to pack a suitcase would be critical considering the aggressive nature of her malady. Outside the doctor’s office, her husband asked if she wanted to go directly to the airport as she had been advised. Her response was that she first wanted to go to the church in accordance with James 5:14-15, Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. When the pastor and elders gathered around her, one of them made the comment that when we get to heaven, we will all be totally healed and have perfect bodies. That, of course, was a true report; but it was not a good report for a woman who is asking God to heal her while she was still here on earth! After leaving the church office, her husband asked if she was now ready to head for the cancer clinic in Texas. Her reply was that there was one more place she wanted to visit – South Bend, Indiana, where Peggy and I lived at the time. They flew out on the next flight, and I arranged for her to have special prayer at our church followed by a three-day stay in our home during which my wife and I did nothing but reinforce the promises on God’s Word concerning healing. Finally, when she did make it to the clinic, the doctor refused to admit her because he couldn’t find even a trace of cancer in her body! The report that she chose to meditate on had definitely determined the kind of person she was to be. In this case, it determined that she was to be a living person instead of a dead one!
Turning to another of Paul’s letters, we find some powerful encouragement concerning the struggle we may face in dealing with these thoughts that do not pass the eight-fold filter test yet try to invade our hearts and distort us from becoming the men and women we should be:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. (II Corinthians 10:3-6)
Simply put, the cure to keep us from vomiting up the poison of the destructive and negative messages that bombard us each day comes in four easy steps:
- Be cautious of delicious dainties. Whether they are tantalizing gossip or factually documented news reports, don’t swallow them without chewing on them first.
- Put a knife to your throat so you won’t swallow reports. Remember that the Word of God is sharper than two-edged sword. (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12)
- Filter every thought through the eight criteria listed in Philippians 4:8.
- Don’t ignore the truth, just choose not to meditate on it if it doesn’t also meet other criteria.
Power, Love, and a Sound Mind
Second Timothy 1:7 tells us, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. He takes away one thing – fear – and in its place, He gives us three things: power, love, and a sound mind. We often spend so much of our spiritual energy fighting the devil to get rid of one negative factor that we overlook our need to receive from God the fullness of His provision – provisions which bring us more and more into the full image of our Lord Jesus. I want to share some simple truths about our warfare against Satan and relate them to some meatier truths about our relationship to God.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Daniel 10:12-14 tells about Daniel’s twenty-one day waiting period while there was a spiritual battle going on between the angels of God and the demons of hell. Luke 11:18-23 tells us about the encounter of the kingdom of Beelzebub and the kingdom of heaven and describes it as a great spiritual struggle or scrimmage. Jesus says that there is a strong man who is armed and guarding his palace when a stronger one – God – comes in to overcome him, take away the strong man’s armor, and divide the spoil. Jesus said, He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. (Luke 11:23) There is a spiritual struggle going on, and we are part of it. John 10:10 tells us emphatically that there are two sides. One is the thief who wants to kill, steal, and destroy; the other is Jesus who wants to give us life and life more abundantly. We are either on the winning side that is building, or we are on the side that is scattering and destroying.
We have to have two prongs of action when we move into spiritual warfare. The first is that we have to fight the devil. James 4:7 tells us that we have to resist the devil so that he will flee. But this verse is not an isolated phrase. If we look at it, we will notice that there are conditions that come right before it and right after it. The verse before it says to submit ourselves unto God. The verse after it says to draw near to God and He will draw near to us. We need to note that the battle with the enemy is sandwiched between two commitments to God – our betrothal to the Lord.
For the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your reward. (Isaiah 52:12b)
And thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward (Isaiah 58:8b.)
When we are walking with the Lord, He is walking in front and He is walking behind. We have to come into that relationship with God. We have to draw nigh to the Lord and let Him draw nigh to us. First, we have to submit to God; second, we have to draw near to Him. It is only between those two close relationships with God that we are able to resist the devil. It is not enough to fight the devil and to get him out, the Bible says we also have to fill ourselves with the Lord.
