Beloved, during this uncertain and chaotic time, it is vitally important for you to “put on the whole armor of God” and especially the “helmet of salvation” to withstand against the “wiles of the devil” (see Eph. 6:10-18). Satan is a deceiver, the father of lies, subtil, and wily. Satan cannot pluck any of God’s children of out the eternal hand of the Father, but he is out to corrupt the minds of God’s children. That is why we must put on the whole armor of God and our helmet of salvation to protect our minds. Our helmet of salvation protects our brain, or figuratively, our mind. Our mind should be filled with the salvation of Jesus Christ and our eternal security by his sovereign grace and that will protect our mind from the wiles of the devil. It is vitally for us to be properly adorned with the armor of God to withstand the onslaught of the devil against the Lord’s people.
Category: Articles Page 5 of 11
Articles, devotionals, study guides, and other writings from Pastor David Wise and other select writers.
Why do bad things happen to good people? This question is commonly asked in response to some tragic event that, in our opinion, unfairly touches the lives of those who are trying to live in a godly way. This question is actually indicative of an incorrect perspective of the reality of this world. The answer to this troubling question is that bad things don’t happen to innately good people – in our nature we are “bad people”, not good people; there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Rom. 3:12); no one on this earth is good by nature. There is only one exception to that universal rule of original sin and man’s innate “badness” instead of goodness, and that is Jesus Christ. The truth is that bad things have only ever happened to a truly “good man” one time – when the perfectly good, sinless Son of God was unjustly condemned by men and gave up his life to save his people from their sins. Therefore, we need to ask a more appropriate question from the proper perspective. Since all of mankind is innately bad by nature, the proper question then is: “Why do good things ever happen to bad people?”
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
For the disciple of Christ, it is absolutely vital for us to control our thought process, to bring our thoughts into captivity to honor the Lord. We have to be very purposeful to control our thought process because our minds are prone to drift to vain, unprofitable things of this world. We have to make a committed decision to think on these ”true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy things”.
Psalm 1 contrasts for us two paths of life: the way of the righteous versus the way of the ungodly. This chapter describes the characteristics of both ways, and then concludes with the end for each course of life. The way of the righteous is known by the Lord; the righteous have intimate fellowship and communion with God when following God’s will in God’s way and flourish in fruitfulness. On the other hand, the final end of the way of the ungodly shall ultimately perish.
Last week I was on the road for four days traveling for work and church in Tennessee. I was sick most of the week so it had not been the most fun trip overall. As I was beginning my return trip, after driving through a stiff rain and pretty strong winds for quite a few miles, the rain cleared and then I saw a rainbow in my rearview mirror. It was interesting because when I drive through what appeared to be that rainbow’s location (maybe 5 miles back) I could not see anything in that place but rain, strong winds, and storm clouds. Even though I only saw the storm when I was in the midst of it, after I passed on and the effects of the storm had calmed, I could look back in hindsight in my rearview mirror and see the rainbow in the exact location that I had just experienced a storm.
“Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.” (Haggai 1:7)
In America, we want the “effects” of revival without the uncomfortable and life rearranging “causes” of revival. We all want to see new converts come to the truth, baptisms, churches growing, even churches being planted; we all want to see the effects of revival. However, we are unwilling to deeply and intimately evaluate the areas of our life that need to change and repent of the actions that initiate such a revival. Radical repentance – not just casually feeling sorry for some of our actions but radical, life rearranging changes in our lives – is one of the great causes of revival that we are unwilling to undertake. THERE IS NO REVIVAL WITHOUT RADICAL REPENTANCE.
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38)
These men here on the day of Pentecost were already “devout men” (pious, godly men; Acts 2:5) and were pricked in the heart and convicted over their sin to such a degree they asked what they needed to do (Acts 2:37). Only a child of God is pricked in the heart by the preaching of the gospel; the preaching of the cross is utter foolishness to the unregenerate (1 Cor 1:21). Peter calls upon those already born again children of God to repent and be baptized.
“Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” (Hebrews 2:12)
In the Primitive Baptist Church, our worship is very simple: we preach, we sing, we pray. That simplistic worship is actually quite contrary to the complicated manner of worship that is typically in general Christianity today. We want to maintain the simplistic pattern of worship we see in the New Testament scriptures. Actually, we can see from this verse and others in the New Testament that Jesus engaged in the same simplistic worship just like we do today: Christ preached, Christ sang, and Christ prayed in the church.
“Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.” (2 Corinthians 1:24)
God has not called his pastors to exercise lordship or dominion over his church, but God gave gifts to the church and called men to preach to help the joy of God’s people. We need to have that perspective of the ministry. Preachers are called to aid and help and promote our joy in the Lord by dispensing to the church the word of God.
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)
The Apostle John is clearly instructing his readers to pursue the commandments and will of God over this world. If we have no desire to follow God’s commands then we have no reasonable basis to attest that we love the Lord. However, the actions that characterize the world are much different and totally contrary to the things of the kingdom and the Father. We must forsake those enticing sins of lust and pride of this world and fully submit to the will and word of God.