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.
5. The Holy Spirit brings to our mind people like Joseph who were eventually delivered, but not until God’s greater will was accomplished for His people. Dr. Luke wrote, "Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace." (Acts 7:9,10)
Ask the Lord to give you the patience to wait for God’s deliverance as He carries out His broader plan through you and your obedience.
6. The Holy Spirit instructs us in all that ways that we have been delivered from the law, legalism and cultural traditional restrictions. Paul wrote, "Brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code." (Rom. 7:4,6)
Ask the Lord to help you to act, knowing you have been released from the law so that you can live more by the Spirit’s empowering, directing and enabling.
7. The Holy Spirit encourages to follow the example of Godly people like Paul who experience the Lord’s deliverance just when he needed it most.
Example: Paul wrote, "At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom." (2 Tim. 4:16-18)
Ask the Lord to help you follow the faith, ministry and teaching of great people like Paul.
Conclusion:Our life in Christ can be compared to an aqueduct, the stone waterways that brought water from nearby mountains into parched cities in Italy and Spain, and that are still used in some countries today. The objective foundation of our spiritual lives, the Word of God, is like the huge stone aqueduct itself. The subjective elements, our daily experience of Christ, is like the fresh water flowing through it.
Some Christians neglect the Word and seek only the subjective experience. But without the solid Word of God to contain and channel that experience, the experience itself drains away into error and is lost.
Other Christians boast well-engineered aqueducts based on extensive knowledge of the Bible, but they are bone dry. They bring no refreshment. Strong spiritual lives require both a strong knowledge of the Word of God and an intimate daily relationship with Christ.
John H. Morgan.
