We Can Overcome the Flesh by Walking in the Spirit




Each act of obedience increases the level to which we abide in Christ and the level at which He abides in us. In contrast, disobedience reduces that life, hardens our heart, and removes us from fellowship and communion with Christ. This is why Paul is telling Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 to, “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” We need to be constantly alert to our opportunities to respond in faith in order to grow spiritually, and to seize every opportunity regardless of whether we feel like it or not at the time, which is just another way of telling us to develop discipline through diligence and perseverance. In 2 Timothy 1:4, Paul tells Timothy to continually stir up or “kindle afresh” his gifting. In first Timothy 14, Paul instructs Timothy not to neglect his gifting and in verse 15 exhorts him to, “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.” The point is clear, the plan and purpose of God is to reward our faith every time it is operative in obedience with more power, more boldness, more faith, and more of the life of Christ. Therefore, shrinking back from opportunities to operate in faith will be disastrous to the life of the Spirit. The more we fail to respond in faith the harder it will be to respond in faith the next time, conversely the more we respond in faith the easier it will be to do so in each succeeding test. Hence, the concept presented to us in 1 John 5:5:

Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:5)

This is the whole secret of the overcoming life in all its simplicity and complexity. “Overcomes” here and throughout the scripture addressed herein is nikao in the Greek. Nikao means “to conquer or to be victorious over something.” In this verse nikao is in the present active participle. The present tense is the continuous tense, so the question here is really, “Who is victorious over the world system moment-by-moment as a lifestyle?” The answer is simple but profound. “Believes” is translated from the Greek word pisteuo, which means, “to trust in and rely upon,” and it is also in the present or continuous tense. “Believes” is not talking about a matter of mental ascent or “head belief”, it is talking about a belief that results in action on the line of one’s faith.

Therefore, this verse is talking about behavior that is provoked by faith in Christ. This is faith that passes the test of James 2:20 and 2:26. It is not academic, spectator faith that is useless and dead; it is faith that is accompanied by action and works. Dead faith is born of human wisdom and sentimentality, whereas true faith is birthed in the white-hot fires of Pentecost and in the Spirit of God. True faith demands action even at the cost of death and the loss of everything here below. True faith has seen Jesus with the eyes of our heart and has caused us to be wounded to the core of our being by what our sin cost Him at Calvary. True faith wells up into tears of unfathomable resolve at the recognition of who we are in Christ and at His “amazing grace.” True faith propels us headlong into the abyss to share our faith with others who have yet to hear the glorious message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God unto salvation. Faith that is born of the Spirit causes us to cast caution to the winds and to dash concern for respectability on the ground at our feet as we go willingly outside the camp of political correctness to take His reproach upon us, and to count it as an honor we could never deserve. Jesus did not preach faith and love only; He went to the Cross in faith and became the sacrificial love of God poured out to a lost and dying world. Faith is a word that distains pulpits and is only comfortable on the battlefield. “Believes” is no more a theological term to a born-again believer then war is a theoretical term to a veteran who has lost a limb on the battlefield! If we have been raised up with Christ then we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire and our very essence and being has been changed to that of an instrument of salvation and righteousness. What 1 John 5:5 is telling us is that it is the person who embraces this viewpoint dynamically from the heart who is victorious over the world day-to-day and moment-to-moment! The large majority of so-called believers today that have never led anyone to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ have yet to pass this test, and with the passage of time are increasing less likely to do so.


This picture may seem overstated to some, but that is only because they do not have the mind of Christ on this issue, and therein is the problem. Therefore, it is clear how important it is to exhort and to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ at every opportunity. Note also that we are to do so with great patience and love. But as we do so the Holy Spirit brings the increase in us as well as in the person being encouraged. Remember, that any activity done in fellowship with God and for His glory is accorded to us as righteousness and will produce reward for us in eternity. The end result is that there is an increase in righteousness and in the life of Christ in both of us, which is a clear application of “sowing with a view to righteousness,” realizing that Christ is our righteousness.

