Strong Faith, Strong Fight - A Deeper Dive
Message Recap
This week we were treated to worship led by our youth. We are truly blessed by the gifts and talents these young people are willing to share. Bringing the message in what will be her final Youth Sunday as a participant was Isabelle Thalmann. Her message entitled Strong Faith, Strong Fight is based, in part, on a quote she came across recently:
“My prayer is that when I die, all of hell rejoices that I am out of the fight.”
Imagine living a life so devoted to righteousness, so committed to spreading the love of Christ that all of the forces of darkness would celebrate when your earthly work is complete. The words of this quote challenge each of us to consider the impact our lives have on the kingdom and others. Are we keeping the commands Jesus gave us? Are we learning to tune into the guidance and teachings of the Holy Spirit? Are we letting our light shine so brightly that others are drawn to God by our example?
Life as a follower of Christ can be challenging. In fact, we find in the Gospel of John that Jesus promised his disciples that they would have trouble:
“33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Why should life be harder for believers than non-believers? Perhaps one reason is that if followers were guaranteed the easiest and best lives, everyone would claim Jesus as savior. Who wouldn’t want all of the worldly benefits of following Jesus? However, this would be less about worshipping God and more about worshiping things.
The Apostle Paul confirms the challenges faced as a follower of Jesus. In his letter to the Ephesians, he writes:
“12 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.”
As believers, we are in a constant spiritual battle against the forces of evil. They attack and work to drive a wedge between God and us. The strong, God-focused believers are the ones the devil wants to target. These are the ones making a difference for the kingdom - the ones who help those on the fence and bring light to a dark world.
In the sermon series we just completed, If You Love Me, Pastor Don described ways to discern the true voice of the Holy Spirit and shut out the world's dark influences. He reminded us that these forces are smart, tricky, and clever. They understand human nature and how our minds work. We can go back to the beginning of humanity, where we find the serpent in the Garden of Eden - the representation of evil - described as “more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made” (Genesis 3:1 NIV). And the forces of evil are relentless. They will keep working on us until they get to us or until we are out of the game.
There are so many ways the devil tries to attack us. Let’s consider one: temptation. The tricky thing about temptation is that it’s not always an obvious assault. It’s not as if the devil offers us a chain representing depression, addiction, and isolation - the things that separate us from God. We would naturally resist accepting a chain with the weight of its consequences. Instead, the devil tempts us with a single link - a choice - which, by itself, has little weight and may not seem that bad. But as we succumb to temptation and collect these links, we build our own chain. Soon, that chain is what is holding us down. Sadly, the temptations are presented to us surrounded by truth, which makes resisting them even more difficult.
Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has masqueraded himself as a guide or advisor and spread lies about God to the people of this world. Knowing that people often associate secret knowledge with power, Satan can “sell” profound lies, surrounded with bits of truth, that significantly distort our understanding of God’s identity and our relationship with him.
But there is good news. Consider Paul’s words to the Corinthians:
“13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
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Paul isn’t saying that God will simply remove us from hard times and set us on the other side. He also doesn’t say that God is just standing at the end of the tunnel waiting for us while wondering what’s taking so long. Paul is inferring that God is with us during the hard times, providing peace, comfort, guidance, and a way for us to make it through.
Perhaps one of those ways God provides is through the messages and sermons, such as those Pastor Don offered in the last sermon series, that help us hear the Holy Spirit through the noise of the world. Maybe one of the reasons Jesus commanded us that in addition to loving God and loving others, we are also to love ourselves to provide a way for us to make it through the attacks - to be stronger, to beat the lies, to say no to the links offered to us.
And even if we don’t catch it right away, and we don’t realize we’ve given in to the temptations that separate us from God, we can still go back to Jesus. He is the chain breaker, and our faith in Christ is the key.
Through prayer, we must put on the armor of God every day to remain vigilant and steadfast in our faith. We are called to pray without ceasing and seek God's guidance, protection, and strength. It is through prayer that we tap into the unlimited power of our Heavenly Father and align our hearts with his will. The ultimate battle has already been fought and won when Jesus died for us and ascended back to heaven. But the smaller battles and obstacles continue, so we pray.
When we resist temptation, pursue righteousness, and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, our lives become a testimony to our transformation through God’s work in us. We reject the enemy's plans and cause rejoicing in the heavenly realms until we are called home and hear that confirmation, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” And at that moment, all of Hell rejoices that we are no longer in the fight.
Is Temptation a Sin?
Let’s be clear on one important point: being tempted is not sin. However, our human nature can sway us to give in to temptation, which in turn can lead us to a sinful act. Sin is a choice. There are three steps between temptation and sin, and they are found in the Epistle of James:
“13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
Our inner desires lead us into temptation. The desire for more, or bigger, or better is not necessarily wrong, but the devil loves to take our desires and turn them into run-away passions that tempt us to do what is wrong. It’s ok for you to want more money, but not by cheating on your taxes. The devil also knows exactly what will entice us, even if it’s a lie. Sadly, we will often recognize a sinful temptation, yet we can’t resist it, leading to a disobedient act. Once we take the step to act on the wrong desire, temptation turns into sin.
Although being tempted in and of itself is not a sin, inviting temptation and tempting others is a sin. The solution for overcoming temptation is found in the first step described by James: taking control of the initial thought or desire. Instead of playing with and mulling over the temptation, see it for what it really is. It’s a distraction intended to separate you from God and from the life God has created for you. Instead of thinking momentary pleasure, think eternal destiny and it just may help you to say no.