Tag: put off put on

It’s Time To Wake Up – First Sunday of Advent (Romans 13:11-14)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone; the day is near. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us walk decently as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in illicit sex and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (New Revised Standard Version)

But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over; dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about! (The Message)

I like metaphors, that is, word-pictures that help illustrate and visualize a concept or idea. That’s probably why I like the Apostle Paul, because I find in him a guy who appears to have the same affinity for metaphors that I do.

In the New Testament reading on this First Sunday of Advent, Paul gives four metaphors to help us grab ahold of what he wants to get across to us:

We are not in some holding pattern, passively awaiting heaven. This is because our salvation is not yet complete. Completeness won’t happen until Jesus returns, until the second advent of Christ. Therefore, we are to be active now, working on our faith commitment to Jesus and to his church.

In this advent season, as we remember Christ’s first “advent” (or “coming”) to this earth, we are equally anticipating the second coming of Christ – not knowing quite when that will occur. Only until this event happens will our salvation come in all of its fullness.

The church is a unique community of persons who continually have an eye toward the future return of Jesus. And this future orientation is supposed to give shape to how we live in the present time.

The world-wide Christian community presently follows the way of deliverance. This current time and place is not the arrival point. Today doesn’t mark the time in which our salvation is fully realized or acquired.

In other words, we are to avoid acting as if this is our permanent home. Rather, we are pilgrims on this earth, sojourning through it as if we were but camping out. Our true home is someplace else. And we will get there when Christ comes again.

There is a stark contrast between those who put all their eggs into the present earthly basket, and those who maintain a future orientation of working now with an eye out for Jesus to return. This contrast is illustrated by Paul with images of what it’s like to live for and in the Roman society; and what it’s like to live with Jesus as Lord, instead of Ceasar.

Are you asleep or awake, living for the night or in the day?

Therefore, keep awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. (Mark 13:35-36)

Paul, taking his cues from Jesus, exhorted the believers to stay alert and be prepared for the end when it comes. Living for the nighttime is a metaphor for giving-in to one’s personal sinful desires; whereas living in the daylight hours is a picture of following the words and ways of Jesus.

What are you wearing? What are you taking off, and what are you putting on?

Using the metaphor of clothes – undressing and dressing oneself – Paul is talking about exchanging one set of clothing for another. This isn’t merely putting on a different pair of jeans than what you already have on. It’s much more radical than that. It’s doffing the tuxedo and donning the overalls. The picture is one of doing something completely different than what you’ve been doing before.

Paul wanted a complete makeover, a total change of moral and ethical behavior that is consistent with the gospel of Christ, and not with typical Roman society. It involves taking up one’s cross and following Jesus. It’s gritty and dirty and gets down to it; instead of avoiding hard work and seeking to have someone else do what is unpleasant to me.

Our allegiance and commitment to Christ is on full public display – not in placards with Bible verses on them, but with the sweet aroma of living a humble and just life in all of its simplicity and holiness.

Will you do the works of darkness, or take up the armor of light?

The darkness represents the unjust life of lies, selfishness, conflicts of interest, relational discord, and immoral actions. The light is meant to convey a beautiful life of integrity, wholeness, righteousness, and peace through loving actions.

Christians are to progressively take on the character of Christ, and not of whatever political character happens to be in power.

Using the metaphor of armor points us not only toward the struggle we confront in living a moral and righteous life, but also toward Christ who is our Divine Warrior. Jesus is the One who fights the battle and wins the victory.

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Do you know what time it is? Is there any hopeful expectation?

The Christian is one who knows the time is nearer now than when they first believed. We may not know the precise date on the calendar when Jesus will come again, yet we are convinced that he is returning soon.

Therefore, the believer has no business spending time in trying to predict the day of the end. Instead, the believer must remain faithful and persevere to the end with a firm commitment to Christ, and a dedication to doing what is good, right, and just.

So, herein lies the challenge for every believer: Those of us who name Jesus as Lord will continue to live in a world of injustice and unrighteousness. Christians are continually being pulled in differing directions all at once, all the time.

It’s a hard slog. Yet the Christian finds joy and satisfaction in knowing who they are, who they believe in, and who is coming back to make all things new.

Christianity involves a whole lot more than praying a salvation prayer once, then going on one’s merry way, doing whatever the heck one wants to do.