It is extremely important to realize that this increase is not through natural means, but through supernatural means. The process does not rely on physical phenomenon, but is rather totally dependent on spiritual dynamics that are powerful through the Holy Spirit. But the principle clearly demonstrates the absolute necessity for all believers to be proactive in the cause of Christ regardless of the cost in worldly terms. It is the great apathy that exists in the body of Christ today that renders it powerless and devoid of supernatural productivity. God’s plan for the body has always been contingent upon each and every believer being a co-participant in kingdom activity. So the pattern of ritual and tradition that has developed in organized religion today that relegates the majority of believers to the ranks of spectators, has undeniably disenfranchised the body of Christ from the divine provision and power that is essential to its spiritual function. And if we continue to do what we have been doing, we will continue to get the same result that we are getting. Therefore, since the results have been proven to be deficient, in that we are continuously losing ground to the enemy in this nation, it remains for us to try a radically new approach to our attempts at kingdom endeavors. Hopefully, we will arrive at an approach that more closely embraces the New Testament concept of “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, ... Let all things be done for edification” (1 Corinthians 14:26). The body of Christ is to function as equals leading equals, and to be a fellowship where those who are less seemly receive more honor, because the seemly one’s are to have matured to a point where they have no need of it (1 Corinthians 12:22-27). The pattern we are embracing today clearly violates all of these principles, and the results have been disastrous for all concerned. We need to truly start dying to the flesh and picking up our cross, God’s will for our life, and following after Christ! Activity within the body should be “boot camp” oriented. People must learn by doing as well as hearing. We must get back to discipleship and requiring new believers to embrace the activation of application and not condemn them to the paralysis of analysis. We teach Christians to operate dynamically in all three of their functions: 1) our priesthood; 2) our ministry to buildup and edify the body of Christ; 3) and our ministry of reconciliation, our ambassadorship to the lost. We must be consistently and dynamically involved in all three if we expect to have power released in our life and if we are to be complete and balanced in our Christian walk.

Never forget Christ’s statement in John 13:17 “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” Kingdom participation is precedented on kingdom activity as well as on a pure heart. As the old saying so aptly puts it, “The way to Hell is paved with good intentions.” This is the principle that is pointed to in 2 Peter 1:4-11, which is simply that if the life of Christ is flowing through us as lifestyle and increasing abundantly as a lifestyle, then we have just shown ourselves fit for service. However, if we fail this criterion, then scripture tells us that we are blinded as a lifestyle and we need to go back and make sure that we are saved.

Consider the progression of promises in the following scriptures that are conditioned upon an overcoming or victorious lifestyle of faith. The picture is clear and the ultimate conclusion is that as a result of overcoming as a lifestyle we will be made complete in Christ and in our relationship with God the Father supernaturally by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is thus our lifestyle of victory that both glorifies God and gives testimony of our being true children of God. As Christ indicated in John 15:8: “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5) [He who trusts in an relies upon Christ as a lifestyle.]

‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’ (Revelation 2:7) [Jesus, the second Adam, is a life giving spirit.]

‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’ (Revelation 2:11) [He endures until the end will be saved – see Matthew 24:13]

‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’ (Revelation 2:17) [Jesus is the “hidden manna” and the “bread of life” and the “living bread.”]

‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; (Revelation 2:26)

‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:5) [We confess Jesus before men by being obedient to live by faith in our priesthood, our ministry of reconciliation, and in our ministry to buildup and edify the body of Christ.]

‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. (Revelation 3:12) [Being obedient to God’s commandments identifies us with Christ and His cause here below.]

‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 3:21)
[We are imputed with every heavenly honor and privilege in Christ.]

“He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.” (Revelation 21:7) [We are made co-inheritors with Christ to God’s riches in glory. In Christ we become members of the family of God, and God becomes our Father.]

Satan is the Accuser

Revelations 12:10 tells us “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.” Satan is the accuser. He accuses us before God, and accuses God before us. When he talks to God about us, he tells the truth, because he knows the truth to a limited degree, although not to the degree that God does. God knows we are worse then even Satan can perceive. However, when he talks to us about God, he lies. He distorts and twists circumstances and biblical truths, making us blame God for things He didn’t say or do!

