Are Demons Real in the Church Age

Please read Mark 5:1-20 see also Matthew 8:28-34 and Luke 8:26-37. A Biblical world view includes understanding there are demons active in our world. The enemy is alive and active on planet earth. Satan has a well thought out plan to destroy your life. We are commanded to teach and know the "whole counsel of God." This includes understanding the work of the enemy. The story of the Gerasene demoniac clearly shows the desire of demons to distort and destroy (if possible) the image of God in man. This is seen in several ways. First, the demoniac was living among the tombs, an unclean area. A sign of being demonized is a preoccupation with death. Second, for a long time he had not lived in a house, and had worn no clothes. Demonized people tend to dress immodestly. Third, no chains (may refer to metal, wood, or leather) could hold him and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Demonized people may display super human strength. The verb tenses indicate repetitive attempts at binding and escaping. Fourth, he was constantly crying our and gashing himself with stones, though there had to have been times when he was quiet enough for people to chain him. Cutting oneself is often a sign of demonetization. Was he engaging in pagan demon worship or trying to kill himself to be rid of his torment? Fifth, and finally, he was 'driven' by the demons to solitary places. The fact that there were many demons ( a "legion" consists of some 6,000 men) in him shows that he is completely under their control. The demoniac sees Jesus from a distance, and the demons drive him to confront Jesus just as He leaves the boat and steps on shore. They know Jesus' name and identity, and, in accordance with magical practices, use it in an unsuccessful attempt to gain control over Him. The "bowing down" indicates respect for His power, but the shouting at the top of the man's voice shows their real attitude. Though knowing Him, the demons do not worship Him, clearly the bowing was a demonic act. They do not want Him to torment them by sending them to the abyss "before their time." The tormentors wish to avoid torment. In the intertestamental literature it was taught that demons had freedom, but only until the judgment day. It is ironic that they implore Him by God-they have no claim to God's name. They do not want to be sent to the abyss. The abyss is used of the place of imprisonment for evil powers, it figures in Hebrew cosmology as the 'watery deep' below the earth to which the seas are connected. Thus, though we cannot be certain the demonic drowning of the pigs in the water may indicate that they did not escape the "abyss." Jesus (continuously) commands them to come out, but they do not do it at once. Rather, they beg to be sent into the herd of pigs, and Jesus consents (sending unclean spirits into unclean animals). Apparently they desire some host to destroy., frustrated in their attempts to destroy the demoniac, they choose the pigs. Even though pigs are good at swimming, they drown (literally, "one after the other they drowned themselves'. Four important questions arise. 1. Why does Jesus ask for the name of the demons? Least likely is the possibility that He needed to know the name to control the demon. It is more possible that He wants the disciples to see that there are many demons. Alternatively, He may be using this to remind the demoniac of who he is (a person infested with demons), which will prepare him for delivery. 2. What is the significance of the name "legion"? It may not indicate a literal 6,000, but the fact that there were many is seen in their ability to destroy 2,000 pigs. To the people of Palestine, "Legion" would imply a Roman army host, and signify "vast numbers, complex organization, invincible strength, and relentless opposition". The word May have been chosen to frighten or discourage Jesus, but to no avail. That "Legion" is given as my name may indicate the rank of the demon speaking to Jesus through the man-he is the demonic "commander" of the many demons inhabiting the man. Demons have rank and power. 3. It there any significance to the demons wanting to remain in the same geographic location? In accordance with the beliefs of the pagan nations, do demons (gods) have more power in certain areas, or are they simply more 'attached' to certain places than others? We do know from the book of Daniel there are territorial spirits who operate in specific locals. 4. Why does Jesus allow them to go into the pigs? He may have wanted everyone (especially the demoniac) to see that the victim was genuinely relieved and that the true mission of demons is to destroy their host. The local populace, unable to understand and being afraid of Jesus' power, ask Him to leave the area (possibly valuing the pigs more than the person), the people of the world may not respond kindly to proof of God's power over demons. In any event, the demoniac is cured. He is sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. Some mental illness is due to demonization. Before he had been restless, naked, and crazy. Out of gratitude, he asks to accompany Jesus, but is told to return to his home and tell others his story. He obeys, becoming a powerful witness of the victory Christ has given him. We see Jesus' authority in dealing with the demons. We also see the satanic attempts to cause people to act as directly against the image of God as they can. God wants you to walk in fellowship with Him. Jesus came to "destroy the works of the devil." Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Meaning of True Freedom

"For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sin? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said 'Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'" When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same scarifies, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us for after saying. "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds." "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin" (Hebrews 10:1-18). The most extensive object lesson God ever gave mankind was the Law, especially the animal sacrifices required by the Law. Time after time, animal after animal, year after year, blood offering after blood offering, the sacrificial smoke filled the altar and ascended to heaven. The act of sacrifice was as commonplace under the Law as the sound of music in our churches is today. But actually, it all was "a shadow of the good things to come." None of it ever took away sins! Animal sacrifice was merely an object lesson; it was a picture without words, a sermon without substance. Not until the Lamb of God offered Himself, one sacrifice for all time; was the picture made perfect. First, note the limited freedom under the Law (10:1-4). The ritual of worship was absolutely prescribed under the Law, with no room left for creativity. In spite of its obscurity, the Law was of life-or-death importance; but it had its limitations. It could not make anyone perfect (v.1). It is obvious that if the Law did perfect people, they never would have had to repeat their sacrifices for the cleansing of their sin. The repetition announced that the Law was never permanently effective. It could not make anyone clean (v.2). Again, if the Law had thoroughly cleansed its subjects the would not have needed to keep going back to the priest for sacrificial cleansing. It could not permanently take away sins (v.4). The writer stresses the impossibility of the removal of sins by shedding the blood of goats and bulls. Second, we see the complete freedom we have in Christ (10:5-14). Because the Law could not do for men what was needed, God gave us His Son, who is introduced in v.5 by the word "therefore." Note two contrasts involving Christ. He offered Himself, rather than an animal (vv. 5-10). God was not pleased by the killing of the animals; His pleasure came from the obedience expressed by the sinners who came to the altar for the cleansing of their sins. Note v.9. Through His obedience, Jesus brought an end to the Law and its requirements as they had been known for so long. He didn't dilute the Law or diminish its importance: He took it away. He made one offering, rather than many (vv. 11-14). Once Jesus offered Himself as the enduring sacrifice, His work was done: He didn't keep returning to the cross or to the tomb. He didn't wear out a path between heaven and earth. He sat down at the right hand of God to intercede on our behalf. The question we must ask ourselves is, "Then why do I keep working so hard to earn favor with God?" Every generation of people has tried to do what Christ has already done. We work, struggle, fight, pray, worry, strive, compete, while He sits resting, just as we ourselves should be doing. The text says, "by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" )v.14). We have been perfected. We must resist the legalists who give us lists of things we must and must not do to accrue God's favor. Rather than focus on the things we are not to do, we are to cultivate within ourselves an obedient attitude-the kind modeled for us by our Savior. Third, observe the freedom benefits we have as believers (10:15-18). When you have a sacrifice-once for all, free for all-you have no boredom, meaninglessness, or monotony. Available to each of us each morning is a fresh day of grace in which to live our life. Why? Two reasons emerge from these verses. Sufficient power is now available within us. The sin issue is no longer our primary concern. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Promises for the Battle

