Refreshing

Daily
in God’s Word
Emphasis on
 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do
not war after the flesh:

(For the weapons of our warfare are not

carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strong holds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every

high thing that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ;"

~2 Corinthians 10:3-5

"Submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
~ James 4:7

The Battle Over Obedience

March 1

 Bible Reading: Genesis 3


 Key Verse: Verse 6 - “And when the woman saw that
the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant
to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,
she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave
also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."
Key Words: she took of the fruit thereof

Eve’s conversation with the serpent was a battle. It

was a battle over whether to do right or wrong, good or evil,
obey or disobey.
The serpent won the battle with man, and he did so by
firing one single shot: the shot of deception.
Notice the deception of the serpent.

a) Verse 1: “Ye shall not eat of every tree of the

garden?”
b) Verse 4: “Ye shall not surely die.”
c) Verse 5: “Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and
evil.”

Since that time Satan has attempted to deceive

mankind in order that we may disobey and lose the battle over
obedience.
In the Houston, Texas, zoo you might find an unusual
phenomenon. Although you pay to see and learn about
animals, the alligator exhibit can tell you much more about
people. In every other cage you don’t find a large display of
scattered coins. You see normal habitat, as you might expect,
without a spattering of loose change. So why is there
frequently money in with the alligators? Is it because there’s
water, and people seem enamored with throwing pocket
change into water? There are other exhibits with plenty of
water, but they don’t have all the nickels, dimes, and quarters.
The reason for this abundance of money stems from a sign by
the alligators. As you read to learn more about these
interesting creatures, the zoological society presents a
reminder not to throw money into the water, as it only takes
one coin, digested by an alligator, to kill the huge reptile. To
the chagrin of the zoo staff, coins are often thrown all around
the alligators. Whether it’s coins in the alligator pit or just
one tree in a garden called Eden, sinful man has a tough time
obeying the rules; and as a result, he loses the battle of
obedience.

What to do:
✞Adopt for your life the teaching of the song our
children sing quite often: “I will obey the first time I’m
told.”

********************

The Battle Over Salvation

March 2

 Bible Reading: Genesis 4:1-8

 Key Verse: Verse 3- “And in process of time it came to
pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an
offering unto the LORD."
Key Words: Cain brought of the fruit of the
ground an offering

It didn’t take long after God created man, and Adam and
Eve had disobeyed, for man to form the world’s first false
religion.
There are at least three characteristics of this and all false
salvations.
First of all, Cain’s salvation was based on a human scheme
(Genesis 4:1-2). True salvation involves the Word of God, the
work of Jesus Christ, and the witness of the Spirit. Cain’s
salvation involved none of these.
Secondly, Cain’s salvation was based on a human sacrifice
(Genesis 4:3-4). If you’ll notice, Cain “brought of the fruit of
the ground an offering.” Cain brought an offering, not a
sacrifice.
 Thirdly, Cain’s salvation was based on a human
satisfaction (Genesis 4:5-7). Cain’s philosophy was “I’ve done
my best.” God wasn’t looking for his best, He was looking for
the blood!
Cain, like many of our day, was religious – but lost.
America is being inoculated with a mild form of
Christianity that is making its citizens immune to the real
thing. There are several types of this religious false
Christianity.
Psychological Christianity – an obsession that makes God
a good “pepper-upper” and religion a comforting thought. Its
devotees see theology as a waste of time, shutter at the
mention of sin, go to church to seek psycho-religious
adjustment for tension and frustration. Their heaven is health
and wealth.
Social Christianity – a good-time religion with special
appeal to those who cannot get into lodges, clubs, or the
society column. It expresses itself in a round of socials,
banquets, or – in its more liberal manifestations – theater,
parties, dances and bridge.
Political Christianity – a reform movement with a social
gospel, that is so busy with surveys, committee meetings,
projects, campaigns, etc., to clean up society that individuals
are starving to death for spiritual food.
Emotional Christianity – a type of inoculation that gives
the patient divine thrills and mystical exaltations, but often
leaves him spiritually dead.
Atavistic Christianity – a sort of religious loyalty to the
beliefs of our dead forebears. The Chinese have it in a bit
different form and call it ancestor worship.
Sacramental Christianity – a blind loyalty to certain rites
or ceremonies, the faithful performance of which is supposed
to give one a “pass” to glory. Its devotees have a “form of
godliness,” but “deny the power thereof.”
Theological Christianity – an intellectual and coldly
scientific acceptance of the abstract truth in the New
Testament Scriptures. Those who have been immunized by
this serum can split hairs with the same finesse that Nero
played his fiddle while Rome burned.
 But genuine salvation is not found in religion – genuine
salvation is found only in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:10-12).

What to do:
✞The only way to win the battle over salvation is by
turning to Jesus Christ.

********************

The Battle Of The Imagination

March 3

 Bible Reading: Genesis 6:1-8

 Key Verse: Verse 5– “And GOD saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually."
Key Words: and that every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually

The word imagination is from a Hebrew root word

relating to pottery. It means “to fashion” or “to shape.” In
Noah’s day people let their imagination run wild and as a
result, men fashioned wicked philosophies; they formed
obscene artifacts; they espoused filthy causes. They poured
society into their mold.
When we let our imaginations run wild, it will always
lead us on a downward spiral.
A salesman, driving on a lonely country road one dark
and rainy night had a flat. He opened the trunk – no lug
wrench. The light from a farmhouse could be seen dimly up
the road. He set out on foot through the driving rain. Surely
the farmer would have a lug wrench he could borrow, he
thought. Of course, it was late at night – the farmer would be
asleep in his warm, dry bed. Maybe he wouldn’t answer the
door. And even if he did, he’d be angry at being awakened in
the middle of the night. The salesman, picking his way blindly
in the dark, stumbled on. By now his shoes and clothing were
soaked. Even if the farmer did answer his knock, he would
probably shout something like, “What’s the big idea waking
me up at this hour!” This thought made the salesman angry.
What right did that farmer have to refuse him the loan of lug
wrench? After all, here he was stranded in the middle of
nowhere, soaked to the skin. The farmer was a selfish clod –
no doubt about that! The salesman finally reached the house,
and banged loudly on the door. A light went on inside, and a
window opened above. “Who is it?” a voice called out. “You
know good and well who it is,” yelled the salesman, his face
white with anger. “It’s me! You can keep your old lug wrench.
I wouldn’t borrow it now if you had the last one on earth!”
If you let your imagination go, you will lose the battle
of the imagination.

What to do:
✞Apply Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things
are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
there be any praise, think on these things.”