Rather, Christianity is a radical existence of waking from sleep and changing allegiances from immoral leaders to the true sovereign of the universe.

It’s like moving from seeing shadowy forms just before the dawn to seeing clearly in the sun’s full light of day.

It’s as if I’ve been given a completely new set of clothes to put on, giving up the rags of this world for the raiment of being adopted into royalty.

We remain continually vigilant, always watching, always praying, always believing, always loving – knowing that our salvation is at hand, nearly here, and could happen at any moment.

God of justice and peace, from the heavens you rain down mercy and kindness, so that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder before your marvelous deeds. Raise our heads in expectation, that we may yearn for the coming day of the Lord and stand without blame before your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

A Prayer of Reception and Resistance (Warfare Prayer)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog2 Comments

Almighty God, blessed heavenly Father:

I bow in worship and praise before You. I take upon myself the yoke of the Lord Jesus Christ. I take up His words and ways, His person and work, and cover myself with His very life as my protection. (Matthew 11:29-30; Romans 13:14)

I surrender myself to You, gracious God; completely submit every area of my life to Christ; and listen to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I now take a stand against all the work of evil and every satanic stratagem that seeks to hinder me in my prayer life. I address myself only to You, true and living God, and refuse any sinister involvement of demonic forces in my prayers. (Matthew 23:12; Mark 9:7; Ephesians 6:11)

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.

Jesus (Matthew 21:22)

As a blood-bought believer and adopted child into the family of God, I take up the authority and position graciously given to me because of the work of Jesus Christ on my behalf. Therefore, Satan, I command you, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to leave my presence with all of your demons. I bring the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ between us. (Ephesians 1:5, 20-22)

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Blessed Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit – I worship You alone. I recognize You are worthy to receive all glory, honor, and praise. I renew my allegiance to You and humbly ask that You, Holy Spirit, enable me and strengthen my faith in this time of prayer, and throughout this day. (Ephesians 6:10; Revelation 4:11)

I am thankful, heavenly Father, that You have loved me from eternity past; and that You sent the Lord Jesus Christ into this world to die as my substitute. (Ephesians 1:4, 7)

I am thankful, merciful Christ, that You came as my representative; and that through You I am completely forgiven. Blessed Father, You have adopted me into Your family; You have assumed all responsibility for me; You have given me eternal life; You have given me Your perfect righteousness, so that I am now justified and free. (Ephesians 1:3-14)

I am thankful, gracious God, that in Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit, You have made me complete. You have offered Yourself to me, to be my daily help and strength. Open my eyes that I might see how great You are and how complete Your provision is for me this day. (Matthew 20:33; Romans 16:25-27)

I am thankful, Lord Jesus, that the victory You won on the cross and in Your resurrection has been given to me; and that I am seated with You in heaven. Therefore, I take my place with You, Lord Jesus, and recognize by faith that all wicked spirits, and even Satan himself, are under my feet. I declare that the devil and his demons are subject to me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Ephesians 1:22-23)

I am thankful, mighty God, for the armor You have provided. Today, I put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace and the helmet of salvation. I lift up the shield of faith against all the fiery arrows of the enemy; and I take in my hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. I choose to use Your Word against all the forces of evil in my life. I put on this armor and live and  pray in complete dependence upon You, blessed Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 6:13-17)

I am thankful, Lord Jesus, that You disarmed all power and authorities, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore, I claim all victory for my life today. I reject all the insinuations, accusations, and temptations of Satan.  I affirm that the Word of God is true. I choose to live today in the light of God’s Word. (Colossians 2:13-15)

Everyone who asks, receives.

Jesus (Matthew 7:8)

Heavenly Father, I choose to live in obedience to You and in fellowship with You. Open my eyes and show me the areas of my life that do not please You.  Work in me to cleanse and purify me from all ground that may give evil a foothold in my life. In every way, I stand into all that it means to be Your adopted child. (2 Corinthians 7:1; James 4:8; 1 John 1:7, 9)

Blessed Holy Spirit, I welcome all of Your ministry in my life. By faith and in dependence upon You, I put off the old person and stand into all the victory of the crucifixion where the Lord Jesus Christ provided cleansing from the sinful nature. I put on the new person and stand into all the victory of the resurrection and the provision Christ has made for me to live above sin. (Colossians 3:1-17)

I put off the old nature with its myopic selfishness, crippling fear, and deceitful lusts. In its place, I put on the new nature with its love, courage, righteousness, purity, and honesty. (Romans 13:12-13; 2 Timothy 1:9)

In every way, I stand into the victory of Christ’s ascension and glorification, in which everything was made subject to Him. I claim my place in Christ as victorious with Him over all the enemies of my soul. 

