The Fight of Faith Blog

I have a new blog called The Fight of Faith.  Any new writing will be posted there. Come join me.

Here are a few posts to check out.

The Fight of Faith [Title Post]

It Could All Fall Apart, and That's Ok

When Pressing On Means Giving Up

When Deep Calls to Deep: Thoughts for Struggling Christians

This is a short video devotion which looks at the times of deep sorrow in the Christian life. It focuses primarily on Psalm 42 and 43.

The Cross and the Healing of our Hurts

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matt. 5:4

Many people use this verse to speak about life’s tragedies, and when we mourn over these things we will be comforted. But the greatest thing we have to mourn over is our sin, and if Christ can comfort us in this tragedy, then every other tragedy will pale in comparison and be absorbed into that comfort also. The foundation of all our hope and comfort is found in the death and resurrection of our Lord, for on the cross the price for our sin was paid, and in the resurrection the victory is found. There is no tragedy in this life that will bring us to our knees in mourning that is as significant of a problem as our sin, and when our greatest problem is cured, the comfort spreads to the lesser ones like a soothing balm. In vain we search for many medicines to cure our many wounds, when there is only one medicine that is effective and it will comfort them all. It is the balm of Gilead: the Blood of Christ.

-Doug Eaton-

The Haunting Effects of Sin

David thought it was over. His sin had been exposed and he had sought the Lord’s forgiveness and it had been granted. A right spirit had been renewed and a clean heart had been created. Then came the news that his child was seriously ill. As David was thrown to the floor in anguish, thoughts of his sin filled his mind. Months had passed but now his sin had come out from hiding to remind him of his treachery against the God of the universe.

Years later another son of his rebels against him, and once again David is reminded of the sword that has been driven into his family because of what he had done. Another fierce reminder that he, at one point, actually thought he knew better than Lord of all creation. In his sinful nature he desired something that the Lord had forbidden, but David ignored the law because he thought it would be better if things where done his way. Oh’ but how that sin has haunted him. How many times he thought he was done with it, he had repented, he had been forgiven, but regardless of all that, it seemed to pursue him. Though it had no hold on his life, and there was no possibility that his sin could exact its wages from him, due to the redemptive plan and work of God, it was not going to let him forget.

It seemed to sit in silence for long periods of time just to make David comfortable. Then as he would be going about his day, there would be those moments when something, whether it something he saw or something he heard, gave his sin an opportunity to spring up on him and cloak his day with darkness by taunting him of his failures and reminding him of his foolishness.

You see, one or two moments of sin do not simply last for a season. Many times they have a way of coming back in little reminders which sink your spirits every now and again, and the fact that it comes on when you least expect it is what makes it all the more difficult. After it happens a few times it can also cause you to begin to look over your shoulder in preparation for it to happen again, until you feel it trying to stifle you in your work for the Lord. It can even cause a hesitancy to step out into new areas of ministry because of what it might do when you venture out into new territory.

As it did with David, sin has a way of robbing us of peace and joy. It can weaken, embarrass, and grieve us years after the indiscretion. On top of all that, if the enemies of God find out, they begin to rejoice, mocking the God we love because of what we have done.

If you are toying with sin, or considering spurning God’s loving standards to feed your flesh, you might want to think twice. Because what you do could linger for years to come. Now if this warning comes a bit too late and you already know from experience that all of this is true, you must remember that the haunting cannot ultimately hurt you. Remember that our sovereign God, who has taken your sin and bore it’s wages on the cross has promised to never lose His child, and has promised that all things will work together for the good of those that who love Him; even the haunting effects of sin. Though they can be troubling and painful, He is using all things to accomplish His purposes in your life. His plans are to prosper and not to harm you, He will finish the work he has started in you, and with a little wrestling, He can change your name from Jacob, the heel-catcher and deceiver, to Israel; the prince of God.

Ultimately, David never forgot his sin, but that did not stop God from calling him “a man after His own heart.” As king of Israel, the Lord has used his example to show the world his love and forgiveness, and that the Lord can use anyone in a mighty way, even those with serious failures in their past. Sin can haunt the repentant believer all it wants, but ultimately it cannot separate them from God’s love. Even though the enemy naively believes that he is going to stifle them by it, the sovereign God is using it to conform them to the image of His Son. And let us never forget that it was the haunting effects of sin that the Lord used in David life, which caused him to draw up under the wing of his Lord, and through it birthed several of his Psalms which were inspired by the Holy Spirit and considered the very Words of God.