********************

The Battle Of Strife

March 4

 Bible Reading: Genesis 13

 Key Verse: Verses 7 –“And there was a strife between
the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of
Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite
dwelled then in the land."
 Key Words: And there was a strife between the
herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of
Lot’s cattle

Not to be redundant, but note again the words found

in verse 7, “And there was a strife between the herdmen of
Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the
Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.”
It was bad enough for the brethren to disagree, but to
have strife between them in the presence of the ungodly
Canaanite and Perizzite over material possessions was even
worse.
I have a couple of sayings that go as follows. “Pick and
choose your battles carefully, and always remember, you can
win the battle but lose the war.” These brethren had surely
lost the war. These Canaanites and Perizzites had to be
thinking that “our god is better than this.” That’s why Paul
warned, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God,
without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,
among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians
2:14-15)
In one of Aesop’s Fables we read...”On a summer day,
when the great heat induced a general thirst among the
beasts, a Lion and Boar came at the same moment to a small
well to drink. They fiercely disputed which of them should
drink first, and were soon engaged in the agonies of a mortal
combat. When they stopped suddenly to catch their breath
for a fiercer renewal of the fight, they saw some Vultures
waiting in the distance to feast on the one that should fall
first. They at once made up their quarrel, saying, ‘It is better
for us to make friends, than to become the food of Crows or
Vultures.’ The moral of the story is: when Christians fight
among themselves, the vultures of the pagan world lie ready
to attack Christianity.”
What to do:
 ✞Pick and choose your battle carefully and remember,
you may win the battle of strife, but will you lose the
war?

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of Faith

March 5

 Bible Reading: Genesis 22:1-14

 Key Verse: Verse 2 – “And he said, Take now thy son,
thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee
into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a
burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will
tell thee of."
Key Words: offer him there for a burnt offering

I define faith as “taking God at His Word, in spite of

my feelings, circumstances, or consequences – I do what
God’s Word says.”
Now I readily admit, that is not always easy. I must
confess if I were Abraham in this situation, it would not be
easy to obey; but Abraham, acting in faith, proceeded to do as
God had commanded, knowing that a righteous God would do
right.
So let me ask, how are you doing in the battle of living
by faith?
Many of us need to be more like the little girl whom
the farmer found lost in his meadow. The farmer said to her,
“Do not cry; I’ll take you home.” The little child snuggled up
to him, and with a smile, said, “I knew you would; I was
waiting for you.” “Waiting for me?” said the man. “What
made you think I was coming?” “I was praying you would,”
she said. “Praying? When I first heard you, you were saying A
B C D E F G. What was that for?” She looked up again and
said, “I’m just a little girl. I was praying all the letters of the
alphabet and letting God put them together the way He
wanted to. He knows I was lost, and He knows how to put
them together better than I do.”
When G. Campbell Morgan was a young Christian he
used to visit several elderly ladies once a week to read the
Bible to them. When he came to the end of Matthew’s gospel,
Morgan read, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of
the age.” He added, “Isn’t that a wonderful promise?” One of
the ladies quickly replied, “Young man, that is not a promise.
It is a fact.”

What to do:
✞Make all of your decisions based on God’s Word –
not on your feelings, circumstances, or apparent
consequences.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Compromise
March 6

 Bible Reading: Exodus 8:8-28

 Key Verse: Verse 10 – “And he said, Tomorrow. And
he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest
know that there is none like unto the LORD our God."
Key Words: And he said, Tomorrow

We all know the story of how God plagued the

Egyptians in order that Pharoah would “let God’s people go.”
But intertwined in this story you find Pharoah’s
compromising proposals to Moses.
Compromise #1: Do it tomorrow (Exodus 8:10).
Compromise #2: Don’t go all the way for God (Exodus
8:28).
 Compromise #3: Don’t give your all to God (Exodus
10:24).
Just as Pharoah desired for Moses to compromise,
Satan desires for us to as well. Serve God – not today, but
tomorrow. Serve God, but don’t sell out to God. Serve God,
but don’t give God your all.
As long as we are in this body of flesh, we will fight the
battle against compromise.
W. A. Criswell once said, “The early first century
Christians were offered their lives if they would but cast a
touch of incense on the fire that burned before the image of
the Emperor. A very small gesture of political support
compared with being fed to the lions or being burned at the
stake. They could have argued that they could do more good
by living than by dying. He who fights and runs away will live
to fight another day. Better a live dog than a dead lion. But,
when men catch a glimpse of the face of God, they do not fear
the face of man!”
In his early life, the sculptor Dannecker gained a
wonderful reputation for his statues of the Greek goddesses.
As he approached his prime he felt he ought to pour all of his
strength and time into the creation of a masterpiece, so he
devoted himself to carving a representation of Christ. Twice
he felt he failed and started over afresh, finally carving an
image of Christ so beautiful that when people beheld it, they
could only love and adore. Hearing of Dannecker’s great
expertise, Napoleon sent for him and requested that he carve
a statue of Venus for the Louvre. Reportedly the sculptor’s
answer was short and simple, “Sir,” he said, “the hands that
carved Christ can never again carve a heathen goddess.”
I am afraid today that we are losing the battle for
Christ, one inch at a time, through compromise. So I
challenge you: stand firm and strong.

What to do:
✞Determine today to fight the good fight of faith by
not compromising.
 The Spiritual Warfare Of Fear
March 7

 Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 1:22-32

 Key Verse: Verse 29 – "Then I said unto you, Dread
not, neither be afraid of them."
Key Words: neither be afraid of them

Israel, some years before, had refused to take the

Promised Land as God had told them to do. Now they are
murmuring and complaining about their wilderness
wanderings. So God reviews for them why they are in the
plight in which they now find themselves. Their fear of the
nations that occupied the Promised Land had prevailed over
them; and without a shot ever being fired or a sword ever
being drawn, Israel surrendered, not to other nations but to
fear.
Most of us would surrender to fear if it were not for
the urging of others.
“A very wealthy man bought a huge ranch in Arizona
and he invited some of his closest associates in to see it. After
touring some of the 1,500 acres of mountains and rivers and
grasslands, he took everybody to the house. The house was as
spectacular as the scenery, and out back was the largest
swimming pool you have ever seen. However, this gigantic
swimming pool was filled with alligators. The rich owner
explained this way: ‘I value courage more than anything else.
Courage is what made me a billionaire. In fact, I think that
courage is such a powerful virtue that if anybody is
courageous enough to jump in that pool, swim through those
alligators and make it to the other side, I’ll give them anything
they want, anything – my house, my land, my money.’ Of
course, everybody laughed at the absurd challenge and
proceeded to follow the owner into the house for lunch...when
suddenly they heard a splash. Turning around they saw this
guy swimming for his life across the pool, thrashing at the
water, as the alligators swarmed after him. After several
death-defying seconds, the man made it, unharmed to the
other side. Our rich host was absolutely amazed, but he stuck
to his promise. He said, ‘You are indeed a man of courage and
I will stick to my word. What do you want? You can have
anything – my house, my land, my money – just tell me what
you want and it is yours.’ The swimmer, breathing heavily,
looked up at the host and said, ‘I just want to know one thing
– who pushed me in that pool?’”

