If you remain skeptical over the Biblical claim that ‘spiritual forces of darkness’ are actively working in this world today, going about like a ‘roaring lion seeking to devour’, and they come only but to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’...then today’s message might be more of a ‘mental flyover’ if you attempt to trudge through it; just saying.... (1 John 5:19;1 Pet. 5:8; John 10:10).

However, if you remain open to the possibility that what I am sharing here has any relevant truth, then it will help you better understand how God’s ‘grace’ works in our lives, which I addressed in yesterday’s message. (Can of spinach, anyone?)

I have vivid memories of when God first began to open my eyes to some of what I have been sharing here with you these past four years, and this analogy came to light for me to explain how misguided so many sincere believers were when it came to understanding God’s ‘grace’. The word picture (which I have shared before) goes like this:

You get pulled over one day by a traffic cop and end up with a handful of citations that range from speeding, to no insurance, expired tags, no seat belt, no current DL, etc. Then, the day you appear in court and stand before the judge with the hopes of getting the matter resolved, the judge inquires of you as to why you violated so many traffic laws in one outing; to which you respond: “Your Honor, as a Christian, I am no longer under the law, but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14).

How exactly to you think that is going to work out for you with that judge? (How did it work out for those folks in Matt. 7:23?)

Oh, you think you are going to ‘get off’ with a ‘wink and a nod’ because the judge happens to be your...’father’? That...my friends is how many sincere Christians view the way in which God’s grace operates in our lives today. For one reason or another, far too many people are convinced that there is no way ...they can ‘keep the law’...but no worries...we have a loving judge/father who ‘paid the price for our lawbreaking’ and they consider the ‘case dismissed’. But that...is not how ‘grace’ works ...at all! What if the purpose of grace was to equip, empower, and enable us to...’be better drivers’ and to actually ...’keep/obey’...the law? (Rom. 8:4; 2:13; Rev. 22:14) (Think in terms that loving others as Jesus loved us IS... ‘fulfilling the law’ Rom. 13:8-10)

Oh, and regarding my mention of Phil. 4:13 yesterday...how we can ‘do all things through Christ who strengthens us”... maybe it’s not about whether one ‘can do’ all things; perhaps the question that needs to be asked is do we ‘want to do’...all things, when it comes to what God is asking us to do? Do we truly love Him with ‘all our hearts’? (John 14:15)

So back to this idea of having to contend with ‘spiritual forces of darkness’; yeah...they really are ‘a thing’ (Eph. 6:12), and that might be part of what is ‘destroying God’s people’ due to a ‘lack of knowledge’ (Hosea 4:6). That is what they ‘come to do....destroy’ (John 10:10)

Have you ever battled with a particular ‘sin’ that seemed to have an iron grip on you which you could never break free from? Careful there about answering that question too quickly (John 8:33). Maybe it was some ‘addiction’ or ‘addictive power’ that you were no match for. There really are plenty of areas that can apply to in our lives besides just ‘drugs/alcohol’.

Imagine with me now...that maybe one of the reasons breaking free from that ‘power’ was near. impossible was because there was a ‘spiritual component’ working in/behind it (Eph. 2:1-3; Acts 26:18). If that ‘power’ was indeed much stronger than you...how on earth could you ever expect to be freed from it? And how’s that ‘will power and determination’ worked out for you...in the long run? You do realize that the very reason Jesus came to earth was to ‘set captives free’, yes? (Luke 4:18; John 8:32-36; Acts 10:38)

Now, not only did Jesus come to ‘set us free’, but He expected us to ‘stay free’ ... just as He promised there in John 8:36...we shall be ‘free indeed’! And this...is where ‘grace’ comes in to play. Scripture is pretty clear, repeatedly...that we have a ‘spiritual foe’ who does go about like a ‘roaring lion seeking to devour’, as Peter explains in 1 Pet. 5:8. What are the first two words in the next verse there? – “Resist him...”(9) Please make note that we are not told to ‘ignore him’, rather we are to ‘stand...and resist him’ (Eph. 6:10-13). You might also take a quick look at James 4:7 where we are told to first ‘submit to God’, then...to ‘resist the devil’...with the assurance that when we do...’he will flee from you’’. Your Bible does say that, yes?

I wonder- how often we’ve failed miserably and repeatedly at the ‘resisting’ part...because we have failed even worse when it first comes to.... ‘submitting’ to God. And did you catch that verse just before vs. 7...where we are reminded that ‘God resist the proud, but gives ‘grace’ to the humble’ (6). Friends...this all goes back to what it means to ‘abide in Jesus’...and how ‘apart from Him, we can do nothing!’ (John 15:4-5). For all our talk about being ‘saved by grace’...I fear we have been in the dark as to what that even means or how grace ‘works’. And guess what? We have a part to play in this if we expect to see God’s power of transformation actively work in our lives. What did Mary tell those servants at the wedding in Cana to do...if they expected to see a miracle of transformation take place (water turned to wine)? You might look at John 2:5 for a moment.

So we’ve read here where both James and Peter admonish us to ‘resist’ this ‘devil’’. Do you think Paul had anything to say about the matter? Take a look at Eph. 4:27 where he’s pretty direct: “Give no place to the devil!”. So just maybe...we actually do...’have a part to play’ in all this? And how are any of us going to be able to stand against and ‘overcome’ this spiritual enemy...who continues to entice us to ‘sin’ (break God’s law 1 John 3:4) so that he can ‘have access/place’ back in our lives...outside of depending on God’s grace? Again...I would point to the fact that we have not only misunderstood what and how God’s ‘grace’ is and works, we have failed to understand what it means to ‘submit’ to God, and that requires some humility...which is where ‘grace’ is found.

Mind doing me a favor? Finish up today with a quick read of Matt. 12:43-45, then meet me back here tomorrow.