Chosen in His Service

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Do not let satan mess with your Mind

When satan invades our mind and thought-life, our perspective of God alters and distorts. Let me prove this to you through some major events recorded in the Bible.

  1. In the Garden of Eden both Adam and Eve enjoyed God’s presence immensely. I think it is reasonable to assume that they had a fairly clear picture of God and His immutable characteristics (Omnipotence, Omnipresence, and Omniscience). Yet we see that after they sinned (satan messed with their minds) they ran to hide behind a tree! Did they think they could hide themselves from this Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient God? Apparently sin had blinded and distorted their perspective about the very God whom they knew intimately till then.
  2. Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ twelve chosen disciples. He spent almost three and a half years nurtured, protected and provided for by Jesus the Rabbi. Yet on that fateful hour while partaking off the last supper with Jesus and His disciples, satan entered Judas (Luke 22.3-4) and he betrayed his master for thirty silver coins. Up to that point, Judas was an accepted religious leader who raised the dead, cast out demons and healed the sick. What changed? Judas lent a receptive ear to satan and his lies which distorted his mind and blinded him to the consequences of his actions.
  3. Why point the finger at Judas alone? Following Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, mighty Peter, John the favorite and few others – seven to be precise- decided to return to their former career – fishing (John 21.2). Remember they were already born-again believers! (John 20.22) Yet following this strange teacher from Nazareth (who allows himself to be killed the most humiliating way known, managed to cheat death finally, and yet refuses to take on the Roman empire and relieve the People from their shameful subordination to the pagan Romans!) had not been as profitable as they had hoped and decided to go their old ways.

Listen to what the Spirit of God has to say about those who backslide. “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” - Hebrews 6.4-6 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! - 1 Corinthians 10.12

What made the disciples to backslide? They allowed disillusion, discouragement and disappointment to enter their mind and change their perspective about Jesus. So ‘above all else, guard your heart (Proverbs 4.23) from all deceptions of the evil one and constantly check for any changes in your perspective about your God.

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