How to Relate to God

Chapter 17: OPENING DOORS
Protected by God

Object of fear:
How can our own thoughts make us fearful?
One time when I was mulling over some things concerning God and his word I was stopped by the thoughts that to think such things would be considered committing blasphemy. So, I wouldn’t allow myself to think the thoughts through.
The same thoughts came again and again and each time I’d think the same thing about them, that I’d be sinning to think them through. So, each time I’d stop myself, ask the Lord for forgiveness, in case I had already gone too far, and try to forget about it. I pictured myself closing a door to keep the thoughts out.

Ordering help:
How can we alleviate ourselves of our fears?
Eventually, when the same thoughts came to me so often that I began to see it as some kind of plague, I became so fearful of my own thoughts that I prayed about the situation.
The first thing that I asked was for God to stop me from having such thoughts, for him to keep them from entering my head in the first place. But then I added that because I knew that he was capable of keeping those thoughts from me, that if they should return that it would be with good reason. And that, since they could now only come with his permission, not only was I not going to be afraid of their coming, I was going to swing wide the door and allow them in and think them through, trusting in him to keep me from sinning.

Opened door:
How can we change our response to the things we fear?
The thoughts returned, of course. And as I allowed them to come, and as I thought them through, I discovered that they had not been my own. They belonged to the Lord. He had been trying to teach me something. And it was the devil that had been trying to keep me from receiving it by accusing me of wrongdoing.

Origin of thoughts:
How can Satan interfere with our thought processes?
It is written that Satan is the accuser of the brethren before God. Previously I had been taught that how he does this is by going to God and accusing me there by pointing out my sin. Then, it had been said, Jesus Christ would stand up and say that he had died for that sin.
How Satan accuses us is to pretend that he is either God or our own conscience. He accuses us while we are before God in prayer in an effort to turn us away from God.

Observing the truth:
How can we discern God’s voice?
God promises that if we seek him for the purpose of following where he is leading us he will make his voice heard and understood.
The easiest way for us to discern whether the voice we hear is God’s voice or that of Satan is to apply the following verse. “17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” James 3, NKJV. Anything that opposes this is not godly wisdom.

Onslaught of Satan:
How can we discern Satan’s voice?
It stands to reason that if we, as believers, are to speak to others only words that edify them, that the Holy Spirit will do the same with us when he speaks to us. So that, anything which we hear that is not recognizable as God’s truth or has the appearance of producing the result of our turning away from God rather than toward him, then most likely it is Satan trying to lead us astray.
We can test the spirit of what is being said by what we perceive will be the most probable outcome of listening to it.

Obstructing justification:
How does our view of ourselves affect us?
It is not a good thing for men to insist upon seeing themselves in the worst possible light when it comes to our relating to God. He sees us as justified and calls us to come boldly before him in times of need to find help. When we view ourselves in the muck and mire of sin, what we need is the love and grace of God’s hand to lift us out of it. Our seeing that we are not what we are supposed to be, ought to be, is the contrition we need to lead us to God in the first place.
As much as a sick person should go to the physician to be made well while he is yet ill, so should we go to God with our sin to be made whole, to be cleansed. We have only to confess it to receive forgiveness and cleansing. “9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1, NKJV. Confessing is simply agreeing with God.

Object of war:
How does knowledge become a weapon against Satan?
When we have the assurance of our position with the Father, in the eyes of the Father, we are less likely to be led astray. When we know that we are secure we will not be as easily made to feel insecure. When we can quote the promises of God that state our position in him, the promises become the weapons of war, fiery darts that destroy the devil’s ability to control us. With us seated in the position of knowing what the truth of our position in Christ is, we will be able to contradict the lies that the devil throws at us. With that he will not be able to lead us astray, away from God. Scripture says that all we need to do is resist the devil and he will flee from us. Knowledge of the truth brings us the ability to resist him. “10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6, NKJV.