Fight Unbelief Like Christ

[Revgill87123]

Matthew 26:37:

“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

These five steps in Matthew 26:37 and following help us to fight unbelief like Christ did.

What it is that threatens your peace most? What is it that causes depression or disheartened feelings to rise most often in your own life? What’s the shell that Satan drops most frequently into your life?

As we look at these five steps that the Lord Jesus took when the bomb dropped in his life, translate them immediately into your experience, because they're all relevant. There five of them.

Find your trusted friends. Who are they?

Jesus chose some close friends to be with him. Verse 37: "And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled." So he didn’t withdraw. He took the inner ring, his most precious and trusted friends, and he pulled aside with them. 


Open your soul to them.

He opened his soul to them. Verse 38: "Then he said to them, 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.'" I can imagine their mouths dropping open, their King confessing his weakness. He opened his soul to them. 


Ask them to fight, support and pray with you.

He asked for their help in spiritual warfare. Verse 38, second half: "Remain here and watch with me." Another text says "pray," and another, "Don’t let yourself come into temptation; stay here and fight with me. Fight with me." 


Pour out your soul to the Father.

He poured out his heart to the Father in prayer. Verse 39: "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." It’s just fine to pray that the bombshell that has dropped into your life be taken away. That’s just right. Whatever it is that Satan fires at you, it's just fine to say, "Take it away Father. You’re stronger than he is."


Rest in the sovereignty of his wisdom, whatever may come.

But finally, he rested his soul in the sovereign wisdom of God. Second half of verse 39: "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."

When Satan drops a bombshell on the peace of your life the initial shock waves of emotional response are not necessarily sin. What is sin is not to do what Jesus did when the bomb fell in the Garden of Gethsemane. Sin is yielding to depression. Sin is not taking the armor of God. Sin is not waging spiritual warfare.

But Jesus shows us another way. It’s not painless, but it’s not passive either. Let us follow him in it.

 

[Scarecrow]

I was part of an organization for a few years where it was very common to hear cliche after cliche. It got to the point that I could hardly stand to listen anymore when I heard the cliche "Life is a testing place not a resting place". At first it was simply another cliche to me, but as time went on I began to study testing and tempting.

I came across a passage that stated that Satan incited David to number the people and against the fervent pleas of his greatest ally he did. David was punished for giving into this temptation, but that is the last we hear of it. Yet throughout the scriptures we are reminded of David's adultery with Bathsheba. David was tested with Bathsheba but tempted with numbering the people. I began to realize the difference between testing and being tempted. Before Satan could attack Job he required permission from God, and further scriptures tell us that nothing happens without God knowing about it. It was then easy to come to the realization that there must be a purpose behind all this testing and tempting, but what could it possibly be? I began to notice people in the scriptures being tested and overcoming and the result was a stronger and better character. I then realized that the cliche I had heard was absolutely true. We take only our character to heaven with us, and the tests set before us are simply an opportunity for us to build our character.

I had the opportunity to stay with an impoverished family in a third world country for two weeks. The last day I was there I had an incredible opportunity to witness to the entire family. After a considerable discussion I posed the question that everyone has at one time or another at least thought about; "What is the reason that we are here, what is the purpose of life?" They all looked at me like "Well, aren't you going to tell us?" So I looked around and saw the 8 month old little girl of one of the daughters in the family. I asked her mother "How would you like your daughter to grow up to be 5 years old physically, mentally, and emotionally and then just stay that way?" She answered "No, I want her to grow up and have kids and grand kids." I replied "So it is with God. We are His children, and He tests us that we may grow in character." But it was really me that did the most learning that day. Ever since then I don't necessarily welcome the tests that are set before me, but at least now I understand their purpose and try to respond accordingly.