What to do:
✞Remember that fear can be a great motivator.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of Defeat

March 8

 Bible Reading: Joshua 7:10-26

 Key Verse: Verse 10 – “And the LORD said unto
Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon
thy face?"
Key Words: Get thee up

Israel had been defeated by lowly Ai. Now the Lord

admonishes them to get up and deal with their defeat.
Now, all of us have faced defeat in our lives, but the
question is will we get up and keep going.
It was a dark and dreary night in 1916, a day well-
suited to the most brutally devastating rout in all of football
history. One look at the two teams showed trouble ahead. On
the Georgia Tech side were semi-human monsters, gorilla-like
behemoths trained by John Heisman, the man football’s
highest award was later named after. Heisman was a fanatic.
He would not let his Yellow Jackets use soap or water because
he considered them debilitating; nor could they eat pastry,
pork, veal, hot bread, nuts, apples, or coffee. His reason?
“They don’t agree with me,” he growled, “so they’d better not
agree with you.”
 The Yellow Jackets, with eight All-Southern players,
were intent on building their reputation. They lured lowly
Cumberland to the game with a $500 guarantee. The
Cumberland team had several players who had never played
and left the team in the hands of the team manager. Even the
trip to Atlanta had been a disaster: Cumberland arrived with
only sixteen players. Three were lost at a rest stop in
Nashville. The game began. Georgia scored sixty-three points
in the first quarter, averaging touchdowns at one-minute-and-
twenty-second intervals. Even after such a lopsided start, the
rest of the game was filled with tension and drama! No one
questioned who would win, of course. But could Cumberland
players be convinced to finish the game? The manager,
George Allen, paced the sidelines, exhorting the team to “hang
in there for Cumberland’s $500.” They did, and with it
collected the honor of the worst loss in football history: 222-0.
Cumberland also left posterity one of its most
memorable football plays. A Cumberland kickoff returner
fumbled, probably from sheer weariness. He yelled to a
teammate, “Pick up the ball!” Replied his teammate, “Pick it
up yourself! You dropped it!”
So when you face defeat, don’t just lay there – pick up
the ball and run it!!

What to do:
✞When you are defeated, keep going because at this
point you have nothing else to lose.

********************
 The Spiritual Warfare Of
Discouragement
March 9
 Bible Reading: Ruth 1:1-18
 Key Verse: Verse 14 – “And they lifted up their voice,
and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in
law; but Ruth clave unto her."
Key Words: And they lifted up their voice, and
wept again

If anyone had a reason to be discouraged and down-

trodden, it would have been Naomi. She was living in the
midst of a famine. Her husband and two sons had died. She
literally had lost almost everything. To say Naomi had a good
reason to be discouraged would be a great understatement.
Naomi could have easily run from God, but instead she
ran to God. The key to victory over the spiritual warfare of
discouragement is turning to the Lord.
Steve Brown related the following story in Preacher
Magazine.
“There was a British soldier in the First World War
who lost heart for the battle and deserted. Trying to reach the
coast for a boat to England that night, he ended up wandering
in the pitch black night, hopelessly lost. In the darkness he
came across what he thought was a signpost. It was so dark
that he began to climb the post so that he could read it. As he
reached the top of the pole, he struck a match to see and
found himself looking squarely into the face of Jesus Christ.
He realized that, rather than running into a signpost, he had
climbed a roadside crucifix. Then he remembered the One
who had died for him – who had endured – who had never
turned back. The next morning the soldier was back in the
trenches.”
As a runner, when you are tired, afraid and
discouraged, the best way I know to get your second wind is to
strike a match in the darkness and to look on the face of Jesus
Christ.
What to do:
✞Remember, we all get discouraged from time to
time; but the only sure way to overcome discouragement is to
focus on Jesus and keep going.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Discouragement, Pt. 2
March 10

 Bible Reading: I Samuel 1:1-8

 Key Verse: Verse 8 – “Then said Elkanah her
husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and
why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not
I better to thee than ten sons?"
Key Words: Hannah, why weepest thou?

Hannah no doubt was facing some discouraging times.

She was discouraged primarily because of her unfruitfulness
in bearing a male child; and she was also discouraged because
of Peninnah’s constant mockings.
Speaking of discouragement, William Ward says this:
“Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for
the present, and distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the
blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of
today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is
unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the
needs of our fellowman, and unbelief in the promises of old.
It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought, and
impoliteness to God.
“Former heavyweight boxer James (Quick) Tillis is a
cowboy from Oklahoma who fought out of Chicago in the
early 1980s. He still remembers his first day in the Windy
City after his arrival from Tulsa. ‘I got off the bus with two
cardboard suitcases under my arms in downtown Chicago and
stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down,
and I looked up at the Tower and I said to myself, ‘I’m going
to conquer Chicago.’ When I looked down, the suitcases were
gone.’”
Now, that can be discouraging. Always remember that
Satan sends discouragement to cause us to quit – so each of us
should develop the philosophy that “winners never quit and
quitters never win!” Amen!

What to do:
✞Be a winner, not a quitter.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Jealousy
March 11

 Bible Reading: I Samuel 18:1-11

 Key Verse: Verse 8 - "And Saul was very wroth, and
the saying displeased him; and he said, They have
ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they
have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have
more but the kingdom?"
Key Words: what can he have more but the
kingdom

I believe that there is a difference between jealousy

and envy. I believe envy is when we want what others have
while jealousy is when we don’t want others to have what we
possess.
As you read the story of King Saul in I Samuel 18, you
can clearly see that he did not want David to have what he
possessed. Saul was losing in the warfare of jealousy.
Two shopkeepers were bitter rivals. Their stores were
directly across the street from each other, and they would
spend each day keeping track of each other’s business. If one
got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival. One
night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream
and said, “I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you
receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Would
you be rich? You can be very rich, but he will be twice as
wealthy. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can,
but his life will be longer and healthier? What is your desire?”
The man frowned, thought for a moment, and then said,
“Here is my request: strike me blind in one eye!”
One sign of jealousy is when it’s easier to show
sympathy and “weep with those who weep” than it is to
exhibit joy and “rejoice with those who rejoice.”
Be careful, jealousy can and will destroy you.