What, then, has God promised us that ensures that we will not only gain freedom in Christ but also walk in that freedom day by day? Here are six promises God gives to those who follow Him. Promise one: Blessings. First, God promises His blessings. Two specific ones described in Scriptures are note worthy. First, He gives us "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). In addition to our salvation and a place in heaven, those spiritual blessings include our freedom in Christ and the fruit of the Spirit that come as we abide in Him and serve Him. Second, there is the special blessing that comes by meditating on the Word of God. The one who learns about Him and His plan-the one who has "his delight...in the law of the Lord, and in [that] law...meditates day and night"-is blessed (see Psalm 1:1-3, especially verse 2). But these blessings do not come without cost. For instance, we can be certain that when God opens the windows of heaven to bless, Satan will open the gates of hell to blast (Revelation 2:9-10). The lost man's greatest terror is God, but God is the Christian's greatest joy. The best measure of our spiritual life is not its ecstasies, but our obedience. When we obey, we invite Satan's wrath, but God's blessings will always overcome it. Caroline looked at me from the chair she was sitting in and said, "I have a major problem. Every time I start walking the Christian life the gates of hell open up, and the enemy himself fires his darts at me, Ken, what do I do? "Caroline, you're experiencing the Christian life," I said. "If the enemy can keep you defeated, if the enemy can keep you a prisoner of war, he will just leave you there. If you are not doing damage to his kingdom, your testimony is not going to get anybody saved. If you're not raising your children in such a way that they will see Christ and have a desire to walk with Him, then the Evil One will back off. He could care less about you. But when you start taking steps with the Lord as you just described, you invite the blasts of the enemy. It might seem difficult at first, but if you keep walking, you will find that Jesus Christ will walk with you. He will teach you how to fight the good fight. You will see fruit and blessing in your life." Caroline began to understand that this life is battle; this life is warfare. I encouraged her and said, "Many Christan's go from the cradle to the grave and never comprehend. Heaven is over yonder; the battle is here today. The Lord has told us to fight the good fight because we do it in His strength. I assure you, He will be with you every step of the way." I am happy to report today that Caroline is in the battle. She is walking with the Lord, her life is being used of God, and she is doing tremendous damage to Satan's kingdom. Promise two: the ability to do His work. God's second promise is to empower us for His work. Paul expressed this truth twice in his letter to the Philippians: "God...works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (2:13; 4:13). Ultimately, what is the goal of freedom in our lives? To do God's work, especially in soul winning. God will strengthen us for each work. In the arena of winning people to faith in Christ, the average person doesn't care about how much you know until they've seen how much you care. Part of our walking in freedom is our obedience to the Lord in serving others by showing such love and care. A man in his mid-thirties, Leroy gave me the following testimony. "I work at a tire manufacturing plant and there are several fellows there who are Christians. They were kind to me and nice even when I occasionally pulled a trick on them. They would just laugh and become part of the joke. They kept inviting me to church. One morning I showed up. They invited me to sit with them, and then one of them invited me to come home with his family after church for lunch. They just simply cared about me. I continued to go to church because of the love, care, and concern of the people. It was not the preaching, it was not the music. It was the love that was displayed to me that drew me to Jesus Christ. One day under conviction of sin I trusted Christ as my Savior." Every church should have this testimony. We have the tendency to think that it is the music, or the preaching, or the fellowship dinners that draw people. But it is the love of Christians that draws people. The writer John said we would be known by our love. The question to ask yourself is "Are you known by your love?" Promise three: Wisdom. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him," the Scripture declares (James 1:5). Our walk in freedom is a wisdom walk. In times of trial or testing, we need spiritual wisdom. We will love and support and give our lives to what we treasure most. In effect, we should not give our passion and commitment to anything that we cannot take to heaven with us. Once a doctor told me that he had just sold the family home. I knew that Elvin was about to retire; I also knew that his wife and he had three grandchildren who probably would love to visit. So I asked, "How come you sold such a lovely home?" "Who needs a 5,000-square-foot home when we're going to be traveling a great deal abroad? he answered. I said, "Well, that's nice. You and your wife can do some traveling." "Yes," Elvin told me, and then he dropped his bomb. "Myra and I are committed to spending six months out of each year on the mission field. As a retiring physician, the mission agency will still let me do surgery. If they have no one for me to operate on, my hands work real well, and they can work a shovel and I can lay cement blocks and whatever else needs to be done. We are committed for the rest of our lives to serving the Lord Jesus Christ." I was amazed but also pleased to hear that in an age when retirement is often the very goal that people strive for, work for, and save for, here was a husband-and-wife team who wanted to give those golden years to the Lord Jesus Christ to advance His kingdom. Oh, may people of this kind of character increase! Promise four: Peace. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you" (John 14:27). During the time of storm, God's peace, "which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7), will sustain us on the inside as the waves beat on the outside. We must bother the Lord about everything or in time everything will bother us. That is exactly what the enemy wants. An agitated and uneasy saint (without peace) is targeted for a fall. Both meditation on who He is (consulting the Scriptures) and prayer give such peace. True, prayer can work. Perhaps that is why we are so reluctant to exercise it. But not only is prayer work, it is the greatest work. It gives us peace, and it moves the hand of God on our behalf. This leads to God's fifth promise. Promise five: Answers to prayer. God will hear and answer prayers of those who seek His help (though not always as we expect or even prefer). Jesus' commands in Matthew 7:7-9 are instructive. The three verbs that concern our prayer life are ask, seek, and knock. All are in a verb form indicating action that is continuing. In other words, "keep asking, seeking, and knocking." In verse 8, the Lord ensures the certainty of answers to our prayers. We are assured that He hears our prayers and answers them in His loving, fatherly way according to His perfect will. And it is our faith and trust in God that leads us to continue asking. Just as it would be an insult to knock once at someones door and leave, so with the lord in prayer. As the apostle James explained in his classic statement on prayer, a major reason you "do not have [is] because you do not ask" (4:2). Let's also remember that whether we pray for others or ourselves, it must be with the right motives, we will not receive because God is not going to help us fulfill selfish desires. A prayer less saint is prey for the enemy. Prayer usually determines whether our problems or God's promises have our life. The devil has temporary, limited control of our world system, which is why it is in such a mess. This alone should prompt us to pray. We ought to be so familiar with prayer that the moment the enemy shows up, our response is to call upon the Lord for help (Psalm 50:15; 91:15). when the enemy shows up, resist him and cry out to God. There is no better prescription for dealing with temptation. Promise six: Help against temptation. "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). These words offer encouragement and assurance that it is not necessary that we fall as the Israelites did in the earlier verses of this chapter (6-10). This is a call for us to learn from the Old Testament examples. From these we learn God is with us and He will strengthen us and help us stand. The temptation spoken of in verse 13 has two important aspects to it (1) any temptation to sin comes from the enemy, never from God, and (2) it's a testing that God allows for the purpose of our refinement and purification. Through the Lord's strength we can bear the temptation and pass the test. He is not the originator of the temptation, but He is in control of the temptation. He is always available to help us through the temptation. He not only limits the temptation, but in His sovereignty supplies the means of escape. Thus, we are assured that in His perfect timing the Lord will remove the trial. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Truth will Drive out Deception

What if the accusations being made against you are true? What if what Satan is saying is right? For sometimes he does say what's true. "You hurt so and so." Or, You sinned in such-and-such a manner." What do we do then? It always comes back to the same principle: "The truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). Admit the truth, confess the sin, and go on. If restitution is necessary, provide it. Otherwise, leave it the hands of God. It's really as simple as that. How can we walk in the freedom Christ won for us at Calvary? Here are three truths about our relationship with God we can count on. 1. The power not to sin. First, as the redeemed, we do not have to sin. As God's new creation, we can walk by the Spirit, and He gives us control over the flesh. All of your sin (past, present, and future) is forgiven (Colossians 2:13). Now God can have an intimate love relationship with us as His redeemed ones. There is no more separation between God and redeemed man (even though God is still God and man is still man). In fact, God lives in union with the believer. God had declared us to be holy, irreproachable, blameless, complete in Christ, and fit for heaven. 2. Protection. As redeemed children, God the Father promises us protection from the enemy. We read, "We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him" (1 John 5:18). The Lord Jesus guards the believer who walks with Him so that the enemy will not take hold of the believer and drag him off into sin. Though we will at times fall into sin, we will not abide in it. In fact, the verb form for sin in 1 John 5:18means to continue or remain in sin. If we have been born again of God, we know Satan cannot directly or continually drag us into sin. God's protection assures us. And while the spiritual battle is underway, we know God's superior might will protect us from Satan's overpowering us, "because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). 3. Comfort. God provides comfort when we are suffering. Have you noticed how in a time of crisis the enemy will send "Job's friends" to pitch their tents in your backyard? In some cases their unsolicited "comfort" can be worse than the trial you' re going through. (to see three theologically incorrect "comforters" in action, read, for example, Job 5,8, and 11. To see their error and God's response, read Job 42:7-9.) The true God of comfort sends true comforters who "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Grace and Truth Applied

The great deceiver ultimately wants to rob us of the power of grace and truth in our lives. Thus, he attacks our minds and emotions, looking for a place in our lives where he might gain a foothold. For instance, he will pressure us to become proud about certain accomplishments, talents, or physical aspects of our bodies. This pride opens the door to an attack on individual problems and practices that don't please God, such as prejudice, hatred, anger, jealousy, envy, lust, and numerous other things. Because of pride, we refuse to acknowledge the sin, and because of the sin we lose our reputation and perhaps even our careers, marriages, and so forth. It's then people come to me and say, "please fix it!" To "fix it," I have to go back to the bedrock problems that started the whole thing, then lead them to confess their pride, repair their character and make restitution for their sins. For many people, this is difficult to the point that they rail in anger at me, saying there has to be another way. In robbing us of grace and truth, the Evil One uses a bitter heart as easily as he uses as proud one. In 1979, during my first pastorate, I was called to the bedside of an elderly man I'll call Nelson. He claimed to have made a profession of faith as a young man, and he attended all the services of the church. But Nelson had the reputation of being the most bitter man in town. Nelson was dying, and the doctor said he would not live through the night. When I approached his bed in the intensive care unit, he called me over to his side and said, "Let me tell you about my no-good, worthless, rotten brother-in-law. I listened sadly as the story spilled out. "In 1929 I had a brand-new Model A Ford car. Back in those days we did not use antifreeze, we used alcohol. Being in a northern state, it was the fall of that year when we needed it. Alcohol was expensive, so I put water in the radiator until I could afford the alcohol. My brother-in-law wanted to borrow the car. I asked him to drain not only the radiator but also the engine block when he finished driving that night (he was taking the car home), because if it froze it would crack the block. "That worthless, no-good brother-in-law drained the radiator, but he did not drain the block because he was too lazy. It froze that night and cracked the block. He brought that new car back to me with the block leaking, laughed about it, and would not pay to have it welded." His brother-in-law had been unfair and perhaps mean-spirited, but I was astonished that this event, which had happened fifty years earlier, was the cause of all this bitterness. Yet as he told that story, the bitterness recked from him like some just-released poison gas. For fifty years, his hatred and anger had consumed him. At that time, my understanding of warfare was next to nothing. But I did do this: I asked him to please consider forgiving his brother-in-law. He refused, and to the best of my knowledge I don't believe he did before he died. Now you might say, "What does this have to do with warfare?" Answer, bitterness can burn in a person's soul for fifty years. Something that should have been forgiven the day it happened, all over something that cost a few dollars to repair. That vehicle in time went to the junk yard to rust. That vehicle really did not matter in an ultimate sense. But it had become an occasion of bitterness that destroyed the joy of a man's life for fifty years. In warfare, the enemy does not care what it takes to get our focus off of Jesus. He uses whatever works for his evil purpose; in this case all it took was a cracked engine block. I plead with you: If you are bitter toward anyone on earth-forgive that person. Release him or her to the Lord. Ask God to forgive you of your bitterness and unforgiveness. Ask God to take back the ground emu have given to the enemy and allow the Lord Jesus Christ to set you free. It's the only way. God will work a miracle in your soul when you do. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

