Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

James

Downplaying the Devil

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Christians spend too much time downplaying the Devil. I’m sure you are familiar with the old adage, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” The typical response to hearing that is a smile and a knowing nod. Did you ever consider how ridiculous that statement is? Hell has no fury like a fallen human? Are we serious? It’s one more example of how flippant we can be when discussing things we should take with the utmost seriousness.

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We’ve reduced the power of Satan to that of a byline or a joke. This is where it is typical for a writer to give the caveat of something like, “We have to be careful not to take this to extremes, or fall into legalism.” But you know what? I hate caveats. Truth is truth, and the fact it makes some uncomfortable is no reason to soften it. We need to treat the power of Satan and the power of God with the respect and trepidation both deserve.

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Redeemed from Sin

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There is nothing in this world we need or should even desire that has any connection with sin. Sin is a great offense to God, and if we love Him, we will do nothing against Him on purpose. Why would we, being redeemed from sin, desire to continue to dabble in it (Romans 6:1-2)? In his first epistle, John remarks that if we love God, we will not indulge in habitual sin (1 John 3:9; 1 John 5:18).

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When God transforms your heart, you no longer desire your old life (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are a new creation with new dreams and desires. Those dreams and desires will align with the will of our King and Savior (Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:13). True repentance leads to real transformation, and real transformation cannot result in a heart that continues to burn for sin.

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Don’t Forget to Pray

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Don’t forget to pray for our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are suffering for the cause of Christ. Isn’t it a little crazy and even a little to our shame that we need to be reminded to do something so basic yet powerful? Why is prayer so neglected in the lives of most Christians? Having an open channel to the throne of God would seem to be enough to keep us forever on our proverbial knees (Hebrews 4:16).

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Where else will we learn so much about our Creator? What other activity is so nourishing to our minds and souls? And yet prayer is often only remembered when we find ourselves in need. James writes, “The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful” (James 5:16). Why are we so reluctant to tap into such power?

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God’s Call to Holiness

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God’s call to holiness is not optional for any believer. Holiness is the standard God set for us in the beginning and continues to expect from us (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15–16). When we love the Father, we will desire to do what pleases Him because we all want to be counted like Paul when we die (2 Timothy 4:7).

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We all want to run the race well and hear Jesus speak the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant; enter into my rest” (Matthew 25:21). We dare not approach Heaven with stained garments uncleansed by the sacrificial blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:10). Sanctification always follows true repentance, so if we aren’t concerned with holiness, it is hard to conceive of our repentance as genuine.

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Quiet Humility

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It’s the slow, steady rhythms that will lead us to look more like Christ. So many want to do “big things for God,” yet they’ve never mastered the small disciplines the Lord desires most. We learn about so-called “celebrity Christians” crashing and burning with alarming regularity. In a previous post, I posited the question pondering if there should even be such a thing as “celebrity Christians.”

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I am convinced the answer is an unequivocal and emphatic “NO!” It seems everyone wants a platform or to be an influencer these days. I understand why those with a secular worldview would desire such things, but it baffles me why Christians would seek these things as well. Whatever happened to living lives of quiet humility (1 Thessalonians 4:9–12)?

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