Satan does not accuse us face to face. His strategies and schemes are much more deceptive. Satan accuses us in three fundamental ways:

We Accuse Ourselves

First, Satan schemes to get us to accuse ourselves, by constantly reminding us of past failures and sins that God has forgiven us for and has subsequently forgotten. Satan knows that if he can get us to act in unbelief by judging ourselves more harshly then God, and by causing us not to receive God’s forgiveness based on repentance and confession, which is a faith failure on our part, that he will neutralize us spiritually and therefore defeat us.

Satan also uses our feelings to accuse us. When we are run down from lack of sleep, poor eating habits, a lack of exercise, illness, or anything that causes us to be out of balance and at a low point spiritually, we have a tendency to give into feelings of depression, self-pity, resentment, or anger. It is at these points when we are feeling depressed and generally negative that Satan comes to disparage and discourage and to tell us that we are just no good and that we will never be worthy of Christ. He reminds us of all the things we have done and all the things people have done to us, and before you know it, we are defeated and sidelined in the battle.

How can we best meet and defeat this attack of the Accuser? What can we do when the enemy whispers in our ear that we have completely disappointed God and that we should hang our heads in utter shame and never show our face in God’s presence again. First, we should remind ourselves that God knows our struggles better than we do or Satan does. He knew all of our sins, character flaws, and shortcomings before He decided to create the human race. God knew from the beginning that Jesus would have to die for all the sins of humanity and He still loved us sufficiently to go through it all just to have fellowship with us in eternity. So when Satan reminds us of our sin, remind him of the amazing grace of Christ in that He died once for all as the complete payment for all the sin of mankind, and therefore we are no longer guilty under the law of sin and death. Furthermore, God not only removes the sin as far as the east is from the west He remembers the sin no longer. So when Satan reminds us of our past, we need to operate in faith and stand on the promises of God, and remind him of his future.

Others Accuse Us

A second tactic Satan loves to use is to cause other people to accuse us. Notice that everyone in scripture who tried to serve the Lord was falsely accused. Nehemiah was accused of trying to become a king and to usurp the authority of others (See Nehemiah 6:6-7). David was accused of doing things he never did. In many of the Psalms David prayed in principle, “O God, silence those liars. Silence those false accusers in Saul’s court who are telling him lies about me.” Moses was accused of being a dictator. His own brother and sister accused him of trying to misuse his authority and lord it over everyone (Numbers 12).

In the New Testament we find the Apostle Paul being falsely accused. What was his attitude toward those accusations? Second Corinthians 6:3 says, “Giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited.” Then he listed the types of difficulties he went through. How was he able to endure them? “In purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left” (verses 6-7). Paul is saying, “I have suffered many kinds of afflictions because many false charges have been brought against me. My enemies are telling all kinds of lies about me. But it makes no difference. I’m wearing the breastplate of righteousness and have put on Christ. Let them accuse all they want to.”

And, of course, we cannot forget how they falsely accused the Lord Jesus. He was accused of being a glutton and addicted to wine (see Matthew 11:19). They even called Him demon-possessed (see Luke 11:14-19). But no doubt the greatest suffering He endured was during His last days on earth when He was arrested and false witnesses were called to testify against Him. He was condemned to death on the charge of being a blasphemer (see Matthew 26:59-68). But the Lord Jesus Christ did not worry or fret about what they were saying because He knew the truth – that He was the very Son of God. The truth will always deliver us from Satan’s deception. So we need to be gird with the belt of truth and walk in it in obedience so that the Holy Spirit can write it on the fleshly tablets of our hearts. This is how we develop the mind if Christ.

What can we do when other people accuse us? Turn to our intercessor and mediator, the Lord Jesus. He is on our side, and He will justify us. As scripture says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Romans 8:31, 33, 43).

Circumstances Accuse Us

Satan encourages us to accuse ourselves, he encourages others to accuse us, and sometimes he even makes us believe that our circumstances are accusing us. We tell ourselves, “Oh, if only I were right with God, I wouldn’t be going through this difficulty.” Satan makes us believe that God is punishing us for our sins by allowing us to suffer and is turning His back on us.