In Luke 11:24-26, Jesus tells a parable about a man who was demon possessed. After the demon was cast out of the man, it came back again and found the man’s house, or his soulical man, swept and garnished. When the demon returned, he brought seven more evil spirits with him. These new intruders were even more evil than the original one, and the end of that man was worse than before. He did not know how to protect himself from being repossessed. We must submit to God and draw nigh to God; then we are able to resist the devil. Then, when we have resisted the devil and pushed him out, we must be sure to put God in that place. In other words, we must have God in the front, God behind, and God in the middle.
Scripture says that the demon came back and found the man swept and garnished. Garnish actually has no functional value to a structure except that it makes it look pretty. Restaurants usually put some little pretty things on the plates to dress them up. The garnish may not be edible, and it may have no functional value to the meal prepared for us, but it is put on the plate just to make it look good. In this parable, the man kicked the devil out and he placed things in his life to make it look good, but they weren’t of functional value. The man’s problem was that he had nice religious decorations, but they had no function. Paul commands us not to do things for show as men-pleasers or as eye service, but to do things out of a true heart that serves God (Colossians 3:22, Ephesians 6:6). First Samuel 16:7 says, Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. Man will look on the outside to see how garnished we are, but God looks on the inside and sees how we are functioning. First Corinthians demonstrates that even though we may have the outward garnish of the gifts of the Spirit, without the inward stability of the fruit of the Spirit, we are nothing.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (I Corinthians 13:1-3)
We may have a lot of spiritual-looking stuff on the outside but it is the Word of God and our stability on the inside that makes the difference. If we submit ourselves to God, draw nigh to Him, resist the devil, and fill the void with God, then we will have victory.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7)
What is that fear? A Reader’s Digest study indicated that man’s greatest fear is being alone followed by going broke and speaking in public. Whatever that fear is, we have to recognize it, remove it, and in its place put the godly qualities of love, power, and a sound mind. Franklin Delano Roosevelt said in his first inaugural address, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Many times, people are severely affected by fear of what may happen. Fear of something happening can paralyze us more than the actual event. Some people live in fear of death. All their lifes, they are afraid that they are going to die. Death may only take an instant, but the fear can rob them of years of enjoyment. Many people live in fear of getting sick and worry themselves sick in the meantime. Many people fear things that will never happen and thus they waste their lives and most of their energy. Usually, fear of an event is worse than the event itself. We all remember going to the dentist as a child – or even as an adult. We sit in the waiting room nervously. Our palms sweat. When we see the dentist, the actual treatment in the chair is not nearly as bad as sitting in the waiting room waiting for our turn.
The Apostle John was certainly correct when he told us, in I John 4:18, that fear has torment. It hurts you more to take a shot when you are afraid of the needle than it does when you are not! You tense up your muscles, making it harder for the needle to go in. Pushing that needle into the tense arm of a fearful person does more damage and hurts more than if the person was able to relax.
Fear is what we might call faith in the devil. A fearful person believes that evil things are going to happen. A person full of faith believes that good things are going to happen. The nature of faith is defined in Hebrews.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11: 6)
The nature of fear is definable by looking at the reverse of these verses. “Now, fear is the substance of things dreaded and the evidence of things unknown. But without fear, it is impossible to please the devil, for he that runs from the devil must believe that he is powerful and that he is the destroyer of them that get caught by him.”
Fear is believing that the devil is going to get us. The Greek word for “fear” used in II Timothy 1:7 means “fearful or timid in terms of faithless.” God has not given a spirit of faithlessness. With proper understanding of what fear is, we can easily see that it is not related to God at all. However, many Christians often walk in fear and live in worry. This happens because they have simply garnished their lives or they have tried to resist the devil without submitting their lives to God or drawing near to Him.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (I John 4:18)
What does John mean by not being made perfect in love? He tells us that God is love and we can dwell in Him; therefore, we can dwell in love. We dwell in God, and God dwells in us. Notice that the little teaching he gives on fear is sandwiched between a longer teaching on love and the Godward relationships. It is important for us to understand that we have to be drawn into love and that perfect love will drive out all fear.
