Morning saint,
I hope this quick note...
Helps you maintain balance in your steady upward trajectory to unassailable victory.
That said…
Jesus never sugar coats anything does He?
For instance…
“I’m sending you out among wolves. Dressed as the most succulent choice cut lamb chops these hungry wolves love most. Yup, YOU are the sheep :) ”**
Okay LORD…
Thanks for that :)
How will we cope?
And our saviour gives us a non religious answer…
“Copy them?”**
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. "
Matthew 10:6 ESV
Hmmm…
Isn’t our ‘wolflike’ enemy actually the ancient ‘serpent’ we are supposed to oppose? (Genesis 3:1)
Yup.
So in what way we are to be as wise* as serpents?
Well...
Keenly observe the tactics of those you walk among (especially wolfy type situations).
Identify the strategies of the enemy behind them—ask the Holy Spirit to reveal them.
Then turn their STRATEGIES right back on the powers of darkness.
And here is how you do just that.
So if you’ve ever wanted a way to turn the tables on your enemy this is it.
It demoralises the heck out of the powers of darkness. And honestly, fills them with total, utter despair.
Of course...
The second part of what Yeshua said above about walking as… ‘Innocent as doves’ is just as essential.
Your...
Innocency.
It’s truly the ONLY ONE WAY you will walk through every pack of wolves without harm.
David used his innocency of heart to multiply victory upon victory.
It was the secret of his heart.
The key to his victories…
“Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
And you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51: 6,10 ESV.
And because of this innocency he wrought absolute devastation on all his enemies.
They couldn’t defeat him... ever!
Here’s how he put it…
“I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt.
And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.
“With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;”
2 Samuel 22:24-26 ESV
There we are then overcomer.
Be wise. Be innocent.
And...
Stay blessed.
Dave.
**Okay I know, I know. Dreadful paraphrases of Matthew 10:6 eh?
*Greek: PHRONIMOS (prudent, sensible, practically wise) from Vines Expository Dictionary of NT Words.