The life of Job is a prime example of Satan’s using circumstances to accuse a righteous person. Job’s friends believed that his trails were the direct result of some sin in his life. They accused him again and again of hiding his sins (see Job 5:17; 8:1-6, 20-22; 11:1-20). They said, in effect, “if the circumstance were different, we’d believe you, Job; but what you are going through is proof that God is punishing you for your sins.

We do not walk by sight; we walk by faith. We are wearing the breastplate of righteousness, and no matter what the circumstance may be, God will not forsake us. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… 37But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:35, 37). While some difficulties may be the result of our actions, God does not desert us in our hour of need. If God convicts us of sin and we turn from that sin with a repentant heart and genuinely confess the sin, then sorrow should turn to a sense of victory. When we feel that God doesn’t care and that He is punishing us for some sin after we have repented and confessed, then it is Satan that is working through our circumstances to accuse us. However, our trials can’t defeat us if we remember that Christ loves us unconditionally and is on our side. It is at these times that we need to stand on God’s promises and us the helmet of salvation that He has given us to protect our thoughts and emotions. We are children of God and co-inheritors with Jesus Christ, and neither failure on our part nor any circumstance that might befall us here below can alter that fact. If we have been raised up with Christ then we will be His bride along with every other believer and spend eternity with Him in glory, and we can stand on this truth with confidence in the face of any attack from our enemy.

Summary

One of Satan’s greatest weapons is false accusation and discouragement over past failures. Whether these accusations are coming from other people, from our circumstances or from within ourselves, we need to realize that Satan has instigated them and that we can put on the mantle of the righteousness of Christ in order to stand firm in Him in order to withstand the attack. In other words stand on the truth even when feelings, circumstances and accusations come against it and try to deny it. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ and that righteousness makes us accepted in the Beloved (see Ephesians 1:6) no matter what Satan tries to tell us.

Paul addresses the issue of conviction and godly sorrow leading to repentance and renewed joy and purpose in Christ in 2 Corinthians 7:9-11: I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. 10For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong!

When God convicts us and we repent and turn from the entangling sin and confess the transgression, it leads to a spiritual renewal and a return of joy (Psalms 32 and 51). Guilt about sin once it is confessed and put behind us is not from God. Godly conviction stops once it has prompted the action of repentance. A morbid preoccupation with past sin tears us down and that can never be from God. When God is at work it will bring us to repentance and build us up in our faith. Anything that demeans who we are in Christ or tends to depress us or make us feel bad about ourselves and the fact that we are guiltless in Christ is a lie and therefore from the father of lies. We overcome our enemy in Christ by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and by not loving our life even unto death. Satan’s strategy is to destroy our testimony through lies and deceit. Beloved stand on the truth and in the Spirit and you will be victorious over him in every single battle. He cannot win unless we let him. So do not let him!

THE THREE FUNCTIONS OF BELIEVERS


There are three areas of Christian covenant responsibility in which all Christians are commanded to participate. These functions or responsibilities coincide with the believer’s three areas of relationship. Christians are commanded to have a relationship with God, a relationship with other Christian believers, and a relationship or responsibility to unbelievers.
Our relationship to God is our PRIESTHOOD, which consists of the following: (1 Pet. 2:9-11, Eph. 3:12)
Loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. (Luke 10:27, John 14:15, 1 John 4:20)
Confessing our sins as a lifestyle immediately upon sinning (1 John 1:5-9, Psalms 32, James 5:16, Rev 3:19)
Reading and applying the Word of God diligently as a lifestyle. (2 Timothy 2:15, James 1:22, John 13:17 )
Worshipping God with our obedience and devotion. (Romans 12:1, 2 Corinthians 5:15, Colossians 3:1-11)
Staying vigilant and alert and praying unceasingly in all things. (Ephesians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)
Maintaining a heart of thanksgiving toward God for His grace and praising His holy name. (Psalm 104:4; Colossians 3:16; Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Colossians 1:11-12)

