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Don Hillis
GOD DEFIED It is bad enough to deny the existence of God. It is worse to acknowledge His existence and then to defy Him. In defying the armies of the living God, Goliath was defying God Himself, for God identifies Himself with His people. Goliath was neither the first nor the last to do such a foolish thing. Thousands have shaken their fists in the face of God. Not, of course, in the blatant, open way that Goliath did, but just as definitely. Regardless of how it is done, the source of all such action is satanic. Satan is the instigator and prompter of every God- defying action. It all began when he arrogantly made his cataclysmic effort to usurp the place of God Himself. He reaffirmed his diabolical intentions when he deceived our first parents in the Garden. His nefarious nature reached its lowest depth when he faced the Son of God in the wilderness testing and, again, on Golgotha’s peak. We are guilty, too, when like Adam and Eve, we crave those things that God has told us to leave alone. It is possible that our defiance might be compared to that of Samson who was a moral weakling or, on the other hand, it might be compared to that husband and wife team, Ananias and Sapphira, who were guilty of down right dishonesty in the handling of money — again, like Saul, disobedience to the known will of God may be the indication of rebellion in our lives. Yes, defiance is ex pressed in many ways but its roots thrive in the under world of sin and evil. It is highly probable that no one deliberately starts out to defy God, but prayerlessness, overconcem for the material, and spiritual apathy are the beginnings of rebellion. No, not a single one of us would want to be labeled “ God defiers,” but all too often our actions speak louder than our words. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM Beneath all of this is something far more subtle and far, far more dangerous. It is the awareness of personal failure and defeat. It is the haunting realization that we are not prepared to face the Goliath within us. Our failure to “measure up” has paralyzed our Christian walk. W e have become our own biggest problem. Again and again the early Church prayed for courage and boldness. God answered their prayed. Courage char acterized the testimony of the young Church. How earn estly we should ask God for a holy boldness that will make us victorious! Surely the Lord has not given us the spirit of fear but a power of love and of a sound mind (II Tim. 1:7). It is on this basis that we must act. We need the assuring voice of David’s “ greater Son” in these days, “ Fear not, for I am with thee.” (This is the second in a series of four articles which may be obtained in an attractive booklet under the title of “ The Giant in Your Life” at fifty cents per copy from Don Hillis, P.O. Box 45, Los Angeles 53, California, and from the BIOLA Book Room.)
are willing to “ go it alone” in our daily life and in our service for Christ is evidence of our unawareness of the power of Satan. If we were more deeply aware of the nature and character of the enemy of our soul, we would approach his territory with trembling and with utter dependence upon the only One who can defeat him. We would make sure that we were dressed in the whole armor of God. We would be alert to Satan’s wiles. We would see that the sword of the Spirit was unsheathed and ready for action in our hands. We would go forth only in the power of His might and with all of this we would pray, pray and pray (Ephesians 6:10-18). A ROARING LION The Bible description of Satan is indeed frightening. His wisdom and authority, his cruelty, craftiness, and deceitfulness are enough to cast the dark shadow of fear over the bravest Christian. Any valid evaluation of the facts can but bring us to the conclusion that there is no hope of victory except in the power and strength of Jesus Christ. It is most interesting to realize that the Word of God portrays the enemy of our soul as appearing in two con trasting forms — a roaring lion and an angel of light. How aptly this portrays the savage cruelty and the subtle deceitfulness of the evil One. There is neither compassion nor truth within him. As a roaring lion he has frightened millions of people into silence and submission. He has lived upon the blood of martyrs for ages. Today in the form of atheistic, God-denying Communism he tramples nation after nation under foot. His contempt for every child of God is stated in these words, “ Come to me and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field.” David was wonderfully victorious in the face of this “ roaring lion.” He knew that the God who had already delivered him out of the paw of another lion could deliver him from this Satan-inspired giant who dared to defy the armies of the living God. How tragic it is, however, that this servant of the Lord, so valiant in the presence of the “ roaring lion,” was so weak in the presence of the “ angel of light.” The subtle, deceitful enemy of the soul disguises his temptations in a thousand different ways. To David the temptation came in the form of an alluring woman. The- defeat that followed was deep, far-reaching, and tragic. Fear could not conquer David, but the flesh did. Love for God had led him to glorious victory over the giant, while the weakness of unrestrained physical desire drove him into awful defeat through a desirable woman. Satan is a masterful imposter and trickster. We shall not be taken in by his deceptions because of their com plexity but rather by their simplicity. “Watch ye there fore, stand fast in the faith, quit ye like men, be strong!” Let us note now the gross boldness of Satan, typified in Goliath’s defiance of God, his disdain of David, and the dismay into which he cast the armies of Israel.
JUNE, 1959
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