The Spiritual Man

(Martin Jones) #1

The Believer’s Mistake 611


without a proper self-regard, one which God unquestionably permits
us to have. Not a few instances of self-abasement are essentially a
disguise for passivity. Consequently: (a) the believer effaces himself;
(b) God does not fill him; and (c) evil spirits exploit his passivity to
render him useless.


When the Christian is self-abased under the enemy’s penetration
his surroundings appear entirely dark, hopeless and desolate to him.
He gives the impression of being deadly cold and dishearteningly
melancholic to all who are in contact with him. He himself easily
faints and is discouraged. At critical moments he deserts the fight
and withdraws, thus embarrassing others. God’s work is not too
important to him. In speech and work he tries bard to hide himself,
but this only manifests his self the more—to the great sorrow of the
truly spiritual. Due to his excessive disregard for himself he stands
by watching when there is such great need in the kingdom of God.
He exhibits perpetual inability, hopelessness, and wounded feelings.
While he may envisage this to be humility he does not realize it is
but the work of the evil spirits. True humility is able to look at God
and proceed on.


God’s Ordering

We know that besides man’s will there are two other totally
antagonistic wills in the world. God calls us to obey Him and to
resist Satan. Twice in the Bible do we find these two sides mentioned
together: (1) “submit yourselves therefore to God,” exhorts James,
and then he follows immediately with “resist the devil” (4.7); (2)
“humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,”
enjoins Peter, and continues by charging his readers to “resist (the
devil), firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5.6,9). This is the balance of truth.
A believer certainly must learn to submit himself to God in all
matters, acknowledging that what He orders for him is the best.
Though he suffers, yet he heartily submits to the will of God. This,

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