Blessed Holy Spirit, I pray that you would fill me. Come into my life, break down every idol, and cast out every enemy of my soul, because I belong to God! (1 Corinthians 10:14, 21; 1 John 4:18)

I am thankful, wise God, for the expression of Your will for my daily life as You have shown me in Your Word. I, therefore, claim all the will of God for my life today. (John 17:16-18)

I am thankful, blessed Holy Trinity, the God whom I serve, that You have blessed me with every spiritual blessing in Christ; and that before I chose You, You chose me. (Ephesians 1:3-4)

I am thankful, gracious God, that You have given me new life into a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)

I am thankful, merciful God, that You have made provision for me so that today I can live filled in the Holy Spirit with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. I recognize and affirm that this is Your will for me. (Galatians 5:22-26)

So, therefore, almighty God, I reject and resist all the sinister attempts of evil, and of every wicked spirit to rob me of the will of God. I refuse today to believe any feelings of failure and worthlessness; and I hold up the shield of faith against all the accusations, distortions, and insinuations that Satan would put into my mind. I claim the will of God for my life today. (Ephesians 6:16)

In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I completely surrender myself to You, heavenly Father, as a living sacrifice. I choose not to be conformed to this world. Instead, I choose to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. I pray You to show me Your will. Help me to walk in Your way today. (Romans 12:1-2)

I am thankful, powerful God, that the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world, but have divine power to demolish strongholds, arguments, and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. I take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Therefore, in my life today, I tear down the strongholds of Satan and smash the plans of evil that have been formed against me. I demolish the strongholds of Satan against my mind; and I surrender my mind to You, Holy Spirit. 

I affirm, heavenly Father, that You have not given me a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. So, I break and smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my emotions today. I give my will to You. I choose to make right decisions of faith. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my body today; and I give my body to You, recognizing that I am Your sacred temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; Ephesians 2:19-22; 2 Timothy 1:9)

Heavenly Father, I pray now, and throughout this day, that You strengthen and enlighten me. Show me the ways that Satan is hindering, tempting, lying and distorting the truth in my life. Help me to be the kind of person that pleases You; to be aggressive in prayer and in faith; to think rightly; to actively practice Your Word; and, to give You Your rightful place in my life. (Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 2:10-11, 11:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)

I now intentionally and volitionally cover myself with the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that You, blessed Holy Spirit, bring all the work of Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and all Your powerful work of Pentecost into my life today. (Acts 1:8)

I surrender myself to You, merciful God. I refuse to be discouraged, because You are the God of all hope. You have proven Your power by resurrecting Jesus from the dead. Therefore, I claim this victory over all evil and satanic forces in my life. I pray all of this in the Name and through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ with thanksgiving.  Amen. (Romans 5:1-6, 15:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 1:21)

A Real Change of Life (Matthew 12:43-45)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.” (New Living Translation)

Nature abhors a vacuum. A tilled plot of soil will be overtaken with weeds if nothing is planted and nurtured in the turned-over dirt. 

The pecking order of a brood of chickens cannot handle the death of the top hen without filling the position almost immediately. 

In the spiritual realm, the exorcising of a demon will not simply leave a person empty of evil – their life will be filled with something in its place.

Jesus told a story about a man who was delivered from an unclean (evil) spirit. It’s a powerful and simple narrative on the necessity of true repentance, that is, on what a real change of life is like. 

Genuine freedom is more than getting rid of something bad and destructive; the evil must be replaced with something good and useful. In other words, biblical repentance, a true transformation of a person, is both a turning away from ungodliness and an embrace of righteousness.

We are delivered from evil so that we can start living into right and peaceful relationships, as God intends for us.

For example, the Apostle Paul exhorted the Ephesian believers to not only stop stealing but also to get a job and start sharing with others. They were not only to stop lying and using their tongues for gossip and slander and start using their words to speak truth that builds up others. (Ephesians 4:25-32)

The spiritual principle is the same as the nature principle: A empty vacuum will always be filled. The man who did not fill his life with God ended up having a problem with evil seven times greater than when he started. If anything, or anyone, is emptied of its unhealthy elements and practices, it is imperative that the hole be immediately filled with healthy disciplines for life.