What to do:
✞Seek God’s help through prayer and Bible study in
order that you can win in the spiritual battle of
jealousy.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Finishing
March 12

 Bible Reading: I Kings 6:1-14

 Key Verse: Verse 14 –" So Solomon built the house,
and finished it."
Key Words: and finished it

In the fourth year of Solomon’s reign as king of Israel,

he began to build the temple of God. The key, though, is not
just that he started, but that he finished. Many a believer
starts a task for God, but because of the struggles and battles
they face, they never finish the job.
 On four occasions in I Kings 6, you read the words and
finished it; but in verse 38 we are told “the house [was
finished] throughout all the parts.” The time, organization,
people problems, building problems, did not stop Solomon.
He finished the task himself. He saw the job through to its
conclusion.
“Leave the driving to us,” or so the saying goes. On
May 28, 1993, Greyhound bus driver J. Massenberg balked on
his company’s slogan and asked for a relief driver from the
passengers on his bus. Thirty miles shy of his destination in
Tallahassee, Massenberg said, “I quit. I can’t handle this
anymore. Does anyone have a Class B license to drive a bus?”
Nobody was qualified, but an off-duty police officer got
behind the wheel and drove about thirty minutes while
Massenberg slept. He reclaimed the wheel just before arriving
at the bus station and drove in for the last time. Needless to
say, the rookie bus driver is no longer working for Greyhound.
Responsibility involves completing a task, or making sure it is
correctly completed by someone else.
We all need to close our life with the cry of Paul, “I
have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith.”

What to do:
✞The key is not just being a good starter – but a good
finisher as well. So finish the task!!

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Criticism
March 13
  Bible Reading: I Kings 18:1-20
 Key Verse: Verse 17 – “And it came to pass, when
Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou
he that troubleth Israel?"
Key Words: Art thou he that troubleth Israel

No doubt because of Elijah’s bold stand for the Lord,

he found criticism from many; but no criticism could come
higher or harder than that from the king himself. Ahab
criticized Elijah and blamed him for the famine in the land.
I have discovered that if you heed all of your critics,
you’ll never accomplish anything. While we should learn from
our critics, we should never let them deter us.
One of Aesop’s fables tells of an old man and his son
bringing a donkey to market. Passing some people on the
way, they heard one remark, “Look at that silly pair – walking
when they could be riding comfortably.”
The idea seemed sensible to the old man, so he and the
boy mounted the donkey and continued on their way. Soon
they passed another group. “Look at that lazy pair,” said a
voice, “breaking the back of that poor donkey, tiring him so
that no one will buy him.”
The old man slid off, but soon they heard another
criticism from a passerby: “What a terrible thing, this old man
walking while the boy gets to ride.”
They changed places, but soon heard people
whispering, “What a terrible thing, the big strong man riding
and making the little boy walk.”
The old man and the boy pondered the situation and
finally continued their journey in yet another matter, carrying
the donkey on a pole between them. As they crossed the
bridge, the donkey broke loose, fell into the river, and
drowned.
Aesop’s moral: You can’t please everyone.
So, why not please the Lord?
What to do:
✞Learn from the criticism, but never let criticism
deter you or discourage you. You will find that those
who tend to have a critical spirit seldom take their own
advice.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of Greed

March 14

 Bible Reading: I Kings 21:1-14

 Key Verse: Verse 2 - “And Ahab spake unto Naboth,
saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a
garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house:
and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or,
if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it
in money."
Key Words: Give me thy vineyard

As you read the passage in I Kings 21 in regard to

Naboth, you will read about deceit, lies, and murder; but all of
this stems from the greed of King Ahab who desired Naboth’s
vineyard. Unchecked greed is not only a danger, it is deadly.
It destroys not only its prey, but it also destroys the person of
greed.
Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America
say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ringtailed
monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it’s simple.
They’ve been catching this agile little animal with ease for
years. The method the Zulus use is based on knowledge of the
animal. Their trap is nothing more than a melon growing on a
vine. The seeds of this melon are a favorite of the monkey.
Knowing this, the Zulus simply cut a hole in the melon, just
large enough for the monkey to insert his hand to reach the
seeds inside. The monkey will stick his hand in, grab as many
seeds as he can, then start to withdraw it. This he cannot do.
His fist is now larger than the hole. The monkey will pull and
tug, screech and fight the melon for hours. But he can’t get
free of the trap unless he gives up the seeds, which he refuses
to do. Meanwhile, the Zulus sneak up and nab him.
When we fail to let go of our greed, we will be
destroyed. So I challenge you today to examine your heart to
see if there be any greed hiding there, and I would challenge
you to destroy it before it destroys you.

What to do:
✞Destroy greed before it destroys you.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of Pride

March 15
 Bible Reading: I Chronicles 21:1-17
 Key Verse: Verse 1 - “And Satan stood up against
Israel, and provoked David to number Israel."
Key Words: provoked David to number Israel.

If you ask the average person to name the sin of David,

they, in all likelihood, would name his adultery with
Bathsheba. That sin was certainly great and hideous, but the
sin found in our text is great as well. As a result of David’s sin,
seventy thousand men died (I Chronicles 21:14). David’s
pride had not only brought him low, but all of Israel. There is
no sin you and I can commit that does not directly affect
others.
In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black
Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as
they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the
disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed
the cause of the accident. It wasn’t a technology problem like
radar malfunction – or even thick fog. The cause was human
stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship’s
presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according
to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the
other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they
came to their senses, it was too late.
Someone has said that “Pride is the dandelion of the
soul. Its root goes deep; only a little left behind sprouts again.
Its seeds lodge in the tiniest encouraging cracks, and it
flourishes in good soil. The danger of pride is that it feeds on
the goodness of self.”
Be prayerful to not get entangled and defeated in the
spiritual warfare of pride.

What to do:
✞Think of others before you think of yourself; and
remember, “Pride goeth before destruction”(Proverbs
16:18).

