2 Corinthians 2:10-11 KJV 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV
James 3:13-18 KJV Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Ill. A university student was seen with a large “K” printed on his T-shirt. When someone asked him what the “K” stood for, he said, “Confused.” “But,” the questioner replied, “you don’t spell “confused” with a “K.” The student answered, “You don’t know how confused I am.” Source unknown
How's this for confusion!
If you think your family has problems, consider the marriage mayhem created when 76-year-old Bill Baker of London recently wed Edna Harvey. She happened to be his granddaughter’s husband’s mother.
That’s where the confusion began, according to Baker’s granddaughter, Lynn. "My mother-in-law is now my step-grandmother. My grandfather is now my stepfather-in-law. My mom is my sister-in-law and my brother is my nephew. But even crazier is that I’m now married to my uncle and my own children are my cousins."
CONFUSE, v.t.
1. To mix or blend things, so that they cannot be distinguished.
2. To disorder; as, a sudden alarm confused the troops; a careless bookkeeper has confused the accounts.
3. To perplex; to render indistinct; as, the clamor confused his ideas.
4. To throw the mind into disorder; to cast down or abash; to cause to blush; to agitate by surprise, or shame; to disconcert.
CONFUSION, n.
1. In a general sense, a mixture of several things promiscuously; hence, disorder; irregularity; as the confusion of tongues at Babel.
2. Tumult; want of order in society. The whole city was filled with confusion. Acts 19. God is not the author of confusion. 1 Cor 14.
3. A blending or confounding; indistinct combination; opposed to distinctness or perspicuity; as a confusion of ideas.
4. Abashment; shame. O Lord, let me never be put to confusion. Psa 71. We lie in shame and our confusion covereth us. Jer 3.
5. Astonishment; agitation; perturbation; distraction of mind. Confusion dwelt in every face.
6. Overthrow; defeat; ruin. The makers of idols shall go to confusion together. Isa 45.
7. A shameful blending of natures, a shocking crime. (Webster)
Ill. Defeating the dragon seed warriors...Jason and the Argonauts
The keeper of the Golden Fleece, King Aeetes was the son of Helius, the sun god. Athena got Eros to shoot a magic arrow at Medea, the daughter of Aeetes. This caused her to fall in love with Jason. Aeetes challenged Jason to a test of strength. The challenge was to force a pair of fire breathing dragons to plant a field with dragon teeth that according to legend, fighting men would spring forth from. The final part of the challenge was to defeat the men who sprang from the seed. Medea, who was also a sorceress, gave Jason a drug which made him immune to the flames of the dragons. Jason was able to harness the dragons and plant the dragon teeth in the field. When the men popped out of the ground from the dragon’s teeth, Jason threw a large stone into the middle of the field, confusing the men. In their confusion, they began attacking each other, and Jason was able to finish them all off before nightfall.
Many times instead of uniting to fight against the enemy of our souls we end up fighting each other because of a stone thrown by the enemy and Jesus said... if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. Mark 3:24, 25
Beware of the devilish tactic to divide and conquer! If the devil can separate you from fellowship with God and the saints he can destroy you at his leisure with you not even aware you are being destroyed.
If we cannot hear the voice of God clearly, it brings confusion.
If we are in a situation where we end up in strife and envy it is confusion.
If we persist in listening to lies through whatever channel we will end up being confused for the devil is the source of all lies. Jesus said, Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. John 8:43-45 KJV
Or As Amplified: Why do you misunderstand what I say? It is because you are unable to hear what I am saying. [You cannot bear to listen to My message; your ears are shut to My teaching.] 44 You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false. 45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me [do not trust Me, do not rely on Me, or adhere to Me]. John 8:43-45 AMP
1. CONFUSION IS CLOSELY ALLIED TO DOUBT AND UNBELIEF.
It creates a stronghold in the mind that spreads its influence in all directions resulting in clouding of clarity and a cover under which the enemy gathers strength. Look at how an evil report creates panic and confusion in a multitude of people and cause then to doubt Yahweh!
Numbers 13:26-33 KJV And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Numbers 14:1-4 KJV And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
They were so confounded by this that they never entered the Promised Land
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:7-13 KJV
2. CONFUSION ARISES WHEN WE BEGIN DOUBTING THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD
Doubts comes from conflicting teachings and questioning the truth of the Word.
Genesis 3:1-6 KJV Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
3. CONFUSION ARISES FROM A LACK OF PROPER COMMUNICATION.
1 Corinthians 14:6-12 KJV 6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? 7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. 11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. 12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Imagine an army unit cut off from communication with HQ. They will have no update on the overall plan and will have no knowledge of the immediate plans for the unit. They will either continue to operate on the old plan, never adjusting, never in harmony with the overall plan and never in coordination with the rest. They may even begin to believe they are the only ones left and will remain in a rut of form and rote with no freshness. How many churches have not found themselves at the point where they become a law unto themselves and become steeped in their traditions and opposing anyone and anything that looks likely to upset the status quo and the routine of the church? How often has this not resulted in confusion among the saints of God? How many times have we not found ourselves left behind because God's cloud lifted and moved on but we failed to follow?
4. CONFUSION ARISES WHEN GOD'S MANDATED LINES OF DISTINCTION ARE BLURRED BY MAN'S PERVERSION.
Ezekiel 22:26-28 KJV Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. 28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
Slick and smooth statements such as "Why worry, God is love" and "Don't worry, God understands" which are spouted as excuses when we sin does nothing to create harmony among the saints of God
Gender confusion is not of God. Believing that there is a man in a woman’s' body crying to be released and vice versa, is confusion.
Extreme fashion and cross dressing are tools of confusion and products of confusion.
Divorce is not approved by God and Hollywood style marriage is reminiscent of the days of Noah!
Isaiah 5:20-24 KJV Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! 24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Proverbs 17:15 KJV He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.
Malachi 2:14-16 KJV Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
Malachi 2:17 KJV Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment
Romans 1:21-32 KJV Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Confusion results in non cooperation, non productivity, division and separation cf. Babel where God confounded the language of man.
Judas could not reconcile himself to the concept of the Messiah as portrayed by Jesus. He expected a conquering king to set Israel free and make them rulers. When expectations did not materialize he resorted to devious, conniving methods which produced results he did not expect and he became confused killing himself.
IN OUR BATTLE AGAINST THE ENEMY WE NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT: ... though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 KJV
Remember to: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Proverbs 3:5-8 KJV
For: He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31 KJV
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV
So ... When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19 KJV
Paul says: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. Philippians 4:6-9 KJV
5. SOUND DOCTRINE IS VITAL IN OUR BATTLE AGAINST CONFUSION:
Titus 1:9-16 KJV Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. 10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. 12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; 14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. 15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Titus 2:1 KJV But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 KJV Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
1 Timothy 6:3-6 KJV If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 1:9-11 KJV Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
