We have come to the final lesson of this “Whole Armor” series. This is my favorite lesson. This lesson considers the gift of GOD’s grace and reward of our faith in Him. Previous studies established fundamental understanding of some strategic principles that aid our endurance to strive toward our goals, let’s now consider the results of reaching those goals – Transformation and Victory!
Transformation is one of those trendy terms we hear and use to describe change. However, transformation is much more that simply change. It is radical change! Consider the life of a caterpillar. This little worm-like creature crawls around eating leafs and attempts to blend into nature to keep from being eaten by birds. It lives in this condition for a period of time until nature says it’s time to change. The little caterpillar wraps itself inside a cocoon and something amazing occurs. In a few weeks, nature calls the little creature to come out of its protective shell. What emerges from that cocoon is nothing like what went into it. The caterpillar has been transformed into a butterfly. It is totally different. Radically changed! The butterfly has a new internal structure than the caterpillar had. It has a totally new purpose! Instead of crawling on its belly and eating leafs from trees, the butterfly soars through the air and drinks nectar from flowers. The butterfly contributes to spreading the basic elements of life from plant to plant to pollinate and spread beauty of new flowers. GOD equipped the caterpillar to recognize changes in its environment and adapt in everyway to live up to the fullness of it’s potential. That’s transformation!
GOD has the same transformational plan for you and me. In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, he wrote, “Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of GOD.” (Romans 12:2)
The path to Transformation – fulfilling your life purpose.
When you are hurting, confused, and troubled, have you heard some well-meaning Christian tell you, “Well, just give it to GOD.” That sounds great and it is very true, but sometimes it across as hollow rhetoric. For many years I never understood exactly how to ‘just give it to GOD.” I believe my problem was that regardless of how often I prayed for GOD to take my burden, I never let Him have it.
Society offers different advice. Many will advise us to look out for “me” because “no one else cares.” I hear people sharing that advice to one another on my daily commute to work. They say something like, “you have to take care of yourself, because no one else is going to.” That way of thinking is not GOD’s way.
For us to really “give it to GOD ” requires transformation in our very selves. When I am struggling with doubt, hurt, fear, pride, bitterness, resentment, anger, I’m often too emotional “to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” GOD is calling us to be transformed, but how can we? The answer is by renewing our minds. That demands another question – how do we renew our minds? GOD’s word provides the answer.
1. Read God’s Word
The Bible has transforming qualities to those who read it. I can’t explain why, but as I began to read the Bible every day my life changed. Sometimes the changes were subtle and sometimes more obvious. However, over time my priorities changed. My anxieties began to be replaced by peace of mind. My goals changed from professional success to enjoying the life that GOD unfolds for me. Of course I have obstacles. I don’t succeed in every project. I don’t always enjoy the circumstances that I have to contend with. However, I know that GOD is working all of these things together for good and that knowledge helps me to put everything else into proper perspective. Yes, there are wars and disasters in the world. There is evil and cruelty and hate. The defense against Satan’s dominion is GOD’s love. GOD is the only one who can cleanse, sanctify and heal our souls completely. Paul told Timothy to “study to show yourself approved by GOD.” The Bible is the very source of our faith. In Romans 10:17, Paul also wrote “so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of GOD.” The Bible is given to us as a center of gravity, a source of power. The Psalmist wrote, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” (Psalms 119:11)
GOD is the only One who can replace the lies with the truth. GOD’s word teaches us the importance of confessing our faults and committing to turn away from habits that separate us from being like Jesus’ example. Do we have the strength and wisdom to meet the daily burdens of sickness, failures, old bad habits that gnaw at our desires, disappointment, and misunderstandings with family and friends? How can we do it? We survive and thrive by trusting on GOD’s resources, rather than our own. Remember “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4: I3)
2. Give it all to God
Giving all of our burdens over to GOD is an essential step. GOD will not violate our free will by forcibly taking these things from us; we must willingly choose to hand them over to Him. GOD wants us to give Him everything that keeps us from Him, so we can be cleansed by His Blood. As we willingly give these things over to Him, He promises that He will remove them from us, “As far as the east is from the west…” (Psalm 103:12)