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of Pride,

Pt. 2
March 16

 Bible Reading: II Chronicles 26:1-21

 Key Verse: Verse 16 - “But when he was strong, his
heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he
transgressed against the LORD his God, and went
into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the
altar of incense."
Key Words: his heart was lifted up to his
destruction

When we begin to believe that it’s really us that is

accomplishing things, then we are subject to both fail and fall.
 Uzziah had a three-fold problem. First of all, he began
to reign when he was sixteen. Too much authority at too early
of an age can cause pride. Secondly, he began to believe that
it was he who was accomplishing things rather than God. II
Chronicles 26:8 says, “...for he strengthened himself
exceedingly.” Thirdly, he began to think he could do
anything, anytime, anywhere (II Chronicles 26:16).
It was Peter Marshall who prayed, “Lord, when we are
wrong, make us willing to change; when we are right, make us
easy to live with.”
In 1986, Gordon MacDonald was the president of
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He was admired and
respected by countless people throughout the Christian
community. Within a year he was a broken man. He had
committed adultery. By 1988, he was on the long road to
healing and wrote a therapeutic book which dealt with his
own brokenness, Rebuilding Your Broken World. In this
book, MacDonald shared an experience which took place
several years before his adulterous relationship. While on
campus to speak at a college commencement, he struck up a
conversation with a school board member. After some
pleasantries the new acquaintance asked, “If Satan were to
blow you out of the water, how do you think he would do it?”
“I’m not sure I know,” said MacDonald. “All sorts of ways, I
suppose; but I know there’s one way he wouldn’t get me.”
“What’s that?” “He’d never get me in the area of my personal
relationships,” answered MacDonald. “That’s one place where
I have no doubt I’m as strong as you can get.” Satan is wise
and powerful. That’s why Paul wrote, “Wherefore let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (I Corinthians
10:12)

What to do:
✞Do not give out authority too early.
✞Never forget that without Jesus we can do nothing.

********************
 The Spiritual Warfare Of Anger
March 17

 Bible Reading: Nehemiah 13:10-22

 Key Verse: Verse 21 - “Then I testified against them,
and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if
ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that
time forth came they no more on the sabbath.”
Key Words: if ye do so again, I will lay hands on
you

You kind of get the idea that Nehemiah was upset. It

was the Sabbath and rather than gathering for worship, the
merchants had gathered for business. This angered
Nehemiah and drew the response, “...if ye do so again, I will
lay hands on you.”
As you read God’s Word, you find three causes of
anger: frustration, humiliation, and rejection. No doubt
Nehemiah’s anger was caused by frustration. But it was also a
righteous anger. Righteous anger is when we are upset
because of what others are doing to the testimony of God.
Righteous anger focuses on God while unrighteous anger
focuses on self. Maybe we should consider the following.
When we become angry with others we tend to do one
of three things. Some repress their anger, still others
suppress anger, but the vast majority resort to a third
solution–they seek revenge.
An old Englishman known as Father Graham in his
village was greatly loved because of his positive influence.
One day an angry young man who had just been badly
insulted came to see Father Graham. As he explained the
situation, he said he was on his way to demand an apology
from the one who had wronged him. “My dear boy,” Father
Graham said, “take a word of advice from an old man who
loves peace. One insult is like mud; it will brush off much
better when it is dry. Wait a little, until he and you are both
cool, and the problem will be easily solved. If you go now, you
will only quarrel.” The young man heeded the wise advice,
and soon he was able to go to the other person and resolve the
issue.
Always remember that a chip on the shoulder indicates
that there is wood higher up.
.

What to do:
✞Remember, getting mad will never get you anything
else.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Friendship
March 18

 Bible Reading: Job 4

 Key Verse: Verse 5 - “But now it is come upon thee,
and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art
troubled."
Key Words: But now it is come upon thee, and
thou faintest

We often think that Job went through two attacks.

The first attack was on Job’s substance (his possessions) in
Job 1. The second attack was on Job’s person (his physical
health) in Job 2. But there is a third attack on Job that we
seldom think about, and that is the attack by his friends.
Think about the following. Eliphaz tells Job that he
has not been practicing what he preaches (Job 4:3-5). In
chapter 8, Bildad rebukes Job and tells him he must be living
in sin, that God is chastening him (which we know is not
true). Then in chapter 11, after Job has said he isn’t living in
sin, Zophar calls him a liar (verse 3).
 Sometimes spiritual warfare doesn’t come from where
we might expect it. As a result, it catches us unaware.
When Jan Paderewski was to leave his native Poland
to play his first recital in London, he asked an influential
compatriot to give him a letter of introduction to a leading
figure in Britain’s musical world, who might be of assistance
should anything go amiss. The letter was handed to him in a
sealed envelope. He hoped that everything would proceed
smoothly and he would not have to use it.
He did not; his debut was a success and no snags
developed. Some years later, while going through his papers,
he came upon the letter and opened it. It read: “This will
introduce Jan Paderewski, who plays the piano, for which he
demonstrates no conspicuous talent.”
With friends like this, who needs enemies?

What to do:
✞Understand that Satan can use our friends to bring
on spiritual warfare as well as he can use our enemies.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Depression
March 19

 Bible Reading: Psalm 77

 Key Verse: Verse 2 - “In the day of my trouble I
sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not:
my soul refused to be comforted."
Key Words: my soul refused to be comforted

The events that led to the psalmist David writing this

77th Psalm is uncertain. It could have been written after the
death of one of his sons: Amnon, Absalom, or even his baby
boy birthed by Bathsheba. The event of this writing could be
while David was being pursued by Saul; but, in all likelihood,
the psalm was written during the time of Absalom’s and
Ahithophel’s rebellion against David. Whatever the occasion
for the writing of the psalm, it’s easy to tell that David is
battling with depression.

 His soul is in turmoil (verse 2).

 He had a complaining spirit (verse 3).
 Evidently, he had sinned against God (verses 3 and
7).
 He can’t sleep or speak (verse 4).
 David calls his depression an infirmity (verse 10).
(Infirmity means an illness caused by grieving.)

But the good news is that David overcame his

depression. Verses 11 through 20 tell us how this was
accomplished.

 He focused on God’s goodness (verses 10b through

12a).
 He talked about God’s goodness (verses 12b, 14
through 20).
 He went to “church” (verse 13).

There are three things I tell people who are going

through the spiritual warfare of depression. First of all, spend
time each day, particularly first thing in the morning and the
last thing at night, in God’s Word. Secondly, invest your life
in others, particularly the elderly or those who are ill. Last of
all, run to the house of God, not from the house of God; and
may God grant you victory over your depression.

What to do:
 ✞Apply the above three principles. Try them – I think
you will enjoy the results; but be faithful at them,
being sporadic usually doesn’t help the situation.