Instead of fear, God has given us a spirit of power to replace the void that is left when fear goes out. We usually associate the power of God with the Holy Spirit and with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (Acts 10:38)
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:13)
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. (I Corinthians 2:4)
Power without love and a sound mind is dangerous. Just think of the times we have seen power demonstrated without love or a sound mind – for instance, Adolf Hitler. He certainly did not have a sound mind, and for sure he didn’t have love. What he did have was power; but without love or a sound mind, it was destructive power.
God has given us a spirit of love to fill the void that is left behind when fear goes out. Love is associated with the nature of God. First John 4:16 says that God is love. First Corinthians 13:4-6 and Galatians 5:22-23 describe love. But love without power and a sound mind is merely sympathy. We feel sorry for someone but do not know what to do to help him. We find ourselves lacking a sound mind and we have no ability. We feel sorry that the man is hurting, but we don’t know what to do for him. If we see a man lying on the side of the road with a broken arm, all our sympathy will not accomplish one thing in the man’s life unless it is accompanied by knowledge to put on a splint and the ability to act. We have loved him; but we don’t know how to fix him, and we cannot meet his need. Or, maybe we know how to fix him, but we don’t have the necessary equipment to put a splint on him. Just loving him does not accomplish much. It is when we have love, power, and a sound mind – all three of them working together – that we can minister to him.
A sound mind is the mind of Christ.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:16)
A sound mind is a renewed mind.
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. (Ephesians 4:23)
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)
The Greek word for “a sound mind” means “rational as in the knowledge of knowing rather than the knowledge of any specific thing.” It implies wisdom. The sound mind is not one that specializes in a single topic, but one with a rational understanding about all of knowledge. It implies wisdom and direction with the result of knowing how to move forward. Jesus called for this kind of rational mind from His disciples.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. (Luke 14:28-32)
A sound mind can only be obtained when the spirit is in control.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:6-8)
However, a sound mind without love and power can be useless. We can know what to do, but have neither the means nor power to do it or the motivation (the love) to do it. James 2:15-16 gives an example of seeing someone else in need of food and clothing. The believer immediately analyzes the problem and figures out the solution, but he isn’t motivated nor is he able to help. He has the sound mind. He sees someone who is hungry, and he reasons in his logical mind, “This man is hungry, he needs food.” He tells the man, “Be blessed. Be warmed and fed,” but he doesn’t have the motivation and the love to really do something for the man nor does he have the power and the ability to actually provide anything for him. When he walks away, what good has he done?
Power and love without a sound mind is foolishness. One zealous young man I knew gave away all his clothes except for one pair of jeans because he was motivated by love, he had the power to do it, but he didn’t have a sound mind. He was a musician, and he was supposed to play the next night at an important meeting, but all he had to wear was a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. He was supposed to represent Jesus to a room full of businessmen, but he walked in wearing a dirty pair of jeans. They hadn’t been washed because he didn’t have anything else to put on so he could take them to the laundromat. He had the power to give away his clothes. He had the love to give away his clothes, but he didn’t have a sound mind.
Power and love without a sound mind is foolishness. It brought ridicule to his stand of faith, and he knew it by the way the businessmen looked at him. Power and a sound mind are nothing, as we have seen in I Corinthians chapter thirteen. Love and a sound mind without power are failure. We can love a person who is sick, and we can have the sound mind to know that man needs healing but if we don’t have power to lay hands on him, we accomplish nothing. We end up saying to that person, “I’m so sorry that you are sick, and I know that you need to be healed; but unfortunately, I don’t have anything to give you.” So the guy walks away still sick and may even die of that sickness. We can have power without love and a sound mind, and it is useless. We can have love without a sound mind and power, and it is useless. We can have a sound mind without power and love, and it is useless.
When we are coming to the place where we are protecting ourselves against the wiles of the devil, when we are no longer being painted into a corner, when we are continually renewing our minds, when we are casting out fear, when we are drawing nigh and submitting to God, when we are getting the devil out of the way and we are filling ourselves with God, God says that there are three things with which we must be filled: power, love, and a sound mind. When we are renewing ourselves in our mind with a sound mind, it has to be accompanied with power – Holy Ghost power. It has to be accompanied with love – God’s nature in us. God has given us all three, not just one or two. Until we have all three of these divine characteristics operative in our lives, we will not reach our full measure of the stature of Christ.
