The Wiles of the Devil
by allen on Nov.23, 2010, under New Life
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11, KJV
The Apostle commands us to put on the amour of God as protection against the wiles of the devil. In the context of Ephesians 6, wiles can be defined as:
- A stratagem or trick intended to deceive or ensnare.
- A disarming or seductive manner, device, or procedure: the wiles of a skilled negotiator.
- Trickery; cunning.
Satan is certainly crafty. He has had time to observe mankind for thousands of years. Psychologists think they understand human nature: they know nothing compared to the adversary. Satan is an enemy whose primary goal is to offend God and destroy men.
One strategy Satan has is to exploit mankind’s prideful nature. He wants us to take pride in ourselves, our abilities, our resourcefulness, our willpower, our inner strengths.
“If anything good is to be it all depends on you and me”
We believers rely upon our will and strength to make the changes necessary to live this new life. We put harsh restrictions upon our body. We make vows and pledges to do better. We seek out 3, 5, 10, 12 step programs for success. We attend conferences and watch nights. We fast and pray, fast and pray, fast and pray looking for a breakthrough.
Now, these things in and of themselves are not bad. We need to get serious and DO SOMETHING! But we must take it to heart that we are not alone in this. God is working in us and through us to achieve our transformation.
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13
It is God working in us to achieve our good, expected end. It is God who gives us the power to make the changes. With this knowledge, we learn to work with God. Like a ship facing a large wave, we need learn to turn and ride with the wave. Trusting that God will — regardless how rough the seas — work out everything for our own good.
Walking in New Life
by allen on Nov.22, 2010, under New Life, Walking in the Spirit
How can we illustrate the process of putting on the new man? Many of us have had serious problems with our lawns recently. In my old neighborhood especially, there was an explosion of chickweed everywhere. Add the usual lawn pests: crabgrass, clover, plantains and my yard was pathetic.
I planted grass seeds, fertilized, and watered my lawn. I figured that if I planted good seed, the new grass would grow and crowd out the weeds. I was patient knowing that good lawns down come up over night. But what I found happening instead was that all my efforts to cultivate good seed only helped the weeds. My lawn looked even worse for all my efforts.
Desperate, I considered tilling up the yard and starting over. I eventually tried some advice a friend gave: use some of the “weed and feed” type products. I hesitated using these because I did not want to harm the good grass and my flowers and shrubs. But I tried anyway and it worked. Within weeks I saw a major improvement. I had an almost perfect lawn
Perfect Lawn
What made the difference? Killing the old lawn that was full of weeds and other undesirable plants. The new seed could not grow as long as the weeds had a foothold. The “weed and feed” product was designed to selectively kill the weeds and spare the grass. And moreover, the “weed and feed” provided a nurturing environment for the seed I had already planted to flourish.
And so it is with believers in Christ. God has planted a seed within us. The very Life, Nature, and Spirit of God is ours. We are “born again”, “born from above”, “new creations.” But within our minds the old creation hangs on. The weeds choke out the new life.
Jesus said it this way:
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. Matthew 13:22
We need to renew our minds. We need to crucify the flesh or sinful nature. The soil is good only once the weeds are gone Then new life can burst forth and grow. Apostle Paul says:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him Romans 6:6-8
“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty”
Put On the new man
by allen on Nov.19, 2010, under Uncategorized
Ephesians 4:24 tells us to:
“and put on the new man, which after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.”
This is how we become holy like God — we put off and crucify the old self and adorn ourselves with the new man. This new man is the new creation. This is the new spirit we have from God. It is the Holy Spirit if you will.
Here is what the apostle Paul says:
For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:6-9
We are to put on or adorn ourselves with the new man. It is like this: say you do construction or landscaping work. You work hard all day and your clothes get dirty and sweaty. When you get home, you take off the clothes, hang them up in the closet, and take a shower. You are fresh and clean and smelling good — then you go and put the dirty work clothes back on. Your body has been washed and cleansed of the dirt and grime but you turn around and put back on the same old filthy work clothes. The only sane and reasonable thing to do was to put on clean clothes on your freshly scrubbed and cleansed body.
Here are some scriptures which carry on with this theme of putting off the old man and putting on the new man created in righteousness.
Putting off the old man
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Colossians 2:11, KJV
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; Ephesians 4:22, KJV
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Colossians 3:8, KJV
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; Colossians 3:9, KJV
Putting on the new man
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Romans 13:12, KJV
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:27, KJV
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24, KJV
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11, KJV
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Colossians 3:10, KJV
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Colossians 3:12, KJV
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Colossians 3:14, KJV
But let us , who are of the day , be sober , putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation . I Thessalonians 5:8, KJV
How to define faith?
by allen on Nov.06, 2010, under Faith, Walking in the Spirit
How do we define faith? Some times I can understand the meaning of a word better if I understand its antonym. An antonym is:
A word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of each other; “to him the antonym of `gay’ was `depressed’” (The Free Dictionary)
The antonym of the word faith or belief is the word doubt. In the English New Testament, several Greek words are translated as “doubt.”