What is Bondage

In many cases, the strength of the flesh is powerful. We can't achieve freedom because Satan has "bound us." What is this bondage that can so destroy our lives? Bondage is living in a state of servitude to and dependence on someone or something else. The individual can't freely enjoy life in Jesus Christ because his sin encloses him and walls off the Lord's love and power. Bondage means living according to the flesh, being captivated or misdirected by the lies of the enemy, or falling in love with the present world system. For instance, one symptom is to be so absorbed and enamored with the world that your self-interests replace any level of devotion to God. This is characterized by willfulness, desiring your own way, giving in to the lusts of the flesh, and even religiously performing to improve your self-esteem rather than obeying God. Performing for others only pleases ourselves. But obedience glorifies God. The iniquities of our fathers. Through this process, one of the first steps toward freedom is acknowledging the iniquities of our fathers. This is a biblical command ordered in Leviticus 26:40,42 and first given in the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:5-6 and 34:7). I believe we are to acknowledge, as did Jeremiah (Jeremiah 14:20), and Daniel (Daniel 9:4-19), and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9:22-37), that we are linked to the iniquities of our fathers. The Scriptures give many examples of the iniquities of the fathers being passed on to the children. We see deception being passed from Abraham to Issac to Jacob and Jacob's sons. King David passed the iniquity of immorality to his sons. I believe there is New Testament basis for confession found in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The word unrighteousness is adikia, the Greek word for iniquity. The Lord delights in setting us free from the influence of the sinful ground given by our generational lineage going back three and four generations. We are not guilty for their sins, but their iniquities (areas of willful self-advancement) tend to transfer to us. This will fullness becomes a problem for many because (1) we tend to imitate our parents and (2) we often justify sin by what our parents did. What is the remedy? According to Scripture, we must: agree with God and repent of our own sin. Admit our father's iniquities (Leviticus 26:40-42). Develop resistance against these sins. Not all willful behavior is influenced by our parents, of course. Some of us have godly parents who have themselves found freedom from the world's system. But if we see our selfish behavior being similar to that of our parents, we can suspect the iniquities of our parents as a major contributing factor to our behavior. In all the warfare counseling I have done, no subject comes under fire like the issue of the iniquities of the fathers. This happened in one family who came in for counseling. Harold, age eleven, and his father walked into my office one day. The dad said, "We as father and son have a problem. I have an anger problem and my son has the same. Part of it was probably learned from me, but I think part was passed on through my iniquities." After we talked I could see that there was clearly a predisposition toward anger in his life. On the basis of Scripture, I believe that the iniquities of the fathers (or mothers) in an area of weakness have a spiritual dimension that is perhaps greater than we can imagine. In Harold's case, I learned this anger problem had come from past generations as well. Thus, I had dad and son acknowledge the iniquities of their fathers to the third and fourth generation and ask God by the power of His Holy Spirit to break off the influence and power of those iniquities. Months later, Harold told me that from that day on he had a whole new level of control over his temper. His mother even said that Herold did the laundry without becoming angry toward her. When it comes to eleven-year-old boys, frankly, I can't think of a stronger testimony! I encourage you to search the Scriptures to see what God says concerning the iniquities of the parents. Ask the Holy Spirit to illumine the Word of God and see if there are some areas that perhaps need to be dealt with in your own life. It's a reality that we all must deal with to some degree, especially if serious problems have passed on for years. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Learning to Watch and Pray

As believers we have a real choice to stop and pray when events churn out of control. Kent is a perfect example of this problem. When he arrived at my office he was more than simply troubled; he was afraid for his life. He had drifted away from the Lord through neglecting prayer and the Bible. Saved as a child, he knew the Lord was real, but because he was not grounded in a good church, he didn't grow as a believer. When he met Sue in college, he was swept away with her sweet charm. The fact that she was an unbeliever didn't deter Kent from pursuing her with all his heart. One year after the were married her uncle offered Kent a "job" with the "firm" he worked for. Over the next five years Kent made over $20,000.00 per week as a major drug distributor. He also became involved in money laundering; his keen mind and expert administrative skills made him a natural for such "work." As the money rolled in, Kent purchased a major nightclub and rode in a stretch limousine. At times, he felt grieved in his spirit; he responded by drinking and engaging in a sexual affair. At that point his marriage began to fall apart. Late one night Sue tried to take her life, and Kent began to wake up and took a look at his life. Meanwhile, a godly woman took an interest in Sue and invited her to a ladies' Bible study. In time Sue received the Lord. One evening as he was traveling home, the police pulled Kent's car over. He was arrested on suspicion of committing murder when the gun used in the murder was traced to Kent. (Kent owned the weapon; it had been stolen from his home two days earlier.) Kent said, "That night was the longest night of my life. Around 2 A.M. I began to pray. I hadn't prayed in years, not seriously anyway, but that night I told God if He would come to my rescue I would turn my life over to Him, lock, stock, and barrel." Which, in Kent's world, could be taken literally! God heard Kent's prayer that night. Through an anonymous tip the real killer was arrested. The new suspect confessed to stealing the gun and using it to take a life. Kent was free. God chose to answer this sinner's prayer. And Kent did recommit his life to Christ. Kent's story is highly dramatic, involving much money and murder. God, of course, can answer any sinner's prayer-deliver him or her from any problem, big or small. When he was released from jail, Kent told Sue of his prayer and God's answer. She wept as she explained to him that she was now a believer in Christ. Within days Kent approached his "employer" and told him he was leaving the "firm." This was extremely dangerous, as anyone would understand who has read books like John Grisham's The Firm. Within hours, a bullet periced the windshield of Sue's car (a warning shot to get Kent's attention) while she was driving. A message left on his answering machine informed Kent that he needed to rethink what he was doing, "or else." As I prayed with Kent, completely at a loss as to how to counsel him, the verse "Agree with your adversary quickly" (see Matthew 5:25) came into my mind. I said to Kent, "Go to your employer and ask him what it will take to be released." Kent wanted out desperately but didn't want to jeopardize his family. So he visited his "boss" and laid out his situation. He shared Christ with him, he asked what it would take to get out alive. His boss made it simple: "Everything you own." Kent swallowed a large dose of pride and financial worry and decided God's way was better than his way. He signed over the club, his home, and several other investments. His "boss" allowed him to keep all household furnishings and one car. Kent told me, "I signed over in excess of three million dollars in property, but I gained my freedom." I was reminded of the verse "What will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:37). Today Kent and Sue live in a three-bedroom home. Their two children are well adjusted. Kent and Sue walk with the Lord and serve Him faithfully. Their story in its entirety would make a great book. Kent says when the time is right, he wants to write it. For now, though, he is "content in the Lord." What was Kent's sin? He had vexed his righteous soul because he was in the midst of a group of wicked people. The devil's lie was "Kent, you're a smart, gifted man You can have anything you put your mind to." The truth answered this though with a question: "But at what price?" What price are you willing to pay to gain freedom, truth, love, peace? Aren't they worth "everything," as Kent discovered? Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Martha's Sunrise