Whether dealing with addictions, bad habits, or any kind of evil influence, a two-pronged approach is needed for its eradication. We expel the evil by replacing it with godliness. 

For example, the man struggling with pornography or adultery must not only stop the behavior but take up the mantle of being a champion for women’s issues; or the woman who has no healthy boundaries and allows herself to be used and abused must not only separate from the problem or person but adopt her identity in Christ as a precious child of God and enforce righteous limitations. 

These examples are not meant to be simplistic answers to complex situations. Rather, they illustrate why so many people do not experience freedom and continue to have even greater enslavement to their passions and sufferings. Freedom is realized through replacing old practices with new disciplines that directly attack the old.

We all have needs. How we get those needs met is often a mixed bag of both legitimate and illegitimate ways. In a perfect world, everyone would be aware of their needs and be able to express them to one another without shame, anxiety, or anger. Since we live on a blemished fallen planet, we end up trying to meet our needs indirectly through hustling for love, hoarding resources, and controlling others – all harmful ways which destroys souls and relationships.

In order to focus on meeting our needs in a wise and healthy manner, we must take a step beyond ending a toxic relationship, cutting up a credit card, or saying “no” to another responsibility. We often get into our mess to begin with because we are out of touch with ourselves and our needs. We need affection and encouragement, and there is no shame in needing this. We need security and safety, and there is no problem in acquiring this. There are some things we need to control, and that is okay.

If we fail to address our needs, we might do the necessary work of deliverance, then turn right around and become worse off than before by filling the empty place of our lives with:

  • Being all things to all people, as if we were the Messiah.
  • Being successful so that we stay ahead of being needy.
  • Pulling inside ourselves and trusting nobody.
  • Distancing from our needs and pretending they are not there.
  • Being continually vigilant so that we are never hurt that way again.
  • Keeping a positive spin on everything, as if there is no negative stuff in the world.
  • Challenging other’s opinions and behaviors to keep the focus off our needs.
  • Becoming a wallflower so that we can never be the brunt of someone else’s vitriol or evil.

Instead, we can let Jesus fill the emptiness with love, purpose, peace, joy, attention, and grace. Christ is the Savior who delivers us from evil, and the Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier who carefully applies the work of salvation to our lives. When our hearts and minds are full of God, there is no place for the demons to get in.

True change and transformation equally forsakes evil and embraces righteousness; replaces the unhealthy with the healthy; jettisons the illegitimate and seeks the legitimate; and puts away unnecessary suffering and pursues peace and joy in the Spirit.

O God, I no longer want to live with saying I’m sorry and going right back to the old pig slop of sin. I cannot change on my own. I need Jesus to both take away the sin and give me a new life of living for him. Help me to make choices that put to death the old way of life, and the courage to live into my forgiveness in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Stop the Bad, Start the Good (Ephesians 4:25-5:2)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment

We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth. Don’t get so angry that you sin. Don’t go to bed angry and don’t give the devil a chance.

If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and work hard, so you will have something to give to people in need.

Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say.

Don’t make God’s Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins.

Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don’t yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.

Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God. (Contemporary English Version)

All of us have a hard time breaking bad habits, even and especially destructive habits which damage us and/or others. Why, despite knowing better, is it so doggone hard to change? And why, even though having the best of intentions, does that person in my life never change because I tell them to?

Probably because our approach to change dooms us from the beginning. Here are a few approaches which, frankly, do not work:

  • Telling ourselves (or others) to stop. Barking commands may alter speech or behavior for a while but it won’t stick. That’s because people need affirmation, encouragement, and love in order to change – and not by mandated rules. Judgmentalism or shaming others never effects any sort of positive change. Neither our brains nor our souls operate that way.
  • Relying on willpower. This is really an over-reliance on thinking. Yes, it’s necessary to change our thinking. It isn’t, however, enough. That’s because we are not brains-on-a-stick. We also have a body, emotions, and a spirit which needs activation, as well. What’s more, our thinking doesn’t change by sheer force of the will. Our brains are literally not wired that way.
  • Believing in positive thinking. “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can….” “Dream it and do it.” “I believe in myself.” “Nothing is impossible.” I am not suggesting we indulge negative thinking or let a bad attitude take root. I’m saying that positive thinking has its limits. It’s helpful but is not the true agent of behavioral change.
  • Pursuing self-help. Yes, we must all help ourselves. After all, we are responsible for our own behavior. However, self-help alone doesn’t bring lasting change. By only going it alone, individuals come up with hackneyed homebrewed prescriptions that will not get the job done. That’s because we are hard-wired for community and any sort of effective change of habit happens with others.