In an interesting way the Lord uses the haunting effects of sin to bring his child to the point were we will no longer be able to be haunted by them. By using them to conform us to His image, not only will we avoid sin in the future, but when the accuser rears his head, we will understand that all His work is in vain and the more he tries to afflict us, the more we will grow (Ex. 1:12), And before long, Satan will be looking over his shoulder, because greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

Doug

On Faith and Feelings

“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say you are my God.” Psalms 31:14

In this passage we hear King David make a statement that we’ve heard him say many times, but what is significant are the words that precede this statement. Many people base their relationship with the Lord on their feelings. If we feel close to the Lord then He is close. If we feel far from Him then He is far. If we feel joy, peace, and love then we are in His favor, but if we feel grief, pain, guilt and distress then we are not. If we look at the words of David that precede this verse, we will find statements like “My eye wastes away with grief”, “My bones wastes away”, and “My strength fails me because of my iniquity.” Other words that accompany his plight are “broken,” “trouble,” “reproach,” and “forgotten.”

When we enter times like this we tend to believe that God has forgotten us, or that we’ve been cut off from before His eyes, but if we are his children through faith then this is completely contrary to the truth. God’s faithfulness and truth are not conditioned by our feelings. We enjoy it when good feelings accompany our faith, but we must remember that the faithfulness of God is not based on our feelings.

How does David conclude the Psalm? By calling on all of God’s children to love the Lord and to place their trust in Him. Even though he is struggling with his own doubts and fears He puts the call forward, and speaks the truth of God’s sovereignty and his faithfulness.

You may be in a time in your life where the truth of God’s word is accompanied with times of peace, and comfort. Your worship springs from a fountain of overwhelming joy. Or you may be in a time of your life where you feel dry, broken, and full of reproach. Regardless of how you feel move forward in the Lord. Speak His truth, and work to forward the kingdom of God, because if we are not doing this, it doesn’t really matter what feelings we have. We are commanded by God’s Word to proclaim His truth; we are equipped by His grace, and spurred on by faith, not feelings, to fulfill the works ordained beforehand because we are his workmanship.

On the other side of the coin, many people feel good about their souls condition, but their life does not line up with scripture. The New Age spiritualist may claim to have found peace, but is still under condemnation of the law. Their feelings have deceived them. Only when feelings line up with the Truth can they be trusted. Other than that, they deceive. In our attempt to seek and know God, let us make the Truth of Christ the treasure we seek, and this can only be found in the Word of God. If we don’t know the Word of God we will not be able to tell whether or not our feelings are lying to us or telling us the truth? This is why the Psalmist says “Thy word I have hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

When times of trouble and distress come, may we say with David “My times are in your hands”. I will not worry about how things make me feel, but I will trust that all that comes my way is ordained by Him and He is faithful, and His word does not waiver with my feelings. Therefore, I will march on proclaiming your truth.

-Doug Eaton-

"Thou Art With Me" Psalm 23:4

“Thou art with me.” Do you know the sweetness, the security, the strength of “Thou art with me”? When anticipating the solemn hour of death, when the soul is ready to halt and ask, How shall it then be? can you turn in soul-affection to your God and say, “There is nothing in death to harm me, while thy love is left to me”? Can you say, “O death, where is thy sting”? It is said, when a bee has left its sting in any one, it has no more power to hurt. Death has left its sting in the humanity of Christ, and has no more power to harm his child. Christ's victory over the grave is his people's. “At that moment I am with you,” whispers Christ; “the same arm you have proved strong and faithful all the way up through the wilderness, which has never failed, though you have been often forced to lean on it all your weakness.” “On this arm,” answers the believer, “I feel at home; with soul-confidence, I repose on my Beloved; for he has supported through so many difficulties, from the contemplation of which I shuddered. He has carried over so many depths, that I know his arm to be the arm of love.” How can that be dark, in which God's child is to have the accomplishment of the longing desire of his life? How can it be dark to come in contact with the light of life? It is “his rod, his staff;” therefore they “comfort.” Prove him - prove him now, believer! it is your privilege to do so. It will be precious to him to support your weakness; prove that when weak, then are you strong; that you may be secure, his strength shall be perfected in your perfect weakness. Omnipotent love must fail before one of his sheep can perish; for, says Christ, “none shall pluck my sheep out of my hand.” “I and my Father are one;” therefore we may boldly say, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me”