P. S. For ladies going through the change of life, I would

heartily recommend that you seek counsel from some of the
more spiritual ladies in your church who have been through
this battle. Hormonal change can cause depression.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of Sex

March 20

 Bible Reading: Proverbs 6:20-35

 Key Verse: Verse 23 - “For the commandment is a
lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of
instruction are the way of life:"
Key Words: For the commandment is a lamp; and
the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are
the way of life

I do realize that the title of this article is candid; but

this is not a time and place to be “politically correct.” When it
comes to sex, it’s time for honesty and boldness because we
are living in such a cesspool of sexual immorality today. Are
you aware that this as well is a spiritual warfare? This “sexual
revolution” was a “planned” happening. Let me explain.
The book, The Meaning of Sex in the Christian Life,
was first published in 1961 by, of all people, the United
Christian Youth Movement of the National Council of
Churches. The book discusses rules for sexual behavior and
says in part...
“The colonial powers whose majority is declining have
set the very arbitrary time of from five to eight years after
sexual maturation as the time when young Americans can
enjoy sexual relations. A girl under 18 cannot get birth
control pills without her parents’ approval [the article is 21
years old]...Young people as sexual beings have sexual
rights...If the pill were allowed, young people could assume
this responsibility! We immediately hear the colonials roar,
‘Promiscuity, promiscuity, promiscuity!’
“The freedom to use your God-given body to express
your affection toward another person cannot be labeled
promiscuous merely because the persons involved are not
ready for marriage and parenting.
“In all these areas, the self-determination of young
people has been duly and arbitrarily postponed. If the
Christian gospel is one of liberating the captives it should
certainly apply here.”
There is a spiritual warfare taking place in our society
in the area of sexual purity.
I challenge you to fight the good fight of faith in this
area.

What to do:
✞Dedicate yourself to God’s book to know it and to
live by it.
✞Remember our sexual desire out of marriage is a
spiritual warfare.

The Spiritual Warfare Of Sexual

Purity, Pt. 2
March 21
  Bible Reading: Proverbs 7
 Key Verse: Verse 18 – “Come, let us take our fill of
love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with
loves."
Key Words: let us solace ourselves with loves

Sounds so good and peaceful, doesn’t it? The world

has a way of making sin sound so right. The world has a way
of making sin popular and making righteousness and purity
sound so old-fashioned.
Biggs who was the youth liaison for the National
Council of Churches wrote in part in his book, The Meaning
of Sex in the Christian Life.
“The difficulty with Western society’s legitimate
regulation of sexual conduct is that it has been far too
negative and too monolithic...Our culture declares that all
sexual activity within marriage is legal, proper, and good,
while any such activity outside marriage is illicit, sinful and
wrong. This is to ignore the personal dimension of life, to
seek to force everyone under one massive legal umbrella.
“You and I know perfectly well that there are many
marriages that are simply matters of convenience, that such
sex as goes on within them is selfish, exploitative, and evil.
We know further that there is sexual contact between
unmarried couples that is motivated by love and which is pure
and on occasions beautiful.
“From the perspective of the personal dimension then,
the crucial question to be asked about any sexual contact –
from holding hands to complete intercourse – is not so much
what is done but what is meant...What justifies and sanctifies
sexuality is not the external marital status of the people before
the law but rather what they feel toward each other in their
hearts.”
How depraved!! God tells us in Hebrews 13:4,
“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but
whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”
Again, I challenge you to stay pure sexually!!
What to do:
✞Follow God’s directions for sexual purity because
the world will lead you into a world of sorrow.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Oppression
March 22

 Bible Reading: Daniel 6

 Key Verse: Verse 7 - “All the presidents of the
kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the
counsellors, and the captains, have consulted
together to establish a royal statute, and to make a
firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any
God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall
be cast into the den of lions."
Key Words: All the presidents of the kingdom, the
governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and
the captains, have consulted together to establish
a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that
whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or
man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be
cast into the den of lions.

Certainly a desire of Satan is that we be oppressed in

our worship of God. It’s a battle that takes place on a
continual basis, not just on believers, but on entire nations of
people.
The U. S. Commission on International Religious
Freedom (USCIRF) recently released a report which stated
that the Sudan, China, and Russia head the list of nations in
oppressing the religious rights of its people. Russia, according
to the report, is at a crossroads and whatever route it takes
will have a tremendous impact on all European nations.
In Sudan the situation is beyond horrible. More than
two million Christians have been put to death because of their
faith in Jesus Christ. In recent days my heart has been
burdened for the people of Sudan (thus one of the reasons for
the article). Since no one is allowed to go in Sudan (that is,
any missionaries), reports are sketchy, to say the least, but we
know the oppression is great.
China in recent times has begun again to persecute
Christians. Many Christians who allow meetings to take place
in their homes have been imprisoned for life. (Churches are
not allowed in China so they meet in homes.)
Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, has issued a decree
that any group not licensed by the state must be “liquidated.”
We are certainly living in the last of the last days.
Satan and his demonic forces are busier than ever. We must
get God’s Word out here in our Jerusalem that Jesus saves;
but we must also see that all men, women, boys and girls
around the world have the opportunity to hear the gospel as
well. Will you pray, give, encourage, and even go out in your
community and tell others?

What to do:
✞Do your part in giving the gospel out everywhere
you go.

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Keeping Your Testimony
March 23

 Bible Reading: Mark 7:1-23

 Key Verse: Verse 23 - “All these evil things come from
within, and defile the man."
 Key Words: All these evil things come from within,
and defile the man.

What you are on the inside will eventually come out to

the outside. That’s what we call our testimony.
From the Choice Gleanings Calendar comes this story:
On one occasion Hudson Taylor wanted to teach a spiritual
lesson, so he filled a glass with water and placed it on the table
before him. While he was speaking, he pounded his fist hard
enough to make water splash onto the table. He then
explained, “You will come up against much trouble. But when
you do, remember, only what’s in you will spill out.”
That’s worth thinking about, isn’t it? If we are
mistreated or misunderstood, how do we respond? With
loving words, patience and kindness? Or are we inclined to
retaliate in anger? In Ephesians 4:17-32, we see the contrast
between the old man and the new man – what a person is
before he is saved and filled with God’s Spirit, and what he is
afterward. When we are under the control of the Holy Spirit,
we will show it by the way we react to the shocking, jolting
trials and temptations of life. How we respond to trying,
embarrassing situations that are suddenly thrust upon us is a
good test of how much we have grown in grace. What we do
on the spur of the moment, when we don’t have time to think
or weigh the consequences, reveals whether or not our lives
are filled with the love of Christ.
A non-Christian in a tense situation may suppress his
innermost feelings in order to serve his own ends. But when a
person who is filled with the Savior’s love is jostled, he will be
patient and kind without even thinking about it. Like that
glass of water, he shows what’s on the inside by what spills
over on the outside.
So what’s spilling out of you? Love, joy, peace, etc. –
or envy, gossip, and criticism? You know what’s on the inside
by what’s going out.