To stop doing or saying something is only half the equation. We also need to start doing and saying something else altogether.

Change always involves both putting off and putting on, laying down and picking up, removing and replacing, starting and stopping.

The Christian tradition holds that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Life together is to be shaped around the person and work of Christ. Since Christians share a common confession of Jesus together, we are to share a common life together.

Therefore, we will stop non-Christian ways of relating to each other and start a Christian way of relating to each other – because we belong to one another and are inextricably connected as the community of the redeemed.

Stop lying and start speaking the truth

Too often, we put up a plastic false front. Pretending we are okay, when we are not, or even acting like life is hard, when it isn’t, is an untruthful presentation – it’s a lie. Secrecy and deception are tools of Satan, not God. Therefore, we must put off the bad habit of pretention, and put on the good habit of speaking truthfully to each other. 

Buying into the devil’s snake oil salesmanship leads one to believe we cannot be open, honest, real, vulnerable, and genuine; it’s not worth the risk. We worry about being rejected, losing face, or becoming a victim of gossip. Shame then takes the steering wheel of one’s life, instead of speaking truthfully.

We speak the truth in love because we are responsible to one another – not hiding in the shadows or avoiding the dark places of the heart – but stepping into the light and forsaking all fakery for the benefit of everyone’s needs. The only thing lying does is undermine and erode true community.

Stop stealing and start being generous

Thievery takes many forms: petty theft, identity theft, stealing intellectual property (copywrites, patents, trade secrets, etc.), fraud, plagiarism, robbery, burglary, embezzlement, shoplifting, and more. Gossip, slander, and defamation robs another person of their dignity and reputation. Likely the most insidious theft of all is the stealing and kidnapping other human beings.

Stealing will always be a way of life unless it is replaced wholesale with generosity. Learning to give back is the surest path to real change. And there a lot of ways of doing it.

We can give back to the community through donating our time, participating in charity events, volunteering at a school, hospital, or senior center, and even recycling or planting a tree, or giving blood.

Whatever it is you choose to do, connect it with the penchant toward stealing you may have. For example the one prone to gossip might replace it with gratitude; or the one who chronically steals another’s time might join an altruism group.

Stop the dirty useless talk and start encouraging others

Locker room talk and dirty jokes aren’t helpful. There’s also a lot of speech that’s just downright useless, such as: a preacher who pads the sermon with lots of unnecessary words; a relative who is vague and not specific with their words; a boss who always points out, with many words, what is wrong but barely says one word of affirmation to an employee.

Instead of tearing down others with words, replace those words with encouragement. Going out of your way to write an encouraging card or note to someone, bending down to look a child in the eye to say, “hi,” expressing sincere condolences to someone who lost a loved one, or just having a kind word for the harried cashier behind the counter or the waitress at the restaurant, are simple ways of embracing encouragement as a lifestyle.

Stop being so bitter and angry and start forgiving people

Many people either cannot or will not forgive because they want to hold onto their anger and bitterness. Somehow, in their twisted and darkened thinking, they believe that, unless they maintain their grudge-bearing, the offending person or group will get off the hook.

Please, lay down that crushing load of mental vengeance; and pick up the light backpack of grace and forgiveness.

Chances are, if you’ve been in the habit of being angry for a long time, you have a cardiologist you see on a regular basis. Do yourself a favor by changing yourself and saving your health, instead of expecting others to change and blaming them for your issues.

If you are not the person you want to be, then take a lesson from the Apostle Paul: don’t just try and stop something you don’t like but also start doing just the opposite of it, in helpful ways that are a blessing to others.

And if ever in doubt, love is always the best choice.

May the God of peace make you pure and faultless, belonging only to what is right, just and good. And may your whole self—spirit, soul, mind, body, and emotions—be kept safe and be blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. Amen.