The Spirit's primary work is in guiding us into God's plan for our lives. I saw the Spirit work in this way in Martha. Martha, age thirty-five and a believer in Christ, was suffering from deep emotional pain. During a counseling session, I asked the lord to bring to light the lies Satan had hidden in her inner being. As I prayed, the Lord brought several lies to Martha's mind. "I believe I am really evil," she soon noted. I showed her then what God actually says about her. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5). Martha thought about this and said, "Then according to the Bible I am washed clean." The next lie the Holy Spirit brought to her mind was "God can never love me because I am so awful." I then read the wonderful truth, "We love Him because He first loved us" (I John 4:19). Her eyes lit up as the truth of God's love for her sank into her heart. A third lie soon came to mind: "I can never change: I will always be sinful, dirty, and awful." At this time I personalized 2 Corinthians's 5:17 for Martha: "Therefore, if Martha be in Christ, she is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things for Martha have become new." I must start acting on the truth that I am a new person in Christ." Martha said. I continued to pray that the Lord would reveal the enemy's lies, and even more were revealed. It was all most as if we were in Sunday school and I was asking a class of children these questions. Except in this case, my class was one, Martha, and not a little child but an adult. And yet, as she sought the truth through the Holy Spirit, the truth shone through in that way Jesus spoke of when He said, "Unless you...become as little children, you will by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). As we explored the lies that were more deeply ingrained in Martha's thought processes, she said, "If I serve the Lord, I will never be able to serve people because they will become idols to me." The Lord destroyed this lie through Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." "So a true servant worships God, and part of that worship involves serving people," Martha replied. The last lie the Lord showed her was "I can't face truth because it hurts too much." A number of Scriptures served here, but I read John 8:32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. It was as if a sunrise suddenly appeared to someone on as desert island. The pain simply melted out of Martha's heart, and she began to reveal the real nature of what she'd endured. She had been abused beyond description by her parents and siblings. Amazingly, despite the sin in this household, Martha was taken to church every Sunday. During that time, Martha would often pray, "Please, God make my family stop hurting me." Yet the most severe physical and sexual abuse would take place on Sunday afternoons, after attending church. Part of Martha loved God and part despised Him. Martha would hear the pastor preach on answered prayer, but then the enemy would whisper, "God doesn't answer your prayer, now, does He?" Another sermon explained the "peace that passes all understanding," Martha would cry out for such peace, but when it didn't come Satan seemed to say, "You will never have this peace, only pain, because God hates you." Still a later sermon title was "God Can Get You Out of Any Problem." Satan loved this sermon; he said, "Anybody but you, Martha, because you are not worth it." During counseling, I looked with Martha at Scriptures that described God's good plan to have His children serve Him because He loves and accepts them. Knowing the truths that God makes no mistakes and uses all things for our good (Isaiah 40:10; Romans 8:28-29) sets a person free from the past. It frees him or her to walk confidently in the present. Maratha is now able to search the Scriptures on her own, and often the Lord gives her special insights. Several times she has explained a passage to me in ways that no one had ever been able to. I often marvel at the wisdom the Holy Spirit gives her through His Word. The guidance of the Holy Spirit gives us confidence, and His teaching in truth makes our lives truly worth living. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Friend who Sticks Closer than a Brother

In the classic hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." writer Joseph Scriven asked, "Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer." Jesus, the "friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24), is one with us in the battle against Satan. Jesus is particularly powerful when people despair, even to the point of thinking about suicide. Satan uses suicide as the ultimate strategy to stop someone from loving, serving, and knowing Christ. Indeed Jesus said this thief, Satan, comes "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10). On numerous occasions I have sat up all night with someone who wanted to take his life. Typically, when a person reaches this point, he or she has lost all hope. To have real hope, one must believe that "help is coming even though I'm at a crisis point." When a person loses all hope, believing that no help is there, was there, or will ever be there, the individual considers suicide. To help such people realistically takes more than fine words or a list of things to do. The only real workable answer is to connect this person with the One who can give hope, our friend the Lord Jesus. When a Christian despairs of life, the only answer is to reconnect him with the great love of the Savior who laid down his life for his friends; (John 15:13), and to the truths of His Word-that He accepts us fully, as we are. That's how Anna found consolation. In the twenty-four hours before I met her, she tried to take her life twice. Her father had ridiculed her appearance as a teenager; she told me in our first session that her father, who loved to read lewd magazines, "would frequently walk into my room while I was getting dressed and make fun of my body. Often, he would hold up the centerfold from a pornographic magazine and say, 'this is what a real woman looks like. It's too bad you are not a real woman.'" As Anna wept about the things she was telling me, I could see the emotional pain from that abuse was overwhelming for her. She said, "I felt dirty, trapped, hopeless, and abandoned." Her father's obvious addiction to pornography affected her relationship with men. Anna ended up marrying a man who had the same addiction as her father; but in less than two years, this man left Anna for another woman. In time, Anna married second man who on the surface seemed different. He seemed to be living a victorious Christian life. He loved and accepted Anna and invested his time and energy in their children. All seemed to be going well until one day Anna found several pornographic magazines her husband had hidden in the basement. She said "My world was shattered. The feelings of rejection were devastating. I felt wretched and hopeless. Once again those awful feelings of extreme shame and inadequacy swept over me. My father's awful remarks about my body rang in my ears. I was tormented by the thought of my husband comparing me with the women in those magazines. I asked myself, 'Why does he need them? Why am I not enough?' I could not bear to look in the mirror. I loathed the person God had 'miscreated'. The only way out was to take my life. The mental torment was unbearable. I was desperate to die." It was at that point that the impulse to suicide began to take hold. She tried several times and failed, as is typical among women who face this type of abuse. She came to me with little hope of ever seeing the light of day again. But as we talked, my heart went out to her and after hearing more of her story, I began to talk her through some Scriptures about God's view of us as His people and as His personal creations. Anna had come to believe many lies of Satan, including: "I am worthless." "God made me ugly." "No one loves me or could ever love me." "The only way out is through killing myself." We talked in depth about these lies and what Scripture said about them. One day, Anna revealed major change had taken place in her heart. "I saw that the Lord totally accepts me as I am. He, by design, created me the way I am." After so many sessions trying to see God's truth, something had broken through! At that moment, I too felt joy in her discovery. She continued, "I am beginning to understand that my father's remarks were lies. The shape of my body does not determine my value and worth. His wicked comments were really slander against my Creator." I asked her about her husband's situation with pornography, and she said, "The Lord showed me that I was not the cause of my husband's problem with lust. It was a choice he was making. I always blamed myself for his sin. Sometimes in the past, I would repeat in my mind, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made," as you told me. But sometime in the early morning hours, the Holy Spirit brought the truth of that verse to my heart. God enabled me to thank Him for my body. For the first time in my life I was able to accept myself as the Lord had made me." In a moment, Anna had come to a riveting truth. Christ had broken through the wall of lies Satan had built in Anna's mind, and light shone through like sun through the eye of a hurricane-only the hurricane was over. "Peace has replaced the torment in my soul," she told me later. "The enemy on occasion tries to bring back the old lies and feelings, but I have found that standing with Christ and resisting the enemy with truth causes him to make a hasty retreat. I know now I am truly a child of God and my identity is found in Christ." Anna is just one of many women I know who experienced the torment that results from deep feelings of inadequacy compounded by their husband's addiction to pornography. Without the Word of God and the power of Christ, I personally would have had no ability to help her. But Jesus truly is a "very present help in time of trouble" (Psalm 46:1). By the way, pornography is a monumental battle zone for many Christians; it's not just nonbelievers who struggle with his snare from Satan. I believe the problem begins with wrong attitudes of dissatisfaction with God's provision in their lives through their wives. Many men and even women enslaved to pornography and all the sins that go along with it begin to think there is no way out. Their marriages get worse and they may even end up divorced as Anna did. But as a counselor I can tell such people that our friend, the Lord Jesus, can cleanse us from all immorality. When we walk in Him and let Him live in us, we can begin day by day to live free of our lust and sin. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Suffering and Spiritual Growth

