In our passage for today, the writer of Hebrews speaks to us about spiritual warfare. You might ask, “Where do you get that? Isn’t this passage one about holy living and getting along with others?”
Well, we understand that the writer is emphasizing an aspect of the believer’s spiritual warfare by the fact that the phrase “Make every effort” literally refers to the effort put forth by a warrior in fierce pursuit of an enemy. We could literally translate the phrase as “strive like a warrior.” So the writer tells us that peace with others and holiness with God are such worthy pursuits that they deserve our very best effort and attention.
It is interesting as well to note how the writer connects living in peace with others and holiness. The Greek word translated “holiness” here is defined by Thayer’s Greek Lexicon as “sanctification of heart and life.” In other words, if I am going to be right with others and right with God, things must be put right in my heart. In fact, the writer tells us that unless things are right in my heart, I will not see God at work in the midst of His people - “without holiness (sanctification of heart and life) no one will see the Lord.” This echoes what Jesus said in Matthew 5:8.
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” - Matthew 5:8 (NIV)
So we understand that if we want to see God work among us, we need to strive like a warrior to make sure our hearts are right. Now, when we think about our hearts being right, we think about sin; and certainly, our hearts need to be free from sin if we are going to be pure in heart.
However, the emphasis here in our text is on something else that our heart needs to be free from if our hearts are going to be pure and holy. Our hearts need to be healed of their wounds.
While a sin is “self-inflicted;” a wound is “other-inflicted.”
While sin is accompanied by authentic guilt; wounds are not. They are usually accompanied by false guilt.
While a sin can be repented of; a wound cannot.
While a sin can be forgiven; a wound must be healed.
The writer warns us against allowing wounds of the heart to remain unhealed. He speaks of the fact that if wounds of the heart remain unhealed, a bitter root in one’s life can grow up to cause trouble within the body of Christ and defile fellow believers. Untended wounds of the heart can cause us to sin in our attitudes and our actions, resulting in our not being right with God or others.
It is imperative then, that I learn how to deal with wounds I receive, so that I might not be a hindrance to the work of God. How can my wounded heart be healed?
1. Realize who is behind the wounding of my heart.
This fact that the writer urges us to “strive like a warrior” lets us know who it is that is responsible for planting the “root of bitterness.” The Bible says that it is Satan who seeks to wound the hearts of God’s people.
“Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” - Ephesians 6:16 (NIV)
The word, “bitter” comes from a root word meaning “to bite.” We learn from this that many of our sinful attitudes and actions spring from hurts of the heart; and the one who is behind these hurts is none other than Satan. This is what Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:10-12.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood . . .” - Ephesians 6:10-12 (NIV)
A. Satan’s strategy - The Bible tells us that we have three enemies as the people of God.
1) The Devil - “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)
2) The World - “Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.” - 1 John 3:13 (NIV)
Our first enemy, the Devil, works through our second enemy, the world, to apply external pressure on us to sin and keep us from being holy or at peace with others.
“Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world - wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important - has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.” - 1 John 2:15-16 (The Message)
3) The Flesh -
The Devil works through our third enemy, the flesh (sometimes also referred to as “the old man” or our “sinful nature”), to apply internal pressure on us to sin and keep us from being holy or at peace with others.
“The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the (Holy) Spirit wants.” - Galatians 5:17 (NLT)
Since I have been born again, I now am a new person in Christ.
“Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!” - 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified)
Since I am now a new creation in Christ, I must learn how to live life in a new way - in light of my true identity. That is why the Bible says my mind must be renewed. I must learn to think differently. Through study and application of the Word of God I can do this and be helped to live in a way that is consistent with who I am in Christ - a life characterized by holiness.
“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” - John 17:7 (NLT)
Satan’s strategy is to keep us ignorant of who we truly are and to accept a false sense of self. He wants us to think of ourselves, as unlovable, as ugly, as unworthy, as unlovable, as defeated, as stupid - whatever - just as long as we are kept from living according to the victory that is ours in Christ.
B. Satan’s objective - The writer makes it clear that the fruit of bitterness in one’s life is due to something being allowed to take root.