What to do:
 ✞If you don’t like what’s on the outside, imagine what
it’s like on the inside. Think about it.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Keeping Your Testimony, Pt. 2
March 24

 Bible Reading: Hebrews 11:1-13

 Key Verse: Verse 5 - “By faith Enoch was translated
that he should not see death; and was not found,
because God had translated him: for before his
translation he had this testimony, that he pleased
God."
Key Words: he had this testimony, that he pleased
God

Your testimony is not what you think or say about

yourself, but what others say and think about you. Enoch
certainly had a great testimony, not because he wore an “I
love Jesus” t-shirt, but because he lived to please God.
The following story was passed on to me and it illustrates
the point of our testimony so well.
A man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a
busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in
front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the
crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by
accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman
hit the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she
missed the chance to get through the intersection with him.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window
and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer.
The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.
He took her to the police station where she was searched,
fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell. After a
couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened
the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where
the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled
up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, fussing
at the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I
noticed the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘What
Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Follow Me to Sunday
School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish
emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen
the car... .”
Satan does want to ruin your testimony, and as a result,
you are in a spiritual warfare; so fight the war for the glory of
God, not for self-gratification.

What to do:
✞Remember daily to seek God through prayer and
Bible study, and ask God to help you win in this
spiritual warfare over your testimony.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Murmuring
March 25

 Bible Reading: Acts 6

 Key Verse: Verse 1 - “And in those days, when the
number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a
murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews,
because their widows were neglected in the daily
ministration."
Key Words: there arose a murmuring
 The leadership of the Jerusalem church faced some of
the same challenges we face today, one of which was their
murmuring.
The word murmur means to complain in a low voice,
not loud, but yet still loud enough for others to hear their
complaints.
A monk joined a monastery and took a vow of silence.
After the first ten years his superior called him in and asked,
“Do you have anything to say?” The monk replied, “Food
bad.” After another ten years the monk again had opportunity
to voice his thoughts. He said, “Bed hard.” Another ten years
went by and again he was called in before his superior. When
asked if he had anything to say, he responded, “I quit.” “It
doesn’t surprise me a bit. You’ve done nothing but complain
ever since you got here.”
When fighting the spiritual warfare of being the
murmurer or being murmured about, it would do you well to
remember the following.
A heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane
by a team of oxen. The axles groaned and creaked terribly,
when the oxen turning around thus addressed the wheels,
“Hey there, why do you make so much noise? We bear all the
labor, and we – not you – ought to cry out!” Those complain
first in our churches who have the least to do. The gift of
grumbling is largely dispensed among those who have no
other talents, or who keep what they have wrapped in a
napkin.
So don’t let the murmurer get you down, and keep
fighting the good fight of faith.

What to do:
✞Remember, it takes no effort or talent to be a
murmurer.

********************
The Spiritual Warfare With Our
Flesh
March 26

 Bible Reading: Romans 7

 Key Verse: Verse 18 - "For I know that in me (that is,
in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is
present with me; but how to perform that which is
good I find not."
Key Words: For I know that in me (that is, in my
flesh,) dwelleth no good thing

Now, if the Apostle Paul battled with his flesh – and he

did – then we certainly know that we will battle with ours. It
is indeed a spiritual warfare.
John Mason Brown was a drama critic and speaker
well known for his witty and informative lectures on theatrical
topics. One of his first important appearances as a lecturer
was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Brown was pleased,
but also rather nervous, and his nerves were not helped when
he noticed by the light of the slide projector that someone was
copying his every gesture. After a time he broke off his lecture
and announced with great dignity that if anyone was not
enjoying the talk, he was free to leave. Nobody did, and the
mimicking continued. It was another ten minutes before
Brown realized that the mimic was his own shadow!
Was Brown’s shadow real? Of course. Does a shadow
have the power to control a person’s actions? Of course not.
It can only mimic us. But in Brown’s case, his shadow did
take control momentarily. Why? Because he allowed himself
to be distracted – “addicted,” if you will – by it that he
completely forgot what he was supposed to be about. That’s a
pretty good description of the power of the flesh.
If you are a redeemed person, your flesh can still play
havoc in your life. It is indeed a spiritual warfare. Note the
words of Paul found in Romans 7:19, “For the good that I
would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”
 The flesh can cause you to forget what you are
supposed to be about – and that is the Lord’s work.

What to do:
✞Ask daily for the power of the Holy Spirit to control
your life.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Righteous Thinking
March 27

 Bible Reading: Philippians 4:1-8

 Key Verse: Verse 8 - “Finally, brethren, whatsoever
things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are
pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and
if there be any praise, think on these things.
Key Words: think on these things

If you think there is no spiritual warfare taking place

to control your thinking, you probably need to take a step
back and think again.
The Bible continually talks about the importance of
our thought life.
Proverbs 23:7a, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is
he:”
Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given unto
me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself
more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly,
according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of
faith.”
 Galatians 6:3, “For if a man think himself to be
something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”
As you read inside the Word, you find where Satan
attacked the minds of Adam, Eve, and Abraham (Genesis 12),
just to name a few, and so it is with your life as well. Daily
there is a spiritual warfare taking place for your mind.
Recent experiments have been made in which people
were fitted with special prismatic glasses. These devices
greatly distort the vision so that straight lines appeared to be
curved, and sharp outlines seemed fringed with color. Within
just a few days, however, the unnatural shapes, tinted edges,
and inverted landscapes gradually disappeared, and the world
began to be normal again, even though they still wore their
optical fittings. The brain was finally able to overcome the
false data that came through the prismatic lenses. This
adaptability in the physical realm is indeed a blessing. In the
area of the spiritual, however, the human mind does not
function very well. In fact, man is a sinner whose deepest
imaginations are evil, and his thought life produces a world of
illusions. He thinks of himself as pure when in reality he is
guilty before God.
The only way we can think right is when we think
Biblically.

What to do:
✞Think Biblically!! In order to do this, you must
know what God’s Word says.

The Spiritual Warfare Over

Money
March 28

 Bible Reading: I Timothy 6:1-10


 Key Verse: Verse 10 - “For the love of money is the
root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they
have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves
through with many sorrows."
Key Words: For the love of money is the root of all
evil

In our text verse Paul warns Timothy about loving

money. In this he reveals to us a three-fold danger.
1. The love of money causes us to covet.
2. The love of money causes us to err from the
faith.
3. The love of money causes us to have many
sorrows.