What about suffering? Is there any benefit to it? Absolutely. Suffering is often God's way of perfecting us. Hebrews 5:8 tells us that Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered. James wrote that suffering leads to endurance, which results in maturity in Christ; therefore we should rejoice in it (James 1:2-4). Thus, much suffering has redemptive value. But what about the mental and emotional suffering we've been discussing? Is that suffering also redemptive? Once again, Jesus our friend sets the pattern" He experienced suffering of all kinds so He could identify with us and we would know He understands our plight (see Hebrews 4:15-16). He learned obedience through suffering (see Hebrews 5:8). God brought Him to human maturity not through memorizing a few truths, but through a day-by-day process of learning to obey even when it didn't seem to make sense. He promises to be "with us" in the midst of our suffering (see Isaiah 41:10-13). We never need fear being alone. One of my client I'll call Robert demonstrated the redemptive aspects of suffering after he came to me in deep anguish. As a child, he suffered harsh discipline and even abuse. This led him into the homosexual lifestyle. He told me that because of his long-term childhood abuse, "I rejected God's ordained gender for me. I believed I was a woman trapped in a man's body. I considered myself to be an abomination to God rather than a son." He often called himself a "sideshow freak" and didn't think God could possibly look on him, let alone love him. Over time, he grew into an adult who sinned habitually in the homosexual lifestyle, breaking the commandment of God. He told me, "The sin in my life led to emotional withdrawal and attempted suicide. This put me in the hospital many times where I suffered hopeless thoughts and feelings, convinced I was incurable." The idea that he was truly a woman in a man's body was actually reinforced by counselors, psychiatrists, and hospital staff. One Christian psychiatrist told him he was hopeless and should simply reconcile himself to his condition. He kept trying, but real purpose, love, peace, joy, hope, and faith eluded him. He was deeply depressed and suicidal when I began to work with him Robert's freedom came through a process. He and I met one hour per week for a year. Each time we met I would ask him to give me a report about what the Lord was teaching him through the Scriptures that week. One session Robert exclaimed, "Jesus really likes me. This past week He said that to me through His Word." He reported two passages were especially helpful, Psalm 73:23-24 and Isaiah 58:11. Believing that God can help. For the first time, at age forty-five, Robert began to believe God could help him, and even do the impossible of enabling him to overcome his obsession with feeling like a woman inside. He began to see that nothing was impossible with God. He told me later, "I believed the lies that my problems were far too great for the Lord and that I was so wicked that the Lord would never want to have a relationship with me." Satan had bound him in a terrible prison of lies that could only be broken by the truth of God's love and Jesus' fellowship in his sufferings. He entered a steep battleground, but at the end emerged whole and renewed. The strangest part of the story is that Robert's father was a pastor and denominational leader. For years, Robert saw his father's religion as superficial. Inside the home, the father was angry and abusive. The effect on Robert was that he believed salvation was something external, never reaching the inner man. I spent much time convincing him that Christ cared about everything in his life and that He wanted to be a part of every aspect of his life, to transform him into the image of Himself. One day, Robert gave me a letter in which he described the transformation that was underway. It said, in part, "The Lord is repairing the gate of my heart, rebuilding the walls, removing the obstructions to the fountain, cultivation the garden, cleansing the sanctuary, taking His seat in the throne room, fortifying the armory, and filling the treasury. For the first time in my life I have hope. While I cannot say right now that I am fully restored, I am growing in faith and have peace and joy for the first time in my life." Robert is being renewed in his mind as he lets the Holy Spirit control his life. Robert now knows he is a man and feels he is a man. Some questions. Using Robert as the example, let's ask some questions: Did God send suffering to Robert because he was a vile sinner? No, he was a child when these things began happening. Did God inflict him because God ceased to love him? No, rather He used Robert's suffering to lead him to Himself and to that love. Did God tell Robert he didn't have enough faith? No, instead God led him to real faith. God used Robert's suffering in a redemptive way. Robert was responsible for his sin before God, yet God did not condemn him, but rather used that sin to bring conviction and lead Robert to real faith and a real relationship with Him. Through Jesus his friend and counselor, Robert saw that his suffering has a purpose in the eyes of God. It was profitable and good for him, not something to be ignored or brushed over as worthless pain he should strive to escape as soon as possible. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Spiritual Warfare and Temptation