The first word used commonly is aporeo. This can be translated as “to be without a way” (a, negative, poros, “a way, transit”). Imagage you are having a meal in a restaurant with your spouse or date. It is time to pay and leave but you find that you don’t have your wallet. What do you do? Do you excuse your self and call a buddy to bring some money? Do you make arrangements with the manager, ord o you ask your companion to pay.
The converse of aporeo is confidence based upon experience and knowledge. We trust our ability to respond to unforseen circumstances. In terms of faith, we have confidence in God. We know He is true and keeps His word. We know we can count on Him. We know that He will “show up and show out” when we need Him. We can move about in the world with confidence that God is on ourside and that no weapon formed against us by the enemy can prosper.
Another word used in the New Testament is diaporeo . This word can mean “to be thoroughly perplexed, with a perplexity amounting to despair. “ You know this one. “Oy!” Woe is me!
True faith knows that God never leaves us nor forsakes us. We know that greater is He within us than He that is in the world. We know that all things work out to our good because He loves us. We know that if He would give His Son to die upon the cross, He would not withhold any good thing from us.
Next up is diakrino. This can be translated as doubting nothing or making a distinction between matters. When I am called to make a decision, I waver because I am not truly sure what I want to believe. If I am presented with a new doctrine, I postpone judgement on it because I have not really studied the matter enough — nor am I interested in doing so. I believe God heals, but I don’t ask Him in prayer to heal.
True faith says,
“I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” 2 Timothy 1:12
We have ”full assurance of understanding” (Colossians 2:2), “the full assurance of hope” (Hebrews 6:11) and “the full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). Therefore, we can walk on water.
Then there is distazo which means “to stand in two ways ” or ”uncertainty which way to take,”. We believe in the Gospel of Grace, but we keep the law handy just in case God is much stricter than we’ve been told. We know that God has empowered us to do ministry but we feel obliged to continue to remain where we are and not step out in obedience to our call.
Biblical faith says, ” strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet. ” Hebrews 12:12. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
Finally, lets look at dialogismos. This word connotes a kind of doubt that involves reasoning or “questioning hesitation.” I know God heals, but….” I know no one is saved by obeying the Law, but… “ I know we are to walk in the Spirit, but…” Sometimes, we allow our traditions or church doctrine to oppose the Spirit. Or we limit God with our experience. “Sure God can heal anyone, but the healing ministry died with the last Apostle”
On the contrary, true faith has the power to
“demolish strongholds (fortified, petrified, mummified doctrines or traditions which oppose the Spirit). 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4,5
True faith transforms us into Sons and Daughters who have the right and priviledge to go boldly before the Throne of Grace because of the life of Christ within.
The Simple Way of Salvation
by allen on Nov.04, 2010, under Walking in the Spirit
The Way of Salvation is not a secret by any means. You don’t have to have a “spiritual leader” or mentor to show you how to be saved. You don’t have to practice asceticism. There is no need to enter mystical or ecstatic states of mind
You don’t have to comb the earth for the right teaching or study long hours to learn the correct doctrine. “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart” Romans 10:8, Deuteronomy 30:14.
Instead the Word tells us:
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[e] 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13, NIV
Salvation is by faith in Christ. This is at once simple and complicated. It is easy and it is most difficult. But it boils down to faith. If we believe on Jesus, we will put our trust in Him to live in us and through us. Our life becomes His life. We live a life fully devoted to God and fully devoted to our fellow man.
In this new and living way, there is no room for the sinful nature. Our every thought is living Christ. In this new life, our reference for behavior is not 613 does and don’ts: toucheths and toucheth nots. Our reference for behavior is Christ.
If I am loving God with all my heart, mind, soul, strength, resources, and time — and I am loving my neighbor as my self — sinning is no longer an issue. There is no longer a need for sin consciousness. I don’t have to mind my legal Ps and Qs. I don’t have to worry if I am committing sin unknowingly. I don’t need to tie a string a round my finger to remind me that I might fall: my mind is Christ.
Welcome
by allen on Oct.26, 2010, under Walking in the Spirit
Greetings and welcome to our website, Crucified & Exchanged. This Internet ministry was born out of a move of the Holy Spirit in the Lives of me, Allen and my wife, Candra to begin ministry in the city of High Point North Carolina. Over the past few months, God has deepened and broadened our vision for ministry.
Our site is based upon Galatians 2:20;
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
As sons and daughters of God, we are born again, spirit creatures. We are made in the image of God. We are a new species so to speak. Our former mode of existence is past. Our former self died and was buried. In the manner of Jesus, we died and yet we were raised to new life. An exchange was made: a substitution of natures. Our new nature is Christ.
We have the mind, spirit, and love of Jesus abiding within us. Jesus lives in us. We act as he does. We care as he cares. We minister as he ministers. We worship as he worships. We work as he works.
Before, we lived a life completely circumscribed by the requirements of the law.
“Touch not; taste not; handle not”; Colossians 2:21
We all failed miserably at this kind of life. We learned as Paul taught, the rules of holy living could not help us deal with out lusts. In fact we found ourselves in the dilemma of the man of Romans 7:
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
The purpose of this website is to explore a way of escape from this quagmire. Paul says again:
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
We will explore The Way. We will explore the way we can walk in the Spirit. How can we renew our minds? How can we can live in this world as children of God — walking, talking, loving, giving, healing manifestations of the Father.