Our relationship with believers is our MINISTRY TO BUILD UP AND EDIFY THE BODY OF CHRIST:
Love your brother or sister in Christ as yourself. (Matthew 12:31, 1 Timothy 1:5)
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10). Do you know your gifting yet?
Take communion together in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice and imminent return. [Sacrament] (1 Corinthians 11:23-32)
Baptize believers in water symbolic of our being baptized into Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. In salvation we are to die to the flesh and be reborn in Christ, becoming alive spiritually and made a new creature in Christ Jesus. [Sacrament] (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-14)
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor. (Romans 12:10)
So then let us pursue the things, which make for peace and the building up of one another. (Romans 14:19)
Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. (Ephesians 4:25) Be transparent with one another and do not play games.
And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. (Philippians 2:3)
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col. 3:16)
Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Our relationship to the lost is our MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION as ambassadors of Christ:
Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 12:31)
We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us and begging unbelievers to accept Christ and be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
Become all things to all men, so that we may by all means save some. (1 Corinthians 9:22)
Do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that we may become fellow partakers of it. (1 Corinthians 9:23)
Consider your life as no account to yourself that you might be of use to Christ, and therefore be willing to be expendable in the cause of Christ, which is to seek and to save the lost. (Rev. 12:11; Mat. 16:25; Phil. 3:8)
God’s will is that believers be true to Christ’s example and that our behavior would be seamlessly holy across the range of all our endeavors and in every enterprise and undertaking of our life. We see this clearly enunciated in verses like 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:17, 23-24:

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1Corinthians 10:31)
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:17)

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; (24) knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. (Colossians 3:23-24)

But this underlying message of God is being missed in mainstream religion today where we stress continuous teaching, ceremony and church programs. The church is searching for a better plan and God is searching for a better man. In the process of emphasizing organizational leadership, the teaching of head-knowledge (rather than application knowledge), and ceremony in the church building, we have lost the biblical concept of loving the brethren as the primary focus of life in the ekklesias (the corporate body of Christ), which was the primary focus of the first century church. The mainstream church has created a separation between the leadership and the congregation, commonly referred to as the clergy and the laity that prevents the majority of the body from being equal participants in body life and in the work and administration of the kingdom. Further, as the rank and file Christians became second-class citizens in spiritual terms, we also lost the dynamic of discipleship and with it the development of covenant relationship and agape love, which are the supernatural fruits of godly discipleship. And in so doing we have derailed God’s plan for the growth and perfection of the body. We are commanded to make disciples of all the nations (all people) teaching them to observe (to do) all things I have commanded you (scriptural instruction).

It was God’s plan through the institution of discipleship, under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, to produce in His children the seamless behavior pattern that we see in Christ. But having created a gulf between church leadership and the rest of the body, Satan succeeded in fracturing the body of Christ and fragmenting God’s plan for Christian development. As the clergy focused more on teaching doctrine and using it as the hinge-pin for elevating themselves above the so-called laity, they lost sight of the very focus and purpose of godly instruction. And in so doing we began to major in the minors of the Christian life and lose sight of its primary goal.

The true goal of all Christian enterprise is love from a pure heart, which is a heart that is devoid of any self-motive or personal agenda and a heart that desires the highest good for those who are the objects of that love:

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Timothy 1:5)

Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22)

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. (9) Be hospitable to one another without complaint. (1 Peter 4:8-9)

And, of course, the highest good for anyone is whatever brings them into a closer relationship with God, since “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..” (James 1:17). We are thus commanded in 1 Corinthians 14:26 that “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” We have lost sight of “each one!” Again in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, we are commanded to “..encourage one another, and build up one another.” The central theme of scripture is that as we do for others, God does for us, and that is the operation of true faith. Beloved we need to start doing it God’s way and forsake man’s way!