Jesus is not only our Savior from sin; He is our Savior from ourselves. Through Him we find the right tactics, guidance, and words to counteract the lies of the devil. In spiritual warfare, it's easy to get off track, to think we're alone, out there playing the Lone Ranger, and it's up to us to succeed or fail. For the Christian, the greatest truth of all in such warfare is that we're not Lone Rangers and we're not alone. Jesus is with us in every trial and every battle, ready to offer counsel, help, and power to overcome. Through Him we'll learn the proper and effective way of dealing with the lies of the enemy. Jesus Temptation in the wilderness. One of the high moments of spiritual warfare in the Bible occurred when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. The story is found in Matthew 4:1-11; take a look at it now. As we read the Scripture passage and understand its inputs, we learn one of the greatest truths in fighting the enemy of our souls: Our friend Jesus has fought Satan before in every possible way, and won! This event on the spiritual warfare calendar in Jesus' life occurred shortly after His baptism. Matthew says that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness "to be tempted by the devil" (Matthew 4:1). Note that happened after the wondrous "mountaintop" experience of Jesus' baptism when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and God spoke from heaven in the presence of John the Baptist and his disciples (see Matthew 3:13-17). Undoubtedly, this grand moment inspired Jesus, much as a "mountaintop" moment can instill new passion and resolve into our lives today. But that's the danger! Satan often strikes at the moment when we've achieved a great victory for the kingdom of God. Just when we're about to celebrate, Satan begins firing his flaming arrows. Over the years, I have counseled many Christians who have suffered the most grievous attacks just days after major moments in their lives: a conversion, rededication, great ministry, and the like. So it was with Jesus. But in this case, note that Jesus was "led" by the Spirit into the wilderness for the specific purpose of being tested. This says to me that God the Father wanted Jesus to experience the same kinds of temptation all His people go through at times. This is so that we can be sure Jesus has "been there" and thus can offer us stout counsel when we're in the midst of the battle. At the Father's direction, Jesus fasted for forty days, going without food. In that respect, the enemy dueled with Jesus at His weakest moment physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Jesus stood on the edge of starvation. That brought with it all kinds of discomfort, anxiety, and distress. When a person is hungry, he or she ofter loses focus and becomes obsessed with the hunger barely able to think about anything else. The one who has fasted will often grasp at anything that will slake that hunger and thirst. Satan knew Jesus was more likely to be vulnerable at that moment than any other, so that is the moment he chose to sling his best stones at Him. Why did the Father put Jesus in such desperate straits? In spiritual warfare, our worst time is always the enemy's best time. He studies us to expose our points of vulnerability. He looks for the chinks in our armor and always fires his sharpest arrows there. Thus, striking Jesus at His weakest moment physically was not just Satan's strategy; it was God's too. God the Father put Jesus in the absolutely worst situation. Why? Because by being in the worst circumstances, He could completely identify with any trial we may go through. Remember, Jesus was not only tempted to be proven, but also so that we could know He understands precisely what we're facing-having gone through it Himself-and thus find in Him real help. This give us the power to trust Him without question, an essential outlook in any form of warfare. So where did Satan fire his first dart? In an area I like to call "selfism," those issues that involve satisfying and gratifying ourselves without considering God or His purpose for our lives at that moment. As Jesus stood in the shade or a rock in the barren, steaming wilderness, Satan probably hovered nearby. Looking healthy and well fed, the tempted pointed at a a stone at His feet and said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread" (Matthew 4:30). Here we see some most revealing elements of Satan's normal attack strategy: 1. Goad the person into taking personal action, to accomplish things by himself. He started with a sarcastic put-down designed to prod Jesus into action. "If You are the Son of God," Satan began. That was a deliberate attempt to motivate Jesus to prove Himself. Which of us hasn't been goaded into doing something evil to "prove" we're not "goody-goodies" or to show we aren't afraid of some little thing the Bible calls Sin? How many young people have turned to drugs because someone said, "Prove you're man or woman enough," or tough enough, or cool enough? So it is that Satan often appeals to our pride in order to get us to take other sinful steps that could lead to disaster. 2. Urge the person to accomplish something easy to do. The first temptation involved something Jesus could easily do. While no normal person could turn stones into bread, Jesus possessed that power. Similarly, Satan always tries to get us to do something we can do easily and even effortlessly, even though we know it's wrong. This is why the temptation to steal in a time of need, lie in a moment of exertion, or commit other sins in tight situations often looks like the "easy way out." Satan wants it to look that way because then it won't seem so "bad" to do. And even if you give in, you can give a supposedly reasonable excuse: "I just didn't see that much wrong with it!" This is the strategy Satan frequently uses with us. He appeals to what he can do or would like to do, so we can accomplish the goal. What were the real issues at stake here? First, would Jesus obey His Father in a seemingly trivial matter (not eating until given the go ahead)? Second, would Jesus' sense of pride make Him take the quick, sure way to show who He really was, or was He willing not to defend Himself and let God take care of that matter? For us, similar temptations arise whenever we: Feel compelled to defend ourselves in wrong ways. Think obeying God in a little thing isn't that important. Believe we should take matters into our own hands instead of waiting on God's timing. The actual sin, of course, occurs when we give in to those feelings, thoughts, and beliefs. Jesus countered Satan's suggestions with as deft quote of Scripture from the book of Deuteronomy: "Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord" (8:3). Jesus didn't reach for common sense, public opinion, or even the modern findings of the "experts," the Pharisees and Sadducee's. No, He went straight to the best source of all, the Bible, chose a verse appropriate to the situation as a source of guidance, quoted it, and obeyed it. That's a very simple procedure and of us can easily follow. It also reveals how important it is to know and apply God's Word in dealing with the enemy. A second temptation: Let God deliver you. The second temptation concerning Jesus flinging Himself off the pinnacle (highest point) of the Temple in Jerusalem. Satan used the "If You are the Son of God" goad again, and then added that God would send His angels to catch Him before He struck bottom. Again, we see a couple of elements in Satan's strategy: 1. Goad more. If at first Satan doesn't succeed, he'll try, try again. 2. Quote Scripture. Perhaps Satan figured that if Jesus wanted to use the Bible then so could he, even though what he said was slightly out of context and left out certain words. This may indicate a subtle trick on his part, or a cavalier attitude toward Scripture; both were probably true. But what was the real temptation here? It was the issue of trust. Would Jesus trust His Father implicitly, or would He "test" His Father by doing something to force God into action to protect or save Him? We are similarly tempted when we consider doing the following: Take wrong actions rather than wait on God in a serious matter. Tell God we won't believe in Him unless He does something we consider important to "prove" Himself. Do something that is probably wrong because we believe God really wants to help us and will forgive us anyway. This happened with Abby, a single woman who had prayed for a husband for many years. All through Bible college she prayed, "Lord, please bring Your choice of a husband to me." However, Mr. Right never showed up. Abby entered the workforce and began climbing the corporate ladder. She also became active in a large church. However, she still longed for the contentment she believed a husband would bring to her life. As she entered her thirties, she began to grow bitter toward God. As an attractive, intelligent woman, why would God withhold from her the only thing her heart truly desired? In the midst of her despair she met Preston. In her words, "Preston was sort of charming and sort of strange." She went on to explain. "The positive thing about him was that he claimed to be a Christian, and he attended church regularly. The negative that I should have seen but overlooked was that he had been through three divorces. More that that, none of his children wanted anything to do with him." Withing weeks after their wedding, Abby said, "I understood why three other women divorced him. He would qualify for Hitler's younger brother." Preston's affair with a high school girl was the final straw that brought Abby to my office. Abby said, "I gave up on God and decided to create my own life. I really believed Preston would become the loving husband I dreamed of. Instead, I now believe that I know what it means to live a life that is hell on earth," Abby believed the enemy's lie that she could create a kingdom for herself apart for the will of God. In time, Abby repented of her bitterness and willfulness. Preston repented of his adultery and a list of other sins too long to list. They are still together as husband and wife, and I believe God by His grace will strengthen their relationship. Abby says she has hope. "It will take a lot of work and grace to bring us up to the place where a relationship ordained by God should start." Abby believed that if she made a jump (got married), God would have to catch her (make the marriage the wonderful relationship she always dreamed of).It didn't work that way. Jesus' response in the wilderness reminds Abby-and us-of the solution: Draw on the Scriptures for guidance."It is written again. You shall not tempt the Lord your God," Jesus told Satan (Matthew 4:7), citing Deuteronomy 6:16. While Satan "rolls with the punches" and changes tactics to suit his purposes. Jesus is strong and steady, not veering from His successful counter punching. A third temptation: Get what you want-without God. Satan was clearly reeling and frustrated, so he decided to go for the big one. He took Jesus to a mountain and "showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory" (verse 8). Then he said if Jesus would only fall down and worship him, He could have it all. This was the classic "power play." Satan was "giving it everything he had."This is a pattern in spiritual warfare, too. When you refuse to give into "lesser" offerings, Satan will up the ante and try to snare you with bigger and better trinkets in his bag, so long as you do it without God. You won't give in to pornography, so he'll throw wealth or power at you. You're not buying that "you're a dope" line, so he'll nail you with an attack on your pride as you overhear someone "commenting" on your skills or integrity. What was the real temptation here? Satan wanted Jesus to get God's results without following God's plan. Jesus came to take back the ground Satan had stolen-the whole world. In that wilderness meeting, Jesus could have taken it all back in one little act of worship. He wouldn't have to endure the pain of the cross or any of the other indignities He faced at the end of His life. No, He would get the world back for one small genuflection toward Satan. Of course, worshiping Satan meant giving up His soud to Satan, too. But the devil didn't really want Jesus to think about that! How does Satan tempt us in this way? By offering us something-pleasure, power, wealth, prestige, honor, popularity-through following anything other than God's methods. That's what happened to Mark, a seemingly successful pastor, yet a shattered man with broken dreams. His story came out in bursts of protracted sobbing. In his words, "As a child I was short, over weight, and not very smart. I worked frantically to earn good grades in college and seminary. After graduation my wife and I were called to a small church in a growing city. I always felt overwhelmingly inferior. Shortly after taking my first pastorate, my older brother came for a visit. He was serving on the pastoral staff of a three-thousand member church. His parting comment to me was "You are wasting your time pastoring a two-bit church." "I was crushed. I idolized my brother, and his mockery was almost more than I could bear." Mark then explained how he thought of a plan the very day his brother left. The plan was simple and workable. It unfolded as follows: "You will become somebody when the church attendance reaches a thousand. You will feel good about yourself; your brother will finally accept you. All you have to do is triple the size of the church auditorium, start a Christian school, add a number of new programs, and purchase three more buses." It sounded rather awesome to me, but it happened. In the next eighteen months most of Mark's dreams came true. "On one 'big day' the attendance was over 1,200," Mark recalled, "My brother and a lot of other people took notice. I was frequently asked to speak on how to build a big church. Finally I had become somebody." However, this kind of success can carry a tremendous price tag. "I built a monstrosity," mark said, "The ministry grew far too quickly; I became nervous and driven. The church had become like a huge machine that demanded my constant attention. I was working eighteen to twenty hours a day. I constantly criticized my wife and children. I was blind to what was happening in my own family." Mark was learning that when we allow the devil to crawl into the vehicle of our life, the Evil One will often say either, "Put the pedal to the metal" or "Put the brake to the floor." Either one can kill you on the freeway of life. Satan, the god out of balance. "When my wife filed for divorce, I woke up," Mark said, "I snapped out of my dream world only to embrace disaster." Mark's wife refused to reconcile, and the divorce went through. In counseling Mark repented of taking total control of his life with hardly a thought about God and His will. He began to ponder passages of Scripture that gave him understanding about who he is in Jesus Christ. During one session he exclaimed, "Flesh, flesh, everything I was doing was in the flesh!" Today Mark works behind the scene with a mission agency. He raises funds and helps with administration. He is living a balanced, relaxed and productive life in the will of God. In contrast, we see Jesus in the wilderness avoiding all the trouble of carrying out personal plans without God. He did so by simply following Scripture. When the devil offered Him everything in the world (as he did to Mark above), Jesus quoted another verse from Deuteronomy (6:13) and said, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord you God, and Him only you shall serve.'" Jesus' strategy. From Jesus' wilderness temptation we see several elements of Christ's overall strategy for counteracting the enemy during spiritual warfare. First, He relied not on His own common sense, wisdom or personal integrity to deal with Satan's attacks; no, He relied solely on Scripture. From that we see that a working knowledge of the Bible is essential in our warfare with the devil. The Word of God is the sword that the Holy Spirit uses (Ephesians 6:17). Second, we note that Jesus actually quoted the Bible aloud to Satan. Even when the enemy's temptations are mere thoughts in our minds, it may be wise to quote the Word verbally to repel a taunt. Third, and most important, Jesus obeyed what the Bible said. He not only knew it and quoted it; He acted on it. Even the most knowledgeable Christian, when he fails to act on what God has said, sets himself up for failure. Melissa had come to me because she was struggling with her thoughts. A psychologist diagnosed her with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Months of therapy did nothing to relieve her condition. As we talked, Melissa explained that she began having thoughts about performing repetitious behaviors after her mother died. Two nights after her mother's death she walked into the house and a thought entered her mind that said, "Turn the light switch on and off twice or someone else will die." The next day while driving onto the freeway the thought came, "Turn your signal off and on twice or someone will have an accident." In time, Melissa became completely controlled by her obsessive thoughts. "I would have an unsettled emotional pain until I would switch, check, and wash everything again and again. Then peace would come, but it would never last." I explained that the enemy wanted to control Melissa's drives. The enemy was seeking to control her with the lie that she had to do things a second or third time to obtain peace. This all changed as Melissa learned to combat these lies with God's truth. She later told me, "When I quote appropriate Scriptures such as 'All things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the power of any' (I Corinthians 6:12), God's peace does come. As I draw closer to the Lord and verbally take my stand against the enemy, I live in Christ's victory." Melissa recited the truths of Scripture whenever such obsessive thoughts came. Through such verbal "stands," Melissa learned the power of the Word in her daily battle with the enemy. As a result she no longer suffers from OCD. What is the lesson here? Scripture, rightly used, is a powerful weapon against lies; it declares the truth to us and to the accuser of our souls. This is what Jesus did during His three temptations. When we follow Jesus' example, we are following someone who has "been there" and found the Word of God reliable. Jesus, the friend who sticks closer than a brother, is the source of our hope and insight. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Common Objections to Spiritual Warfare