After we have confessed, repented and sacrificed all to GOD, we are “bloody” and “torn apart” and in desperate need of GOD’s complete healing power. It’s only the Word of GOD that can totally transform us. GOD is the One who washes us “…with the washing of water by the Word.” (Ephesians 5:26) As you read GOD’s Word, picture yourself being bathed in His Love. One of my favorite Scriptures to read at these times is Psalm 18: 6 which reads “…In my distress I called upon the Lord…He heard my voice out of His temple…He bowed the heavens also, and came down….” At this point we can step out in faith, knowing that GOD will be faithful to align our feelings with our choices, give us the love and the wisdom we need, and perform His Will through us. This is the rebirth, the full armor with which we must equip ourselves dairy in order to be “transformed into His Image.” This is also the preparation (“being ready” for His return) that He speaks so much of in the Gospel. So you also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:44)
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of GOD’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to GOD —this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern to this world, but be transformed [how?] by the renewing of your mind, [so] then you will be able to test and approve what GOD’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)
3. Recognize the Battles
Remember the lesson on defense and offense. You are not alone. Fellow believers are there to provide supporting protective fires when you are attacked. Make sure you quickly build relationships with other Christians who will support you when you are attacked and you will support them. Many of our daily challenges are very temporary; they are gone within a few of hours, or at most, a few days. However, these challenges provide us opportunities to practice our faith walk by going through these cleansing steps. Some struggles are the results of longstanding strongholds of Satan, who does not let go easily. So, do not be discouraged if these thoughts, feelings, and desires reappear. Remember, GOD takes our baggage the moment we give them to Him, but our feelings sometimes take longer to align with that choice. These seams between GOD’s forgiveness and our own memories are the points at which Satan will attack. He will attempt to make us think that GOD is not faithful and that He has not taken what we gave Him. If your feelings don’t change immediately, don’t fall into the trap of thinking, “Oh, this just doesn’t work for me!” That’s exactly what the enemy wants you to do. Recognize it’s a battle. Know you will win if you will just persevere. GOD is faithful and He will do what He promises. This is the time when we assume the defense.
4. Do Something Physical
It is sometimes helpful to do something “physical” with the things that we give over to GOD, in order to truly experience getting rid of them. An Army Chaplain friend of mine told me that he writes down on a scrap of paper his hurts, wounds, memories – whatever GOD has shown him is “not of faith.” He then burns these scraps of paper. One Easter Sunday, the minister placed a large wooden cross at the front of the church. He invited Christians to write their struggles on paper and nail them to the cross. What a powerful example of GOD’s grace. Another tool is to keep a notebook or journal of your daily walk with GOD. Date the entries, especially when you give something over to Him. That way when Satan comes along and tries to attack you with your old feelings and thoughts, you can point to the entry and say, “That has already been handled. I might not feel it yet, but by faith I believe it!”
Conclusion
Transformation enables us to share in the victory that has already been won! GOD planned from the very beginning of time to use His inexhaustible means, and His perfect ways to achieve the unquestionable ends of victory. Consider GOD’s words in Genesis 3:15. After the serpent succeeded in bringing sin into the world and mankind was separated from his communion with GOD the Creator, GOD foretold of the coming of Jesus. While Satan would bruise Jesus’ heel and cause suffering, Jesus would be victorious by crushing Satan and redeeming us back to GOD. Read 1 John 5: 4, “for everyone born of GOD overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” You can also see that victory has already been won by reading 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, 1 Chronicles 29:10-12, John 16:33, 1 Corinthians 15:51, and Revelation 12:10-11. However, one of my favorite scriptures describing the joy that we look forward to in victory through our Savior is in Revelation 21:1-7 and I close this “Put on the Whole Armor” series with these words,
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from GOD, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of GOD is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and GOD Himself will be with them and be their GOD. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who is seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his GOD and he will be my son.”
In His Grace,
Dan
