Well, here we go!!!
In Tempted and Tried, Russell D. Moore walks readers through the Devil’s ancient strategies for temptation revealed in Jesus’ wilderness testing. Moore considers how those strategies might appear in a contemporary context and points readers to a way of escape. The book will remind Christians that temptation must be understood in terms of warfare, encouraging them with the truth that victory has already been secured through the triumph of Christ.Current discussion: Chapter 1 Wrestling With Demons: Why Temptation Matters
Read and join in the conversation. Or just join in and comment. Next discussion (chapter 2) 8/25/2011
Chapter 2: Slaughterhouse Drive
Why Your On The Verge Of Wrecking Your Life (Especially If You Don't Know It)
These powers don't want to give up their dark reign, so they are lashing back, and with fury. This means war. The sheer animal force of temptation ought to remind us of something: the universe is demon haunted."
ReplyDeleteI think we most often lose fact of that. That we really are in a war. Demons are real and inhabit our earthly abode. We live here with them.
But I think what is more freightning is the fact that we live with our selves. We live in a reality that says we still have to deal with the remaining sin
that wages war against our members (Romans 7:23) I like how Moore helps us, or reminds us, as I know, I know this but have a very short memory
span, that satan will tempt us just as Jesus was tempted. Not new temptations (1Corinthians 10:13) but just a constant barage of new strategies.
His summing up of the temptations of Christ as consumption, security and status are helpful. The fact is that we (the lost and saved) are created in the image of God, and satan
hates that. Especially those of us who are redeemed and recreated in Christ and are considered new creatures. Now we more resemble our "Trinatarian" God as the Son and Holy Spirit now
indwells us. Oh Satan is really juiced about this. As Moore points out "demons are thinkers". They know that within man indwelling sin remains.
That want to, and with much success, bring out that remaining sin. In this wilderness, this present age satan is ruling. God stepped into this world, satans
stronghold, and was victorious over those temptation hurled at him by satan, and by union with Christ, where He walked alone we do not. On our own, this wilderness living
is an impossibility. We forget this, they know that. We are tempted and drawn away by our own lust (James 1:14). Sin is indwelling us and most of us think that sin is something
that is caused from something outside of us. I think we misunderstand, or have it backwards, the only righteousness that God will accept comes from outside of us, that rigteousness is from Christ that is
given to us. Sin is "indwelling" us, it is an "inside" job. But how gracious our God is when He allows us to catch a glimpse of our own remaining sin and have the Holy Spirit
enabled ability via union with Christ to mortify the remaining sin. Satan and demons know this, but we forget this.
August 18, 2011 4:17 PM
Well said my brother, I concur with your view of this chapter. I think the spiritual battles for God's children intensifies as we are regenerated to conform to our Lord. His examples of how we are to handle the circumstance to come in our lives, each in our own life is something for us all to study and meditate on for those moments that do challenge us all to speak Fathers truth to any circumstance that will open the door to bring God's Holy word into our speech, and behave as obedient children in every way we live our life. I think as we live our life by the Faith and Love God has given us all, it is the wisdom our Father continues to pour out upon us all to use against these demons.
ReplyDeleteI believe your right Troy. It appears that the battle intensifies once we are regenerated. As an unregenerate person that is devoid of the Holy Spirit, one does not even know that there is a battle. Once God saves us the civil war breaks out as Paul describes in Romans 7. But only after the breaking free of the bondage to sin (definitive sanctification) occurs as Paul describes in Romans 6. Some see Romans 7 as Paul describing someone or himself before salvation. If that is the case I am in big trouble. I believe that Paul is describing the person who now can see with regenerate eyes the sin that still remains in a christian post conversion. But, we have the ability now to not be in "complete bondage" to sin. When we do sin, we now have an advocate with the father, when as before we were the children of wrath and had satan as our father when we were in Adam.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing as you look at the scriptures that talk about someone who is not in Christ as being blinded and lead to do the will of satan. What is also interesting to note is how Paul talks about being hindered by satan from going to certain areas to minister and even having a thorn in the flesh given to him that is a messenger of satan. So, I don't know how God allows or even uses satan to work out issues or sin in a christians life. But, the Word of God says He does. The problem we have is trying to delve into His secret decrees. Also understanding that He uses means to conform us into the Image of Christ. Such as trials and persecutions. Mainly it is the Word of God that is instrumental in our sanctification. Most profoundly the Word being preached.
Jesus was tempted and triumphed. We can't. But all of His righteousness was imputed to us or credited to our account. Satan knows this and often tries with much success to get us to think that we can or should add to this righteousness with our own.
In light of this past Lords day, Doc Lawson spoke of total spiritual depravity, this very truth is something to keep in mind as we witness for God, it speaks volumes of Moors point in the chapter of the slaughter house. As pastor Lawson said in a great analogy, we are describing a sun set to a blind man. As I was enjoying our fellowship this last Sunday, and brother David was speaking about a person you all was witnessing to, I heard him say of a particular facial look, as the gospel was being spoke to him. I think these facial expressions, and what that person response is when we are speaking the good news is a key point of decrement of this person.
ReplyDeleteJust checking
ReplyDelete