October 07 2011, 6:25 pm | Luke Minkner
Men, there is a battle going on. It's being waged in your homes, your workplaces and the areas where we recreate. It is a battle so subtle, that we often don't even see it. Or maybe we see the symptoms of it but fail to recognize the bigger picture of what is happening below the surface, like attributing a chronic cough to having something stuck in your throat.
This is the battle of belief. At any moment, you are making decisions and acting on those decisions based on what you believe to be true at the time. The problem is, whether we want to admit it or not, many times we are believing a lie instead of the truth.
Before listing off a huge list of sins and moral failings (that includes everything from disobeying parents to envy to murder - effectively indicting everyone), Paul tells us in Romans 1:25 that we "exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator." Don't miss the connection here. These sins are flowing from lies that were believed instead of the truth. Just like Adam, when I sin, I'm choosing to believe the promise of a lie rather than the truth of God.
It's easy to miss this battle because it is so discreet. It's an exchange, a switching of two things that appear to be similar. Or maybe we are plagued by a sin but we keep trying to fix the behavior, like trying to stifle a cough when there are viruses reeking havoc on the body, but we never deal with or even acknowledge the lie that we are believing.
So what lies are you believing? Maybe it isn't even a prominent sin in your life, maybe it's just something (the creation) you are putting your confidence in rather than Jesus (the Creator). Jeff Vanderstelt put it well when he said "Anytime we put our confidence in something other than the gospel, we have exchanged the truth for a lie."
It is time for us to start actively engaging in this battle. The first step is to know and expose the lies that you are believing. This isn't always easy, and we can't do it alone. We need the help of each other and most importantly, the Holy Spirit to reveal these lies to us. Start praying now that God would open your eyes to the exchanges you've made. When reading scripture, look through the lens of truth and let it expose the lies, half-truths and created substitutes. Get honest with some guys and help each other see the blindspots in your lives.
The next step is to remove the lie and replace it with the truth. Rest upon the promises, character and actions of God. Fight the lies with the truth. Help one another do this, we are all in the fight together. And finally, place your trust and confidence in Christ. Press into him during times of failure. Don't forget the gospel - put your confidence in it, let it be your confidence.
We've been settling for these lies for too long. It's time to fight.