-Viscountess Powerscourt-

On Using Fear As a Motivation to Keep Christians From Using Fear As a Motivation

Christ Himself spoke often about hell, warning us of the wrath to come for those who will not place their faith in Him, but there are many, from within and without the church, who seem to think that fear as a motivation is always a bad thing. In fact, I heard an evolutionist recently say that Christians where like terrorists who use fear to tell people they better believe in God or face eternal torment. I've also heard “Christians” say, God is love and would never say fearful things as motivation to get someone to live for him, and people who do such things are unloving people themselves.

But there is something self-contradictory at the bottom of these types of statements that must be addressed. What are they trying to get us to do by saying those types of things? Ultimately, they want us to fear being like a terrorist or being unloving? And if they respond by telling us that is not what they are doing, all we have to do is ask them, "is there no reason I should fear being those types of people?" If they say, no then all we have to do is ask them, "then what is your point.” And if they say yes, then it turns out that fear is also an aspect of the motivation they are using to get us to change our ways too.

The problem is this, though Christians should be fearful of being like a terrorist and being unloving, warning people of hell’s existence and showing them a way of escape is the opposite of unloving and is no closer to terrorism than warning people that that their house is on fire and they are going to get hurt if they don’t flee. Fear is an aspect of life, it can be used in sinful ways to get people to do things they shouldn't, but it can also be a means of grace used to spare our lives. Not all fear is unhealthy. God Himself, through His word, has told us to flee the wrath to come, but along with this fear that drives us from behind, we also have the love and kindness that draws us to Him.

As Christian’s we must not fear saying fearful things as long as we say them in love, and we must not let the world use a false sense of fear to keep us from speaking His truth. Even if people do not want to hear it and threaten us with fearful things if we continue, we should be willing to lose jobs, reputation, and even our lives if that is what it takes to save some. For we should not fear those who can kill the body but Him who can destroy our souls, and the one who can destroy the soul has told us how much he loved us by warning us of fearful things, such as the hell, and sending His Son to make atonement for those who place their faith in Him.

-Doug

The Surpassing Value of Christ

The following quote is from John Bunyon describing the period in his life before salvation as he feared the wrath of God because of his sins. In it he makes two profound observations regarding the surpassing value of salvation over all that is temporal…

While I was thus afflicted with the fears of my own damnation, there were two things would make me wonder; the one was, when I saw old people hunting after the things of this life, as if they should live here always: the other was, when I found professors (people who professed to be Christians) much distressed and cast down, when they met with outward losses; as of husband, wife, child, etc. “Lord,” thought I, “what a-do is here about such little things as these! What seeking after carnal things, by some, and what grief in other for the loss of them! If they so much labor after, and shed so many tears for the things of this present life, how am I to be bemoaned, pitied, and prayed for! My soul is dying, my soul is damning. Were my soul but in a good condition, and were I but sure of it, ah! How rich should I esteem myself, though blessed but with bread and water! I should count those but small afflictions, and should bear them as little burdens. ‘A wounded spirit, who can bear!’”

-John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners-

Through Many Tribulations

After reading this…

Christians Crucified by Terrorists in Iraq

The following verse came to mind...

They [Paul and Barnabas] returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, [where they had been persecuted] strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Acts: 14:21-22

Along with this quote by John Calvin...

