I want to begin here today with a passage found in Acts 16 that can be problematic in some ways for many who might come across it and for good reason.

Paul had made his way to Philippi on one of his mission journeys and on this particular morning, he went out of the city to the riverside where people would gather to pray. There he found some women gathered who met there regularly, and he began to speak to them. One particular woman is singled out- her name was Lydia. Now here is the verse you should make note of:

“The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” (14).

We are also told in the same verse that she ‘worshipped God’, but it is unclear as to what that entailed or looked like. But the fact remains, God had to ‘open her heart’ to hear the message Paul was delivering. Which is why this can be challenging at best to come to terms with the fact that God’s truths are not ‘figured out’ by reasoning and intellect. God’s truths are revealed by His Spirit and to whomever He chooses to reveal them to. (Matt. 16:17)

This should come as of no surprise given we have studied this out before here. (Matt. 13:11; Luke 10:21; 24:32,45). And that is also the reason I pray over each message I share here before I post them asking God to direct them to the hearts with ‘good soil’ and that the ‘eyes of our understanding might be opened’, just as Lydia’s heart was opened to receive the word. (Matt. 13:23; Eph. 1:18).

Oh, let’s not overlook the fact that Lydia and her ‘household’ were baptized as a result. (Acts 16:15)

So let’s suppose that God is doing a new work in Your heart these days and you are discovering, as I did, that while we may have had sincere faith and devotion to God, (like Lydia did, perhaps?) it did not always line up according to knowledge. (Rom. 10:2). In other words, we can be sincere...but also be sincerely wrong. Hence, God’s lament how His people are ‘destroyed for a lack of knowledge’. (Hosea 4:6)

And let’s assume that you too, have also come to realize that this ‘abiding’ thing involves a bit more than just attending church regularly along with reading your bible and ‘all that other stuff’ we’ve grown accustomed to doing because...well, we know we ‘should’. And despite all you have ever known and been taught, this idea of truly being set free from sin and walking like Jesus walked sounds rather inviting to you as well given it might actually be attainable. (1 John 2:6)

Now it’s important to understand this next part I want to share with you. We know that whoever claims to abide in Him ought to ‘walk as He walked’ as we just read...and...that ‘whoever abides in Him no longer sins’ (1 John 3:6); But - that does not mean you are exempt or immune from being ‘tempted to sin’.

Jesus Himself, was tempted in every area that we are subject to, yet was without sin. (Heb. 4:15).

Now look at Hebrews 2:18 that explains how Jesus...”Himself suffered, being tempted, and is able to aid or assist those who are tempted” as well. 

Did you catch that? Jesus ‘suffered’ when He was tempted and Peter reminds us that we too, should arm ourselves with the same mindset because when we are tempted, we too, will ‘suffer’ in the flesh (IF...we are resisting the devil) and...those who ‘have suffered in the flesh have ceased from sin.” (1 Pet. 4:1-2)

Take a moment with that one, please. No need to rush through this.

How does Jesus ‘come to our aid’? Look at Hebrews 4:16 that invites us to “come with confidence and boldness to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

When is our ‘time of need’, you ask? It’s when we are being tested/tempted by the devil to sin. This usually takes place in the ‘wilderness’ where God does indeed, ‘tests our hearts’ to see if we will heed His word. (Deut. 8:2; 1 Thess. 2:4). There’s a great passage in Jeremiah that points back to a time when God’s people...”found grace in the wilderness”. (31:2)

In that time of temptation, which James spells out so clearly as to how that unfolds (1:13-16), God is willing to provide a supernatural power of grace that enables us to ‘stand’ in the time of testing that we might not only ‘resist the devil’ but overcome him as well. (James 4:7) You think you can do this on your own?  It is ONLY by His grace...

