Spiritual Vitamins Needed to Escape the Four Ds

It can happen anytime, any place, to anybody as we are going along through life feeling good and thinking all is going well, enjoying life as a believer in Jesus Christ and trusting God to direct us. Then something happens that rocks our boat ~~ something someone does, or says, or maybe just the way someone looked at us, or perhaps didn't seem to notice us at all.

The next thing we know, we are caught in the emotions of that moment and get stuck there, focused on ourselves, forgetting all about God's truth, His Word concerning who we are in Christ and His promises of love and care for us. It doesn't take long for us to begin to spiral downward as Satan seeks to seize that moment to disillusion us about God's truth. In Genesis 3, we read of Eve's encounter with "the serpent", Satan in disguise. She had everything she could have wanted, everything that she needed, her life was really perfect, but questions were raised to her, subtle lies were spoken to her and she began to question God's goodness (see verses 1-5). Sometimes we may encounter a similar situation if we are not "on guard". Those self-centered thoughts, unkind thoughts, doubts about the future, things loom up from the past - failures and hurts, fears and anxieties are all attempts that Satan might use to seek to disillusion us and destroy our fellowship with God.

If we do not quickly detect these ploys of Satan in our thinking, we then become discontent, thinking even as Eve did (v.5, 6), that God is holding out on us. Instead of counting our blessings, we begin to covet what we don't have or can't have. We're like little children wanting what we think we are being deprived of, whether it is for our good or not. By not trusting God and that He is in control of all our situations and circumstances, we continue to focus on self, our wants and our desires, becoming manipulative, covetous, and contemptuous in our thinking.

Continuing to believe the lies, rather than God's truth, we become discouraged when things aren't the way we want them to be; when we are not getting what we had hoped for. Here we must examine our motives and ask ourselves, "Am I willing to sin to get what I want?", "Is this an 'idol of my heart'?" Perhaps it's not some "thing", but approval or acceptance that is being sought after and not being realized. As an "idol" becomes the focus of our life we are pulled deeper into the downward spiral becoming defeated.

All of life seems to be a disaster - out of control and out of sorts. When we try to read God's Word, the Bible, and pray, there seems to be a heavy load of guilt, we're defeated and depressed. Through Christ alone we must reclaim the ground surrendered to Satan when choosing to believe his lies. At each of these turns that lead us downward - disillusionment, discontentment, discouragement, ending in disaster, there is a choice to be made. Are we going to satisfy our flesh, or believe God and trust in His truth. Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." As we confess and repent, asking God's forgiveness, renouncing Satan's control in our lives, our fellowship with God, our Heavenly Father, is restored through Jesus Christ. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you....Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." (James 4:7, 8, 10)

Ahhhh ~~ Now that we're back on track, what's the best way to stay "on track", walking in fellowship with God to keep from getting side-tracked again?

1 Peter 5:6 - 9a, gives us these instructions, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in faith..." 2 Peter 1:2 - 9, gives us further instructions in being effective and productive through our knowledge of Christ, escaping "the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." Someone once referred to vs.5-7 as "our Spiritual vitamins" to keep our focus on persevering and growth in the "divine nature" of Christ. Be encouraged to keep on taking your spiritual vitamins to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power one day at a time.

DeEtta Marsh

DeEtta Marsh is presently serving as Women's Ministry Assistant P/T, and with her husband, Stan, as Coordinators for Families For Christ ministry to Colony of Mercy residents and wives, and Colony Graduate Couples. Serving the Lord on Staff at America's KESWICK since summer, 1995. Wife, mother, teacher, grandmother of 8.

DIGGING DEEPER
James 2:10,11
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.