7/15/2022 • Desk of Dennis Piller
You can’t live life in your rearview mirror.
1 Thessalonians 5:8- “But since we belong to the day, we must be serious and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When a soldier was wearing his helmet, he didn’t have to worry about what might hit his head from behind or on top or from the side. All he had to do was keep focused on what was ahead.
The battleground is in the mind. 2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ”.
But so many of us go through life getting caught up in what we can’t do as Christians. But think of this, if we are focusing on our sin, our shortcomings, our failures, then we stand a real chance of looking through life in regret and the sins of our past. But the Holy Spirit says to look up to Grace unto Victory. He encourages us to know our identity in Christ. Rather than focusing on the dark doors of our past, he says Gods doors are: peace, freedom, truth, forgiveness, salvation, integrity, grace. Satan wants our past to have a voice! NO… if it has a voice let it be one of DEFEATED BY THE BLOOD! That we are grounded in our identity in Christ.
Roman 6:14 For sin shall no longer be your master because you are not under the law, but under grace” Doesn’t it make sense that you can’t live a healthy life focusing on what not to do. As men, we hesitate to share our doubts and failures because we feel like we are the only ones battling this! Or I don’t want to show my ignorance… I don’t know these people. You're NOT ALONE… Every man struggles with the pride of this and how we look to others. Why wait until your downing before you humble yourself and get real and vulnerable with those who are more mature? You certainly can’t learn much from someone who knows less than you.
1 COR 10-:13 “No Temptation” has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. But God is faithful he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”
All of us are the same. We suffer the same doubts, weaknesses, and insecurities but our pride is like a 500-lb weight dragging us down to silence and isolation. That is an attack on the mind! That is why we need the helmet of salvation as our protection from the lies and half-truths of Satan. When we let in one germ, suddenly we have the flue and are sick for weeks. And you can rest assured, that Satan will attack in the last place he found your weakness. Pride is a killer. Just like Cancer stage four!
No matter what happens in life, if we have salvation through Jesus, we don’t have to worry. We can know God’s got it. He is on our side. Even death can’t separate us from Him. He promises us eternal life in Heaven with Him because of Jesus. There is always hope in Him!
Lord, help me to take every thought captive. Help me filter everything by your word. Help me discipline myself to read and pray a little more each week. Lord, I don't want to keep repeating the same mistakes of my past. My mind is racing about how to do this. Lord, I need your peace and courage.
Lauren Daigle peace be still
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa1UdfpcSuQ