It is for this reason I have developed the philosophy

that I will give more to God each month than I give to
anything or anyone else. My largest financial outgo each
month will always be to God. This philosophy helps me in the
following ways.
 It causes me to place God first in my finances.
 It causes me to pray about major purchases.
 It keeps me from over-committing myself
financially.
 It keeps me from buying impulsively.
 It keeps me from breaking the first
commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods
before me.
 It keeps me from breaking the tenth
commandment: “Thou shalt not covet.”
 It certainly helps me keep my budget in line.
 It causes me to ask God to supply rather than to
depend on myself.
I am convinced that many of our church families are
strapped financially simply because they do not apply any
spiritual principles to their purchases. Let me close by saying
something I always say in regard to money, “Show me where
you spend your money and I will show you where your heart
is.” May our hearts belong to God and our money will always
follow.

What to do:
✞Love God and people; use money; for when we love
money we start using God and people.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare With

People
March 29

 Bible Reading: III John

 Key Verse: Verse 9 - “I wrote unto the church: but
Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence
among them, receiveth us not."
Key Words: but Diotrephes

Do you have a Diotrephes in your life – someone who

sees you as a threat to their position? If so, then you’re in a
spiritual warfare.
There are three things we know about Diotrephes.

1) He loved to be in control (verse 9).

2) He was evil (verse 11).
3) He was malicious with his words (verse 10).

Some of the greatest spiritual battles you will have in

your life is going to come, not from Satan, but carnal, fleshly,
controlling “believers” who are out of God’s will. They can be
vicious.
I read the following and found it quite applicable.
“At the start of the McCarthy era, Floridian Claude
Pepper, one of the Senate’s most outspoken liberals, was on
the conservatives’ ‘hit list’ along with many other senators.
George Smathers lashed out with some typical right-wing
invective – he called his opponent ‘the Red Pepper’ – and he
launched a campaign to expose Pepper’s secret ‘vices.’
Smathers disclosed that Pepper was ‘a known extravert,’ his
sister was a ‘thespian,’ and his brother a ‘practicing homo
sapien.’ Also, when Pepper went to college, he actually
‘matriculated.’ Worst of all, he ‘practiced celibacy’ before
marriage. Naturally, rural voters were horrified, and Pepper
lost.”
The reason that the spiritual warfare with people is so
dangerous is because those who are carnal and unethical can
and will be malicious, while those who are filled with the
Spirit find it difficult to “fight back.”
May God grant you His grace when you are going
through the spiritual warfare with people.

What to do:
✞Focus on God, and always take the high road.

********************

The Spiritual Warfare Of

Lukewarmness
March 30

 Bible Reading: Revelation 3:14-22

 Key Verse: Verse 18 - “I counsel thee to buy of me gold
tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white
raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the
shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint
thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see."
Key Words: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried
in the fire
 Look again at our text in Revelation 3:18, “I counsel
thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that
the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine
eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.”
The Laodiceans needed the gold of God’s glory that
had been through the fire. They needed the garments of God’s
righteousness. They thought they were clothed; they came to
the worship service and looked so fine. And yet, God said,
“You are naked.” First Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned.”
Do you remember Hans Christian Andersen’s story,
“The Emperor’s New Clothes?” A couple of conniving men
pretended to be tailors. Knowing the king’s vanity about his
clothes, they began a scheme to weave invisible garments.
And the king bought into it! He took off all his clothes and
put on the invisible suit. He walked in a royal procession
down the streets to show everyone his magnificent clothes. At
first everyone exclaimed praises over what he was “wearing.”
Then one little boy had the audacity to say, “Look at the king.
He is altogether as naked as the day he was born!”
Are you rich today? Add up everything you have that
money cannot buy and death cannot take away. That is how
you will know how rich you are.
What happens to someone who is lukewarm? God
says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous
therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19). Ask yourself: “Do I
love the Lord my God with all my heart? If not, am I willing
to repent?” If you do not, He will rebuke and chasten you.
You cannot simply waltz to heaven in a lukewarm condition
without God meeting you along the way to chasten you. His
Word says, “Repent!”
Lukewarmness is not weakness; it is wickedness. It is
not a small sin; it is a great sin. If the greatest commandment
is to love God with all your heart, then the greatest sin is not
to do so. In the last days, our Lord says that lukewarmness
will be the condition of the average church.
It is a spiritual war we cannot afford to lose as we
serve the Lord in these last days.

What to do:
✞Be on fire for God, and occupy `til He comes.

********************

The Battle Of Patience

March 31

 Bible Reading: James 1:1-15

 Key Verse: Verse 4 - “But let patience have her perfect
work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing."
Key Words: But let patience have her perfect work

Learning to wait: it’s called patience. It is a fruit of the

Spirit. It comes from walking in the Spirit. Oh, how hard it is
to come by, but patience is required in order to succeed in this
spiritual life we live. You can’t avoid it. All of us at some
point in life must learn to “wait on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).
Abraham and Sarah had to wait for their promised
child, Isaac. Their failure to wait produced many trials in
their lives.
Noah had to wait for God’s promised rain.
Jacob had to wait fourteen years in order to marry the
love of his life, Rachel.
I have found that most of us want patience and we
want it now!! God causes us to wait for the maturing of our
faith and for His glory.
Our Daily Bread records the following.
“The purposes of God often develop slowly because
His grand designs are never hurried. The great New
England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and
quiet manner. At times, however, even he suffered moments
of frustration and irritability. One day a friend saw him
feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion. ‘What’s the
trouble, Mr. Brooks?’ he asked. ‘The trouble is that I’m in a
hurry, but God isn’t!’ Haven’t we felt the same way many
times? Some of the greatest missionaries of history devotedly
spread the seed of God’s Word and yet had to wait long
periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts. William Carey,
for example, labored seven years before the first Hindu
convert was brought to Christ in Burma, and Adoniram
Judson toiled seven years before his faithful preaching was
rewarded. In western Africa, it was fourteen years before one
convert was received into the Christian church. In New
Zealand, it took nine years; and in Tahiti, it was sixteen years
before the first harvest of souls began.”
Our cry should not be “Now, O Lord,” but rather
“Lord, I’m willing to wait so I can watch you work.” Let me
assure you, it’s worth the wait.

What to do:
✞Wait on the Lord. A failure to do so will cause
trouble for many.
 I deeply appreciate
the help of

Mary Parsons

Glenda Myrick

And my lovely wife, Linda

Without God using these

people to help, this
devotional would not
have been possible.
Dr. Mike Rouse
 is a ministry of

5568 Chalkville Mountain Road

Birmingham, AL. 35235
(205) 854-2741
www.mountainviewbaptist.org