THE INSIDIOUS ATTACK OF THE ENEMIES OF OUR SOUL

In bringing this message the Holy Spirit emphasized the word “insidious” to such a degree that it seemed necessary to investigate the underlying meanings of the word. “Insidious” is from the Latin insidiosus, and is a derivative of insidiae meaning “ambush”. According to Merriam-Webster, it embodies the idea of “awaiting a chance to entrap,” “harmful but enticing,” “having a gradual and cumulative effect.” It also conveys the idea of a progression like a disease that develops so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent. The attack of the enemy is “insidious,” therefore, you must be diligent to “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
Our soul has two great enemies, “self” (our flesh or sin nature) and the powers and principalities of this world (Satan and his evil forces). Together these two enemies have mounted a never ending assault upon the life of Christ in every believer (Eph. 6:11-12; Gal. 5:17). The assault is insidious, because the enemy’s strategies are designed to deceive us and blind us to the truth of God by utilizing our common sense, our natural desires, and our tendency to be insecure about ourselves and tomorrow in violation of the promises of God in His word. Very simply, it is quite a step of faith to live by confidence in God’s word when it seems to contradict every principle that we have learned through our physical senses – by what we feel, smell, taste and see here below. As the Apostle Paul put it, “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man” (1 Cor. 2:14-15). It is natural for a man to desire fame and fortune and to be prideful and self-centered and to be disdainful of others, but if this natural working of our carnal (fleshly) mind is not restrained by the power of the Spirit in us (believers), it will ultimately lead to our spiritual defeat and physical ruin.
Be gracious to us, O Lord, be gracious to us; For we are greatly filled with contempt. (4) Our soul is greatly filled With the scoffing of those who are at ease, And with the contempt of the proud. (Psalm 123:3-4).

One of the best indexes of the life of Christ in a believer is our heart’s condition as expressed by our day-to-day attitude and how we act towards others. One of the most self-destructive attitudes that a believer can be infected with is one of “contempt” for others, which is just another way of saying that a person has a prideful, critical and judgmental spirit. The result of this is that we become focused more on judging other’s behavior rather than on improving our own. Unfortunately, self-centeredness and pride have become a hallmark of the social landscape in the U.S. in the last fifty years, and therefore, it is easy for Christians to get drawn into this mindset through interaction with unbelievers and the world system. We have become a nation of self-centered individualists that judge the rest of the world by our own personal perspectives and agendas. The following are behavior patterns that grow out of this strategy of the enemy:

1. Developing a critical and judgmental attitude towards others and circumstances (gossiping about and deriding others).
2. Imputing negative motives to others when we have no insight into their lives and circumstances.
3. Blaming others for our problems instead of being objective about our own short comings and character flaws and working to remedy them.
4. Developing a spirit of competition, envy (covetousness) and one-upmanship towards others.
5. Developing a demanding and impatient spirit that moves us to anger whenever people or circumstances inconvenience us or cause things not go according to our agenda.
6. Being focused on things here below rather than having our eyes and our affections set upon Christ and the things that have eternal significance.

Perhaps, the worst part of this behavior is that scripture clearly indicates that it both grieves the Holy Spirit and quenches His operation in a born-again believer (1 Thes. 5:12-19; Eph. 4:22-5:5). God’s word clearly warns us against being contemptuous and judgmental towards others, citing some very undesirable consequences for failing to heed His warning as we see in the following passages:

“Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves.” (2) “For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.” (3) “Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother's eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye?” (4) “Or how can you say to your brother, Let me get the tiny particle out of your eye, when there is the beam of timber in your own eye?” (5) “You hypocrite, first get the beam of timber out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the tiny particle out of your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5 Amplified Bible) [This statement is not some haphazard theory, but it is an eternal law of God. Jesus said that the basis of life was the Law of Sowing and Reaping, and that as we sow into the lives of others so we will reap in our own life. If we sow judgment and criticism into the lives of others then that is what we will reap (receive) in our own life. However, if we sow love, acceptance, forgiveness and mercy into the lives of others then these are what we shall receive in return from God. Moreover, according to the bible we all have fallen short of the righteousness of God and desperately need his mercy, so it follows that we should extend that same quality of mercy to our fellowman if we expect to receive it from God.

Moreover, If we will first experience the sacrifice required to die to ourselves in order to get the log (sin) out of our own eye, then we will receive the wisdom and compassion that is necessary to be patient and loving while helping our brother to get victory over the same problems in his life. The result will be that we will develop a generous and forgiving attitude towards the shortcomings of others, which will create a condition of peace and joy in our lives instead of the bitterness and emptiness that comes from being judgmental, prideful and contemptuous of others.]

