Satan can wreak havoc in our lives, but we shouldn’t necessarily want to not experience them. This devotional reading looks at why disciples shouldn’t be kept from temptations and thorns.
Nuggets
- Disciples shouldn’t be kept from Satan’s temptations, but we shouldn’t give in to sin.
- Disciples shouldn’t be kept from being given thorn, but we shouldn’t necessarily want them, either.
#dailydevotionalreading #disciplesofchrist #sinagainstgod
Yep, this is another devotion on how we shouldn’t want to avoid the hard stuff. But it does take a different track.
We shouldn’t want to avoid the hard stuff, but we shouldn’t seek it or cmnv give into it.
Let's Put It into Context
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Devotions in the Habits to Keep Us from Evil study
Here is a running list of nuggets for the study.
We are using Wilcox’s sermon as the foundation for this series.
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Don’t not Fight
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6: 12 ESV)
Disciples shouldn’t be kept from Satan’s temptations, but we shouldn’t give in to sin.
Wait! What??? We shouldn’t be kept from temptation?????
Okay, let’s step this out a second. Satan was disguised as a serpent when he tempted Adam and Eve to commit the original sim.
Glossary
That sin doomed mankind. It was a horrible thing to happen.
Satan was disguised as something we could see so that, duh, Adam and Eve could see him. Normally, he isn’t flesh and blood.
Jesus spoke several times about the existence of evil spirits.
- “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path” (Mt. 13: 19 ESV).
- “… The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil…” (Mt. 13: 38-39 ESV).
- “And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven’” (Lk. 10: 18 ESV).
- “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat” (Lk. 22: 31 ESV).
- “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out” (Jn. 12: 31 ESV).
- “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Mt. 25: 41 ESV).
Back to Ephesians 6: 12. Wilcox interpreted it to mean that we shouldn’t be kept from Satan’s temptations. Does he have a screw loose?
Not necessarily.
I don’t see how we could be kept from Satan’s temptations. We are made in Adam’s image as well as God’s image. “When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth” (Gen. 5: 3 ESV).
We have this sinful nature within us from birth. There is no way we are going to escape it. Parsons reminded us of the fact that Satan fights against us using our thoughts.
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Plus, we’ve said time and again that resisting temptation – and even committing the sin – is how we grow. (Don’t we learn more from our mistakes than our successes?)
Temptation and sin can be used for God’s purposes. God shows us the right way to follow Him. When we choose not to, God shows us where we go wrong.
That doesn’t mean we aren’t supposed to not resist temptation. We don’t want to sin.
It means we are to choose obedience in all God’s ways.
To do that, we must form the habit of putting on the full armor of God. Our goal is to stand and not fall into temptation.
Jay explained it as not falling dead in battle. We must stand firm so that we follow God.
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But also, we shouldn’t flee. It may sound good to run away from temptation, but God calls us to stand. We are given very specific instructions what to do regarding Satan.
- “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (I Pet. 5: 8 ESV).
- “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Jas. 4: 7 ESV).
We are to watch and resist. Satan is the one who is supposed to be doing the fleeing.
Don’t Fight Thorns
“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited” (II Cor. 12: 7 ESV)
Disciples shouldn’t be kept from being given thorn, but we shouldn’t necessarily want them, either.
In II Corinthians 12, Paul talked about boasting. Boasting is what we do when we are conceited. Paul mentions that he was given a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from becoming conceited.
Since he did not specify what this thorn was, there has been much speculation as to what annoyance God gave Paul to keep him humble. Some think it was an issue with his eyes because he had a scribe for his letters.
Maybe. Maybe not. I know I think faster than I type, which is faster than I write. Maybe dictating allowed Paul to concentrate more on the what he was saying than the mechanics of getting it on the page.
Robertson said that we shouldn’t concern ourselves to figure out what the thorn was. All we need to understand is, as Robertson wrote, that “St. Paul’s thorn was something evil, for he calls it a messenger of Satan.”
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Yes, God can and will use evil, sinful things to help us grow, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t going to hurt.
God will even give us painful things that aren’t necessarily sinful to help us grow. God Himself tests us, which we can think of as trials.
Cardall told us why. He wrote, “The Physician frequently, however, sends trials not to heal our spiritual maladies but to prevent them.”
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Isn’t that so much like us? We pray to have something removed that is in our best interest. Usually, that is because we only see the pain, not the growth.
This isn’t the only time God used thorns to prevent Israel from going off His path. “Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths” (Hos. 2: 6).
Robertson said something that seems to contradict our acceptance of the thorn. He said we are told we should want to get rid of the thorns if possible.
I can see that. We shouldn’t want anything to do with sin. We especially shouldn’t enjoy it and want to keep it.
That tells me that we have to be discerning as to the purpose of the thorn. We need to make sure we are following and submitting to God.
Making the Connections #1
I love the title of Thomas’ sermon. It is The “Thorn in the Flesh,” or Soul Schooling.
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We are given fights and thorns to give us discipline to follow God. He is schooling our souls to become more like Him.
Making the Connections #2
I knew the first part of Thomas’ statement. I guess the second part hadn’t really hit me until I read it here. Thomas wrote, “That both suffering and Satan are under the direction of God. He makes them subserve the discipline of His people, the good of the universe, and the glory of His name.”
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Satan is under God’s direction. I knew he couldn’t do anything without God’s allowance.
I guess I never really considered Satan subservient to God. Yes, he is beneath Him in the hierarchy.
There is no way I would term Satan as submissive or obedient.
But God does limit Satan.
- “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat” (Lk. 22: 31 ESV).
- “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord” (Job 1: 12 ESV).
Whatever happens to us – good or bad – God is in control.
Making the Connections #3
I used to think that we needed to put on the armor of God daily. Now, I am not so sure.
Oh, yes, we have to have it on daily. I just think now that we aren’t supposed to take it off.
I mean, we don’t ever want to be without it. We have no idea when Satan is going to mount an assault.
How Do We Apply This?
- Put on the full armor of God and leave it on.
- Walk with God daily.
- Watch for Satan’s temptations and resist him.
- Pray for God to give us strength.
- Use our thorns to remain humble.
- Learn spiritual dependence from our thorns.
- Don’t become anxious or kick back when God gives us a thorn.
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Father God. Too many times, we want the easy way out. That isn’t always what is best for us. We trust You to know what is best for us. Help us to stand firm against Satan. Amen.
What do you think?
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