In other words, the bitterness that can be seen stems from something planted in the heart that cannot be seen. This is what the Bible calls a “stronghold.”
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)
You see, I can sin by giving in to external pressure from the world, or I can sin by giving in to internal pressure from the flesh. My sinful “fruit” often has a wounded “root.”
When one’s heart is wounded, Satan will seek to plant in that wound a lie that pretends to be true (a pretension) that is designed to lead one to behave in sinful ways that are contrary to holiness or being at peace with others. Additionally, he will provide us with other lies(arguments) that are designed to keep us believing that this false way of thinking is correct.
Having planted a lie in our heart, Satan then knows how to “push our buttons” and cause us to react to external circumstances in such a way that is contrary to holiness or being a peace with others.
But notice, that according to our text, a wound only becomes a stronghold in my life if the lie that has been planted in my heart through that wound is allowed to grow. It is only as it is allowed to grow in my heart that it is then able to cause me to develop attitudes and take actions that “cause trouble and defile many.”
This is very serious business. If I do not learn how to heal my heart when I have been wounded (and it is inevitable that I will be wounded as a soldier of the cross) then I can be the cause of trouble in the church and cause others to stumble. Not just in my lifetime. The symptoms of every wound not healed will be passed down to the next generation. Probably one of the greatest con¬sequences of not receiving healing is the generational consequence (Exodus 20:5). This is a curse that can not only be passed on in my biological family, but also my church family.
So how to I heal my heart so as to avoid allowing that wound to be used to lead me into sin?
2. Restore your heart by relying on the grace of God.
The Greek word translated “misses” is the word, “hystereô,” which means “to fail to become a partaker.” In other words, as we learn to rely on God’s grace we can be helped to resist the Devil’s efforts to exploit the wounds of our heart and to see our wounds healed. How?
God’s grace provides justification - it is just as if I had never sinned. God’s grace provides reconciliation - I am totally accepted by God. God’s grace provides propitiation - my punishment is covered by the cross. God’s grace provides regeneration - I am a new creation in Christ.
GRACE is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense - all that God can now do for us, in us and through us because of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. By virtue of Christ’s sacrifice, I can not only have my sin forgiven, but I can have my heart healed.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” - Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” - 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)
God has provided, by His grace through the cross, all that is needed for the healing of my heart.
“Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the ound of my people?” - Jeremiah 8:21-22 (NIV)
“This is what the LORD says: ’Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD” - Jeremiah 30:12-13; 17 (NIV)
So how can I appropriate the power and provision of the cross so that I might have the wounds of my heart healed? How can I prevent a lie from taking root in my wounded heart and growing into a stronghold that “causes trouble and defiles many?”
A. Acknowledge your wound.
A wound that goes unacknowledged is a wound that cannot be healed. A wound that is ignored is a wound that cannot be healed. A wound that is denied is a wound that cannot be healed. A wound unfelt or unwept is a wound that cannot be healed. A wound that is justified is a wound that cannot be healed. We must acknowledge that our heart is wounded and invite God to bring His healing.
“For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.” - Psalm 109:22 (NIV)
B. Resist the Devil.
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” - James 4:7 (NIV)
Satan always attacks us at the point of our identity. He wants us to see ourselves in light of our wounds and hurts. Instead, stand firm in God’s truth concerning who you are in Christ. Ask God to identify whatever lies Satan may have told you regarding your wound. Resist Satan by rejecting his lies. Than ask God to reveal His truth to you about the situation. It is by knowing God’s truth that we are set free.
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - John 8:32 (NIV)
C. Forgive the offender(s).
“Freely you have received, freely give.” - Matthew 10:8 (NIV)
“Forgive your brother from your heart.” - Matthew 18:5 (NIV)
If the offender is an unbeliever, forgive them, knowing that they were acting as unredeemed people often act. If the offender is a believer, forgive them because they are a brother or sister in Christ.
D. Stand firm in the victory that is yours. Ephesians 6:13 speaks of how we need to “stand our ground.” Literally, we must defend the ground already taken. We must stand firm in the knowledge of who we are in Christ.
