Strategies

In my previous lesson I talked about God’s strategy of secrecy.  Of course, the Lord must have many strategies in addition to His hiddenness.  Strategies are necessary because there is an enemy, and God knows His enemy’s devices.  God’s strategies equip us to “stand against the devil’s schemes” as we “stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Eph 6:10-13).

Jesus, being the Word of God, knew His purpose on the earth (Jn 1:1-3).  Nothing was spoken without His mouth containing the words.  We read that which was spoken about what Jesus’ sacrifice would look like in Isaiah 53.  He

• Seemed stricken by God
• Was despised and rejected by men
• Was physically wounded, and unfairly judged for sins He had not committed
• Jesus died a shameful death, the cross being a curse
• His blameless life shows that He was not worthy of having the sins of all Man heaped onto Him, like a scapegoat.

This was God’s plan for Mankind’s salvation.  Jesus was there in the beginning, before the world was created, and spoke this plan into being. 

Men have thought that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was God’s way of settling legal ordinances against us.  This is true, and yet if we look at legal issues alone we not only miss God’s strategy; we fail to see our enemy’s.  Jesus had just been affirmed by God from heaven, Who said “This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Mt3:16-17)  Satan’s first purpose of temptation was to cause Jesus to doubt His Heavenly Father’s words. Because satan did not want Jesus to save Mankind, he met Him to tempt Him in the wilderness.  The enemy of God’s purposes offered

• Strength and endurance by physical means.  Satan wanted Jesus’ powerful fast to be broken. To plant doubt, he began with “If you are the Son of God. . . ”.  And to usurp the fast, He asked Jesus to compromise; prove Himself by making bread out of rocks (Mt 4:3).  Satan’s underlying message was that Jesus could achieve spiritual goals and avoid suffering by using His powers.  But it was because Jesus did not rely on His powers alone that He was able to drink the cup of suffering which led Him to the cross (Lk 22:40-46).
• Protection if Jesus would prove Himself by defying the physical laws men are subjected to (Mt 4:6).  This would cause Jesus to walk as a supernatural human being, unlike the One Who would be acquainted with the sorrows of men. However, Jesus “had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.  Because He himself suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb:17-18)Jesus made Himself like a human, not a god, and humbled Himself to death . . . even death on a cross (Phil 2:6-8).
• The splendor and authority of the kingdoms of this world (Mt 4:8-9). To usurp God’s plan of using Jesus as the sacrificial lamb for Mankind, satan offered Him the kingdoms without the sacrifice.  Though this temptation does not question the legitimacy of Jesus being the Son of God, it plants doubt on the acceptance of His sacrifice.  Because satan is the accuser of the brethren, he would be there in heaven to accuse Jesus’ sacrifice to the Father, for Jesus would have all the sin of Mankind laid upon Him.  We see this principle in Zechariah 3 where satan accuses the high priest Joshua, who has filthy garments on.  Legally, the garments did not meet the standards of a priest who was to atone for the sins of others.  In the vision we see that the filthy garments are exchanged for “rich” ones, and all the filthiness of the sins are taken away.  The Lord rebukes satan, revealing that it is God Himself Who snatches men from the fire to redeem them. In Revelation 5 we see that Jesus’ sacrifice was received by God, and all His shame was taken away.  He then receives His rightful place of glory, honor, power and authority. 

As we follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we must consider how to take our stand for faith, and against our enemy.  Looking at how our common enemy tempted Jesus shows us many strategies.  Satan is not a creative being, and he repeats his temptations over and over again.  Here are some points to consider;

• Just as satan tried to plant doubt by saying “If you are the Son of God . . . “, so he also will try to plant doubt in our minds that we are Jesus’ followers, Christians who are co-heirs in the family of God.  Satan tries to erase what God has said and His promises to us in the scriptures.  Similarly, he asked Eve “Has God said . . . ?” in the garden of Eden (Gen 3:1).  Doubt regarding our relationship with God is his first weapon against us, and the shield of faith is our defense (Eph 6:16).
• Compromise with our flesh is a strong temptation from our enemy, for we do not like to suffer.  It is a mature Christian that comes to the realization that suffering is in his life as he lays it down on the altar of sacrifice, taking up his own cross to follow Christ.  Though Jesus came to the earth from heaven, He learned obedience through those things He suffered, and thereby His life was perfected as an acceptable offering (Heb 5:8-10).  We too have to learn obedience through suffering if we are to follow in His steps.
• Satan also tries to get us to focus on the supernatural as a means to prove our spirituality to God and to others.  This will distance us from most people, causing our hearts to be cold and indifferent to their needs.  Though Jesus was “acquainted” with the griefs of people, those who devote their time to supernatural endeavors will be out of touch with the patience it takes to walk another mile with a brother, and will deny themselves the inconvenience of surrendering their coat to warm him.  If Jesus, the Son of God, had to be fully human, then we also can be fully human while we are becoming the sons and daughters of God. This is what it means; “every spirit that has come in the flesh is from God” and that is how we can know when the Holy Spirit is speaking (1 Jn 4:2-3).  Jesus was fully human. And, as He was in this world, so are we (1 Jn 4:17).  In our flesh the Son of God has come, when we are baptized by His Holy Spirit.  The spirit of Anti Christ says we cannot be like Him, and that He had special powers that enabled Him to be perfect. However, imperfect as we are, the supernatural does not hold the key to our perfection; our obedience in our flesh does.
• Satan always tempts us to take short cuts, or the easy way out.  He likes to tell us that all our sacrifice is not going to accomplish a thing, and that we can have the world and all its glories and still achieve our goals.  In fact, he tempts the servants of God by deceiving them into thinking that they can do more for God if they have more of the world.  The prophet Malachi spoke against the spiritual leaders of his time for believing the same thing. They had said “It is futile to serve God.  What did we gain by carrying out His requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?  Certainly the evil doers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.” (Mal 3:14-15).  Our enemy wants us to covet the world and find all the good in it that would serve our purposes.  God wants us to forsake the world and serve His purposes in our lives as He works His will in us (Phil 2:13).

I do not believe that the Lord wants us to focus on satan’s weapons in order to defeat him.  Rather, let us be equipped with God’s strategies.  Peter put it this way: “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 the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are under-going the same kind of sufferings.” (2 Pet 5:8-9)  Therefore, stand firm in who you are in Christ, your place in His family, and in all He has both written and spoken.  Know that you are called to suffer in the flesh (1 Pet 4:1), but that Jesus will restore you and make you strong (1 Pet 5:10-11).  Remember that the proof of our spirituality is not the supernatural works we do, but the works of love we give (Mt 25:31-45). And do not become a friend of the world, thinking to use the world to gain the kingdom of God, for those who do so will not have the love of God in them (1 Jn 2:15-17).  Amen.