How The Holy Spirit Delivers And Protects Us From Evil

How the Holy Spirit Delivers and Protects Us From Evil

Illustration:The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for Him.

J. Stowell, Fan The Flame, Moody, 1986, p. 32.

1. The Holy Spirit delivers and protects us from evil according to the will of God. Jesus prayed, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever." (Matthew 6:13) The Lord uses our prayers and the prayerful example of Jesus Christ to deliver us from all sorts of evils:

A). Personal evils B). Circumstantial evils C). Relational evils D). Cultural evils E). Financial evils F). Vocational evils G). Ministry evils H). Infectious evils I). Communication evils J). Political evils K). Marital evils L). Family evils M). Institutional evils O). Organizational evils P). Deceivers evils Q). Lukewarm evils R). Accusation evils S). Physical evils T). Demonic evils U). Travel evils V). Opposition evil W). Power and positional evil X). Governmental evils Y). Lustful and prideful evil Z). Accidents and disaster evils AA). Naive evils BB). Impropriety evils CC). Anger evils DD). Fearful evils EE). Bitterness evils FF). Slanderous evils GG). Malicious evils HH). Attitudinal evils II). Prejudicial evils JJ). Judgmental evils KK). Greedy evils LL). Worry and stressful evils MM). Thievery evils Abuse of privilege and authority evils NN). Teaching evils OO). Preaching evils PP). Writing evils QQ). Retirement evils RR). Disobedient evils SS). Alienation and isolation evils TT). Philosophical evils UU). Abuses of gifts and responsibility that leads to evil VV). Mis-placed priorities that lead to evil WW). Complacency evils XX). Social and interpersonal evils YY). Conformity evils ZZ). Mis-beliefs, misconstrued perspectives and mistaken perceptions that lead to all types of evil

Illustration:Madame Chiang Kai-shek once told the story of a young Buddhist monk who sat outside his temple two thousand years ago, hands clasped in prayer. He looked very pious and he chanted ’Amita Buddha’ all day. Day after day he intoned these words, believing that he was acquiring grace. One day the head priest of the temple sat next to him and began rubbing a piece of brick against a stone. Day after day he rubbed one against the other. This went on week after week until the young monk could no longer contain his curiosity, and he finally blurted out, "Father, what are you doing?" "I’m trying to make a mirror," said the head priest. "But that’s impossible!" said the young monk. "You can’t make a mirror from brick." "True," replied the head priest. "And it is just as impossible for you to acquire grace by doing nothing except chant ’Amita Buddha’ all day long."

Bits & Pieces, April 1990, p. 12.

2. The Holy Spirit delivers and protects us from evil by the use of the FULL armor of God. Paul wrote, "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith...the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Eph. 6:14-17) Ask the Lord to help you to always avoid letting down any part of your guard.

3. The Holy Spirit reminds us to give thanks for how the Lord has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of Light. Paul wrote, "Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Eph. 1:12-14) Thank the Lord for all the blessed inheritance you already enjoy through Christ’s redemption.

Ask God to help you to appropriate and use all of the gifts, blessings and positional advantages that you possess in Jesus Christ.

4. The Holy Spirit teaches us to learn lessons from all the ways that God has delivered His people and how some were still bent on rebellion. David wrote, "Many times He delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin." (Psa. 106:43) Ask the Lord to help you to not take His deliverance for granted.

Trust the Lord to help you to avoid the mistakes of the Israelites who were so bent on rebellion that they failed to take advantage of God’s deliverance from their enemies.