“God doth oftentimes spare the wicked, and doth fat them with prosperity, [Yet] he is more sharp and hard toward his Children. For besides common molestations, they are oppressed peculiarly with many discommodities, and the Lord doth humble them with such exercises, keeping their flesh under correction lest it wax wanton; he awaketh them, lest they lie sleeping upon earth. Unto these are added the reproaches and slanders of the wicked; for they must be, as it were, the offscourings of the world. Their simpleness is laughed at; but they are most stung by wicked mocks and scoffs, principally against God. Last of all, the lust of the wicked breaketh out into open violence; so that they have need to strive with many tribulations, and it cannot be but that all their life shall be envied and unquiet amidst so many enemies. But this is the best comfort, and which is sufficient enough to confirm their minds, that his way (though it be hard and sharp) leadeth unto the kingdom of heaven, for we gather by this that the miseries of the godly are more happy than be all the doting dainties of delights of the world.” –John Calvin-

We must strive against wickedness by proclaiming the truth of Christ, and we must do it expecting ultimate victory. But when it seems that the enemy’s stronghold on this world only seem to be getting stronger and we are beaten and bruised, we must praise the Lord that it is us who are being bruised and under the Lordship of Christ, and not the ones involved in the prevailing wickedness. For it is only by his grace that we have been brought under his banner, and His banner over us is Love.

Let the persecutions and any other kinds of troubles that war against your faith prick your heart and bruise your soul, by the grace of God you are being led into His kingdom. You must not flee from them, by neglecting your Christian duty to proclaim Christ Crucified, resurrected, and coming back to judge the living and the dead. And as the world looks on and sees us dying to the things of this world, the Lord will use it to bring spiritual birth to all those appointed to eternal life. Then we will be able to cry out with Paul, “So then death is working in us, but life in you” (2 Cor.4:12).

Do not let the death of these martyrs be in vain. Praise God for their faithfulness, and may He use it to wake us of any spiritual slumber from which we suffer. Then, when we see them in glory, we can say, death was working in you, but God used it to work life in us.

For the Glory of God,

Doug

A Different Kind of Fear

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

There seems to be plenty to fear in this life, and many people tend to live with fears that plague them from time to time. Some of the common fears involve our family, our employment, and our reputation. It is possible to live our lives in constant fear. Scripture tells us on many occasions not to fear, but on another occasion we are told to fear the Lord.

There is a different kind of fear that will make you fearless. Many of God’s great saints have gone through times which shook them with such great fear that they felt paralyzed. It is in those times that we learn that Christ is everything. Facing dark nights when we feel that God has forsaken us has a way of breaking all that encumbers the heart and turns its focus to the only one who can help. These are the times when we look and see our sinful hearts in all their depravity. When we go through one of these times, there is nothing that we will not surrender to God because we know without Him we have nothing. It is in these times where our boldest prayers are offered. We are willing to say, Lord, take everything from me if I am not in your will, my reputation, my job, even my family if necessary. There is only one thing that will satisfy me, and that is to know I am right with you. Spurgeon gives a great example of this when he states, "If a man is in this position you can lay the wealth of India at his feet and he'll say take it away, what use is that to me."

When a person goes through a time like this and comes out on the other side, that person is changed, and many times the Lord left everything intact, the reputation, the job, and the family, but at the same time the Lord has taken them from him. The fears that once tormented are gone because this person has seen the greatest truth, that he is Christ's and Christ is sovereign. This freedom emboldens the man do and say things that he once could not because of his fears. It gives him the ability to take a stand for Christ no matter what the cost. We see this in John Bunyan being able to spend years in prison without denying Christ, or Luther to stand before the powers of Rome and say, “Here I stand, I can do no other.” They had been through times where their sins tormented them, and during those times they saw the worthlessness of everything in comparison to Christ.

There is a great picture of this in the movie "The Four Feathers". The main character is in a group of military friends who are told they will be going to battle. He is afraid so he resigns. From this, four of his closest friends each give him a feather signifying that he is a coward. Seeing the result of his decision he heads off to Saudi Arabia to find this group and redeem his cowardly act. The things he faces make going to war pale in comparison. In the midst of his ordeal a man says to him "why did you not go to war?" His reply is "I was afraid". The man who asked the question began to laugh out loud and says "you afraid? I found you half dead in the middle of the desert by yourself." To which his response is "it's a different kind of fear".

It's a different kind of fear to fear the Lord. Not the kind of fear that will cause you to run away, but a fear that will cause you to run to Him and stand strong. In finding this fear all encumbrances of fear begin to break. Praise God for teaching our hearts to fear.

When I cling to earthly things
Within my heart, fear pulls the strings
Lord, all these things, take if you must
For in your Love, I'll place my trust.

-Doug Eaton-