In the same manner in which God promised the Israelites that the ‘enemy’, who was too strong and powerful for them to overcome on their own back in the land of Canaan,  and that He would give them victory to overcome them, even so today that promise remains for us. But remember, it’s no longer Canaanite nations (flesh and blood) we contend with, but spiritual powers of darkness and wickedness. (Eph. 6:12)

All we are instructed to do in that time of temptation...is to ‘stand’. And then ‘die’ to self as we ‘resist the devil’. And in that time of temptation, God gives us just enough of that supernatural grace (Titus 2:11-12) so we can stand in His power; yet...there will be ‘some suffering’ involved. But not to the point of ‘shedding blood’ as He did for us. (Heb. 12:4)

Now look at what Peter encourages us with after cautioning us to be ‘alert and vigilant’ in 1 Pet. 5:6-10. Telling us to ‘resist the devil...remaining steadfast in the faith knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brothers throughout the world’. So the next time you are ‘tempted’ to snap at your spouse or retaliate in anger towards someone who annoys you, this is the time of your testing and you are to stand in His grace alone and yes, ‘flesh’ will ‘suffer’ as you put it to death. But that is the ‘old man’ you are crucifying and he must be put to death.  This is what it means to 'take up your cross'.

And...listen to this: “After you have suffered a while, the God of all grace will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Pet. 5:10). Just like He did for Jesus - Matt.4:11 & Heb. 5:8.

Did you catch that? After you ‘suffer a little while...” God then comes to ‘perfect’ you. How about that? What did James say was the purpose of these trials, that we are to ‘count as joyful’? That we might be ‘perfect and complete’. (James 1:2-4)

So with Jesus being our example and the one we are to ‘walk as He walked’, do you recall how He was tested in the wilderness? You might review that in Luke 4:1-11 and it says after He passed that first test, the devil departed...”until an opportune time’. Yes...there will be multiple tests to demonstrate we truly love God with all our hearts. This is the process in which we are sanctified and made holy, having our hearts made pure as we are perfected in His love. Without this, No One...will see the Lord. (Heb. 12:14)

This is the ‘war’ (as in spiritual warfare) we were called to fight...that many ...have failed to show up for. I mean, why go to war if you have been given an eternal security pass for R&R?

Or did you miss that memo that talks about “we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God’. (Acts 14:22). "And he that endures till the end shall be saved." (Matt. 24:13). I know...that really does not jive with what most of us were led to believe.

I also know...all this talk of overcoming sin, the flesh and the devil gets on our flesh's nerves. Go ahead and say it: "I believe In Jesus and that is all that matters. Besides, nobody is perfect, just forgiven. We could never live or walk like Jesus walked." (Or so you’ve been told?). Remember what God asked Adam: “Who told you that...?” (Gen. 3:11)

But if we believe that lie, then why are we so quick to quote and claim that verse in Phil. 4:13. Go ahead and look that one up if you haven’t memorized it yet. And throw Romans 8:37 in there as well. I mean, what’s the point in quoting and claiming those ‘promise verses’ if we are not going to walk them out? (By His grace)

Paul admonished us to ‘follow his example in living’ as long as he continued to follow Christ. (1 Cor. 11:1).

Sadly, many people today are convinced that Paul continued to be a ‘sinner’ and ‘chief of sinners’ nonetheless. That makes absolutely no sense given all that he wrote and left us in our New Testaments. (I expounded on this the other day)

Without a doubt, Paul was still ‘tempted’ as we all are as we walk with Jesus. But remember, if we are abiding in Him, we don’t sin. (1 John 3:6). But if you want to follow Paul’s example, take a look at this passage in Acts 16, that occurred shortly after his interaction with Lydia that we opened up with here. Paul and Silas were on their way to prayer (vs.16-18). There was a young woman who was possessed with a demon spirit that began following the two men. I have a hunch it was a ‘religious spirit’ given she/it would follow them around and loudly proclaim that these men were servants of the Most High God and were there to show them the way of salvation.

I don’t know why, but this one line makes me chuckle every time I read it: "Paul...was greatly annoyed". I guess we can still be ‘annoyed’ as we follow Jesus. I mean, Paul admonished in another place to ‘be angry but don’t sin’. (Eph. 4:26). Why would Paul tell others to ‘not sin’ if he continued to sin?

Yet look how Paul handles the situation: “He turned and commanded the demon to come out of her in the Name of Jesus Christ”...and that spirit came out and that woman was set free.

What do we do when we get annoyed with people? We get on Facebook and air out our frustrations and grumble and complain. Or worse yet...we take out our annoyance on those we should be loving most.

Sigh....