Many Christians buy the lie that spiritual warfare proponents are fanatics, or kooks, or worse. They accept this because of three extreme responses they have observed. Let's take a moment to deal with each of these responses. The first objection I find occurs among Christians who witness other believers who fear demons are involved in every little problem. Such believers create what I call "the demon under every bush" problem. Groups that see Satan as this active and involved in Christians' lives are quick to rush in and cast out various spirits, going so far as to exorcise a "spirit of overeating," or a "spirit of anger," or a "spirit of swearing." This is absurd, you might say, but there are groups that see warfare in these terms. Exorcisms like this are usually un-necessary and in fact the very thing Satan wants us in some cases to do-to see him as so present and overwhelming that every other word must be a "casting out," or a "prayer against the devil." Such actions look weird and few people understand what such folks are all about. A second objection comes from Christians seeing the even greater extreme of people who go about brushing "demons" off their grocery sacks before entering their home. This is not only ludicrous, but it focuses on the devil in a very unhealthy way. Believers in such bondage to rituals can act and think like people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), who can't go anywhere without washing their hands sixteen times. This is just another lie Satan uses to keep us from the truth. A third objection is raised: They see believers who try to get demons to actually speak out of a person. Supposedly, through hearing a demon speak, proponents of this approach believe they will learn deep and dark things about their kingdom as well as God's. Of course, this teaching is at once extreme and sensational. And Satan uses it to convince some to think, See, this is just a bunch of fear tactics and high drama. Some leaders persist in teaching this, even though God's Word tells us not to listen to the "doctrines of demons" (See I Timothy 4:1). All these objections point out clear excesses that in themselves are lies of the devil. They get people focused on the wrong things, a favorite tactic of Satan. He loves to divert counselors and others from the real issues. It's also true that all temptation isn't from spiritual warfare. The world, the flesh, and the demonic world all work together in temptation. The flesh is like a beast in the basement, which will raise its head at times and exert its influence. We are sinners by nature. We have a natural "bent" to choose to sin. While we might claim Satan gave us the suggestion, there comes a point at which Satan doesn't even need to suggest the sin anymore-we just walk off into it because we like it, even crave it. That's the flesh speaking. The world, too, exerts an influence. Its lies, suggestions, tricks, and pressures all can lead us into sin as effectively as anything the devil might throw at us. As in the parable of the sower, the world sends weeds and thistles that choke out the truth in a believer's life until he is all but ruined. Satan uses the world to promote his lies of wealth without conscience, pleasure without consequences, and long life without worry about judgment. The fact that not all temptation comes from the spiritual conflict with Satan and his legions does not mean that spiritual conflict is myth. Instead, Satan uses the temptation of the flesh and the world for his evil purpose. He also uses false doctrine to make Christians vulnerable to his deceptions. Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 13, in His parable of the wheat and the tares. Satan sowed tares among the wheat. Strangely enough, tares look exactly like wheat until the very end of the harvest, when the wheat develops its "head of kernels," something the tares never have. Jesus made the point that Satan sends his tares-pretend believers-into the church. They look like the real things and will continue to look like that until the end. Meanwhile, they will plant their sinister suggestions and diversions that keep a church from the important task of evangelism of the lost and edification of believers. It's through marshaling all these forces that Satan attacks best. But if you don't believe Satan is out and about, why worry about him? "Enjoy your life," some say. "There's nothing to fear," Nonetheless, a thief is never so dangerous as when people believe he has left town. The enemy of our soul loves to have us think he is no longer around. I believe Satan nurtures lies everywhere he can. It's one more reason a warfare outlook is so essential to defeating the devil when he attacks. Why is rejecting the reality of Satan so foolish? Because it leads people in power to make decisions without considering his activity or presence. It leads counselors to try to solve problems without attacking the real problem. And it leads pastors to preach a powerless gospel that frees no one from the enemy-because there is no enemy! Again, my own experience proves this problem. I attended four years of Bible college and six years of graduate school. During this time, goldy professors diligently instructed me to teach God's truth. In the process, though, I was taught very little about spiritual warfare. Their apparent fear was that focusing on the enemy would bring anxiety and paranoia into the Church. I remember one professor who railed about how one church he knew became "so demon-conscious they lost their focus on God. The truth of Satan's active warfare is not fully ignored in Christian schools. In many conservative evangelical schools, missions professors teach the reality of spiritual warfare. These professors usually have been on mission fields where they have encountered warfare face-to-face. When I visited eastern Africa on an assignment, I didn't have to tell my students that spiritual warfare was real. They saw firsthand the power of the witch doctor. In witnessing pagan worship, the students and I saw and heard demons manifest themselves and speak through overpowered victims. Some Africans testified of being demonized before they came to Christ. Others told me about the power of curses and spells and how their unsaved family members desperately feared the demonic world. When you see things like this in person, you can't help but accept the reality of spiritual warfare. Once I was confronted with my own failure to emphasize the spiritual battle when a former seminary student of mine name Sam traveled to the Philippines as a missionary. At the end of his first term, he returned home and had lunch with me. His first questions was "Why didn't you teach me about the reality of the enemy?" When I asked what he meant, Sam said, "I faced spiritual attacks that I was not aware of. I was never told warfare was even possible. I would have been easily defeated had I not attended a seminar by a warfare leader who came to the Philippines. His teachings enabled me to recognize what was happening in my ministry." I asked Sam's forgiveness and explained that as his professor I was ignorant of the lies and tactics of the enemy at the time. It is my desire that on the subject of warfare the church of Jesus Christ should be ignorant no more. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

How the Lord Led Me into Spritual Warfare

For many Christians, spiritual warfare is an offbeat or even "weird" subject. Some believers do not even accept the idea that Satan, or his demons, exist, or that they possess any power to attack and afflict us in this age. For a long time, I maintained that very mind-set, oblivious to the reality of an active Satan and scorning those who posed the whole spiritual warfare scenario. Then one day my oldest son experienced his own personal and harrowing battle with the enemy. What happened annihilated any misgivings I had about such warfare, as my whole family was suddenly plunged into a heart-wringing and soul-disturbing situation that nearly took my son away. I asked, "How could this be happening to my son, my family? Didn't God keep Satan away from us? Didn't He prevent Satan from influencing or touching His children?" What followed was a battle unlike anything I'd ever imagined in nonfiction or even fiction. I rejoice about that today, because that incident open up whole vista of hope and healing to those engaging the enemy and not knowing it. Now I can help people deeply entrenched in the enemy's lies and trickery. Until my son's problem, I was often forced into the old cliches people use when Christians with problems came to me and I couldn't seem to help them resolve them. Old standards like "You don't have enough faith," or "Just read your Bible daily and you will get beyond this." I have learned that such responses are often the very lies Satan himself wants to foist on us. Don't get me wrong. I believe God is all-powerful, loving, and intimately involved in our lives. The enemy has no power that can stymie Him, or even derail His plans. That does not mean, though, that God's world is not a battle-ground, or that Satan cannot influence and even attack believers. During my son's time of crisis, a gracious friend patiently showed me step-by-step what this biblical battle involves and how to win it. Ultimately, my son gained true freedom in Christ. And I discovered in no uncertain terms that our common enemy "walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devious" (I Peter 5:8). That lion stalks all of us at different times and in different ways. But his goal remains the same: to devour us. For seventeen years I served as senior pastor of three churches. During this time I gave little attention to spiritual warfare because I thought only "crazy, radical kooks" were involved in it. This changed after my son came to freedom and I began to witness the real destruction and havoc Satan wreaks in the lives of Christians and others. As news of our family's struggle got out through the grapevine, my phone rang constantly, not because people were critical of me or my son; but people with desperate needs wanted help and believed my experience might offer them the insight they needed. As those beleaguered folks told me their stories, I began to research and understand the field of spiritual warfare and saw it not only as a personal struggle that a few Christians experience because of dabbling in the occult or other practices, but as a worldwide battle Satan wages for every heart and mind. I realized this was not unusual or abnormal, but rather the very thing all of us must deal with daily. Please understand from the start that spiritual warfare is not about attacking the devil. No swordsman, no matter how skilled, would consider going up against a dragon with billions of demons at his right and left. Christ is the One who has attacked, stopped, and broken Satan. It's not even up to us to knock him down a peg or two for divine spite. No, what warfare is about, in essence, is exposing the lies Satan used in lives through showing people God's truth. Satan's primary weapons are lies and deception-twisting, negating, and turing around the truth of God in any way he can to gain an advantage. My job is to help expose these schemes in a counselee's life. As Satan's lies are etched clearly against the prism of truth, they're exposed, and freedom and healing result. A whole new sense of hope and expectation grasps their hearts and personalities. Where there was struggle, despair, and (in some cases) a desire to end it all, a new exuberance appears and Jesus becomes a central figure in everything they do. That is my goal for everyone I counsel. My purpose is to expose the thinking and falsehoods of the enemy, break their power over a persons's life, and thus set him or her free. If you find yourself in a struggle to read the Scriptures or pray, resist sin, forgive an offense, or change an attitude, I guarantee you are involved in spiritual warfare. If God's love and power in your life seem distant and you struggle to draw closer to the heavenly Father, a spiritual battle is underway. It's those ensnared in such circumstances whom I want to help. Believe me, I know whats it's like to live in terror of tomorrow. My son's experience all most destroyed our whole family. But through Christ all things are possible. He preserved me, and He will do the same for you-if you seek Him and depend on Him for truth, hope, and power. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Names of God