Therefore you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. (2) And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. (3) And do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment upon those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? (4) Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? (5) But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. (Romans 2:1-5) [The reason we see hypocrisy, deceit, and a lack of genuineness in others is because they are all in our own hearts. One of the greatest characteristic of a Christian is humility, as evidenced by being able to say honestly and humbly, “Yes, all those, as well as other evils, are in me and I only can get victory over them moment-by-moment by the grace of God. Therefore, I have no right to judge others.” If we will spend the time necessary perfecting victory over the sin that is in our own lives, then there will be no time left over to judge others.]

The Holy Spirit is the only one in the divine position to criticize God’s children, and He alone is able to show us what is wrong without hurting and wounding us, He only can create the godly sorrow that will result in repentance (2 Corinthians. 7:8-11). We must ever remind ourselves that it is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when we have a critical spirit. Criticism serves to make us harsh, vindictive, and judgmental, and leaves us with the deception that we are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciples we should cultivate a temperament and an attitude that is humble, generous, nurturing and forgiving. Of course, this will not happen quickly but must be developed gradually over time. We must constantly bring every thought into captivity to Christ that causes us to think of ourselves as superior to others regardless of our circumstances here below:
But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5)
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself.” (Philippians 2:3)

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.” (Romans 12:10)

We need to be objective with our own spiritual condition and remember how lovingly and patiently God has dealt with us. The knowledge that God has loved us beyond all human limits should motivate us to love others in the same way, understanding that this is only made possible by God’s grace working in and through us. We may get irritated because we have to contend with difficult people. But then we must reflect on how obstinate, disobedient and rebellious we have been towards God and pray for those people rather than judge them! The real question is, “Am I prepared to be identified so closely with the Lord Jesus that His life and His loving kindness can be continually poured out in me and through Me to those around me?” Neither natural affection nor God’s divine love will long remain or grow in us unless it is nurtured. Love is from God, but it has to be maintained through discipline and practice and above all by being honest with ourselves about our own shortcomings. When we stay focused on God’s grace working in us, it is much easier to be patient with others as He works in them. But the result of our humility and compassion towards others is that we will experience God’s love and joy and peace in our own lives and we will stay in fellowship (a lifestyle of immediate repentance and confession when we sin) with Him and continuously available to the transforming power of the Spirit working in our lives.

Finally, “Take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16b). Our state of mind is powerful in its impact upon our countenance and attitude toward others. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and destroys the work of the Spirit in creating the life of Christ in us. This nation is literally overwhelmed with a spirit of competition and a spirit of individuality, both of which are identified with the spirit of anti-Christ and diametrically opposed to every principle of humility and dying to self that God instructs us to follow in Christ.

A spirit of competition for material things, popularity or power will always get our eyes off of Christ and tempt us to deal treacherously with one another. Our goal should be to do our utmost to glorify God in all that we do, not to compete with one another. We should be diligent to do our best in all things (as unto the Lord) and to trust Him with the results. The truth is that as we do for others from a pure heart that the infinite and incomprehensible power and wisdom of Almighty God will be working on our behalf to transform us more into the image of Christ. Do we think for one moment that we can do better for ourselves than God can? Do we even think for a moment that we could in our own wisdom devise circumstances that could bring us contentment and a sense of significance and wellbeing? If we do, then we make ourselves our own god and put our common sense on the throne of our lives instead of Jesus Christ. Once we do this we will create all kinds of idols to our desires and passions here below that will work insidiously in the power of the evil one to destroy any relationship that we might have with others or with our Creator and Lord.

The spirit of competition leads us into the sins of covetousness and preoccupation with the approval of others. It gets our eyes off of Christ and causes us to rely on our own devices and provision, which will inevitably cause us to be brought into bondage to “the cares of this world …” (Mark 4:19). These are the very things that produce wrong attitudes and idolatry in our lives. It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God. We must refuse to be caught up by “the cares of this world” or anything else that keeps us from trusting in and relying upon Christ for every detail of life.