A cause for sorrow is the fact that some Christians are a disgrace to grace. G.R.A.C.E. God's riches at Christ's expense. Faith lays hold of grace. Faith is my forsaking all and trusting Him. Unbelief is a matter of the head and heart. Faith in faith is not real faith. Faith is no better than its object. The object of our faith is God as He is revealed in His Word. In the believers walk faith is not a nicety, like frosting on a cake, but an absolute necessity. Weak faith in the right object is much better than strong faith in the wrong object. Even a trembling hand can receive a valuable object. Faith is never a leap in the dark, it is a step in the light. Thus if your faith is not changing your life you had better change your faith (Romans 10:17). Grace doesn't make you lawless, it simply sets you free from bondage God's way, so you can live a life that is pleasing to God. By faith we see Jesus. As God's children we need to understand that our discipleship is a practicum. We learn who God is not merely through contemplation of Him, but by actually doing what He has done. We live in a time of rapid world change. What we could count on yesterday might not be there tomorrow. The most common words written on the walls of the catacombs were sleep and peace. Those early church Christians, living under ground, didn't know where their next meal would come from. But their faith and God's grace allowed them to experience peace and sleep. Our faith is to be placed squarly in the Lord. To help you know who He is, please meditate on the following list of His names.1. Adonai-The God who is preeminent-denotes ownership. Adonai is the one who must be obeyed. The name implies that all those who submit to Him can enter Christ's perfect rest, expecting to receive God's direction, supervision, and provision. 2. Yahweh the God who is perfect, eternal, and ever-loving. 3. Jehovah-Jirah the God who provides for me. 4. Jehovah-Rophe-the God who heals me. 5. Jehovah-Nissi the God who protects me. 6. Jehovah-M'Kaddesh the God who sanctifies me. 7. Jehovah-Shalom the God who sends me peace. 8. Jehoval-Rohi the God who cares for my daily needs. 9. Jehovah-Tsidkenu the God who justifies me. 10. Jehovah-Shamma the God who is always present with me. 11. Jehoval-Roi the God who sees me. 12. El Elyon the God who sees everything I need and is doing everything that needs to be done in my life. 13. El Olam the God who does not change. 14. El Shaddai the God who is all sufficient. These names describe our God in whom we are to firmly trust with all of our heart. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess 5:18). Can we be thankful in the tough times? The Apostle Paul exhorts giving of thanks no matter what the circumstances. Paul did not say, “For everything give thanks.” Rather he said, “In everything give thanks.” While trials are inevitable, we are not asked to be thankful for evil and unforeseen happenings in our lives, as some morbid fascination with adversity. Instead, through inevitable difficulties, we may learn to see God’s greater purpose through suffering in our lives as believers. Then we are able to give thanks for that which God is working out in our lives. Remember the old TV show "Father knows best," in our case, as believers, our Heavenly Father does know best. James expressed this same challenge to believers when he said, “Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations.” We cannot prevent every bad thing from happening to us, so we must learn to see it as an opportunity to look beyond the trial. We must learn to take the long look when a trial comes. The phrase "It came to pass" is repeated many times in the Bible. Every difficulty in life "Comes to pass." We are to be thankful in every condition. things are never so bad with us that they could not be worse. We can be thankful in trials, although at times not for trials. The purifying process may be more painful than we can imagine. Years ago a friend of mine was put in a cast after having surgery. For some reason the cast was too tight and he was subjected to excruciating pain that lasted through the night. He said the Lord did not remove the pain but gave him grace to endure it. Paul also reminds us that unforeseen things which happen in believers’ lives are a part of God’s perfect will. He is the Director of our steps. Nothing happens to us that has not been sifted through God's Sovereign hands. Since God could prevent any evil from touching us, then all that He allows must be for our greater good. Our faithful God has chosen to allow difficulties, suffering, and evil, while at the same time making a way to escape (1 Cor 10:13). You can go to the bank with the fact that God works all things for good (Rom 8:28). While we may not always comprehend God’s will for us, He certainly knows and directs in our lives on a daily basis. Because we are saved, we can rejoice in the fact that God is our Protector and Guide. God is sort of like the statement on most vehicles side view mirrors "He is closer than you think He is." Gratitude should be our attitude as believers no matter what happens. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” The gift of the clay (us) having a Personal Potter Who loves us beyond our wildest imagination. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Spots and Blemishes

"So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him" (II Peter 3:14). Spots and blemishes, we all have them, we don't necessarily appreciate them, we try to hid them, cover them, remove them or just put up with them. When we read about "Spots and blemishes" in the Bible its not talking about warts, moles, scars or liver spots. Its talking about the false teachers who were infiltrating Christianity. These Charlton's twisted the Scriptures "To their own destruction." These false teachers were deceived deceivers who did their best to lead others away from the truth. With this background Peter tells us to make very effort to avoid the shame of the false teachers. How do we do that? By dealing honestly with every personal sin and failure in our lives. Jesus had raised the question "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8)? He left the question hanging in the air, waiting for each hearer to answer in his own heart. I believe the answer to that question depends on us. The upshot of this Biblical passage is posed in the question, how will we be found when Jesus returns? Will our faith be firmly planted in God and His Promises? The coming of the Lord is a glorious event that should have a present effect upon our lives. The knowledge of the coming blessedness of the Lord should keep us in peace, without spot, and blameless. Peter is saying God's future promises should give us present power for holy living. The prospect of Jesus coming should motivate us to keep seeking Him, and as a result we will stay away from that which would distract us from Christian duty and would seek to disturb our soul. Peter is saying "Stay away from the faith killers". We are challenged with the question, how will He find us when He comes? Lets be found "Spotless, blameless and at peace with Him." Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Shame On You

Nothing sucks the life out of a person like shame. Shame is like a huge accusing cloud that hangs over a person, dripping guilt, condemnation and remorse. The subject of shame is found through out the Scriptures. King David speaks of shame in most of the Psalms. As a Biblical Counselor I was stunned by the number of believers who suffered from emotionally crippling shame. One Pastor spoke with tears flowing down his face about a life time of shame that came from childhood molestation by an uncle. Together we read Isaiah 54:4 and he turned this verse into a prayer "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth..." He said in that moment the Lord took his shame away. A life time of deep suffering vanished. The stronghold of feeling dirty, defiled and worthlessness disappeared. He took God at his word and surrendered his shame, and all that happened to bring it about, to the Lord. When God created Adam in the Garden He created him perfect. Adam was holy, but his holiness was untested. When Adam fell he experienced fear, he began to shift blame to his wife and to God who created him. He ran and hid, he cover himself. He began to feel guilt and shame. He lost his relationship with God. God's answer to Adams delima was to kill a lamb and cover Adam with the lamb skin. The Lord also promised a coming Savior who would "Crush" the head of Satan. Genesis 3:15. Adams faith in the Lord secured his salvation and restored his fellowship with his heavenly Father. We to need to be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. The cleansing came in salvation and continues in confession of sin. "Since we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness." I John 1:9. The song writer of old penned these words "What can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus" I have observed in my life that shame makes me ashamed. Paul said "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." Romans 1:16. This should cause us to ask several questions. Am I ashamed of the Gospel? Do I shrink away from sharing Christ with others? What am I ashamed of in my life, in my past? How am I going to make it right? Who do I need to forgive or ask forgiveness of? What's causing feelings of shame in my heart right now? Am I willing to turn these events, abuses, bad decisions, missed opportunities, acts of sin, done to me or by me, over to the Lord? Is He calling you to a new level of trust? Do you sense His presence in your life? What is He speaking to you about right now? He and He alone has the power to help you "Forget the shame of your youth..."

Spiritual Maturity

Please take the time to read Galatians 4:1-18. One of the tragedies of legalism is that it gives the appearance of spiritual maturity when in reality it leads the believer back into second childhood. Paul takes three approaches in this section of Scripture as he seeks to convince the Galatians that they do not need legalism in order to live the Christian life. They have all they need in Jesus Christ. First, Paul explains adoption. What we were: children in bondage. What God did: Redeemed us. What we are: sons and heirs. The son has the same nature as the father, but the servant does not. The son has a father, while the servant has a master. The son obeys out of love, while the servant obeys out of fear. The son is rich, while the servant is poor. The son has a future, while the servant does not. Second, He laments their regression. They abandoned liberty for bondage. They were giving up the power of the Gospel for the weakness of law, and the wealth of the Gospel for the poverty of law. Third, he seeks their affection. Paul now turns from spanking to embracing. He reminds them of their love for him and his love for them. Paul asks "What has happened to that love?" Paul had proved to be their loving friend. He told them the truth, but the Judaizers told them lies. Paul sough to glorify Christ, but the Legalists glorified themselves and their converts. They had not lost the experience of salvation, but they were losing the enjoyment of their salvation. The tragedy is they did not realize their losses. Is your Christian life moving forward into liberty or backward into bondage? Think carefully before you answer.