And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. -Revelation 12:9 (NASB)

Perhaps one of the most bizarre videos I’ve ever seen in my life was a VHS copy of 1980s megastar Mr. T’s “Be Somebody or Be Somebody’s Fool” (1984), a collection of cheesy and cringe-worthy skits and setups for life lessons he would impart to viewers. There were musical numbers, ’80s musicians, and some really terrible acting.

Some of the lessons were not executed well, but despite that, a few of the segments taught young viewers about things like how to recoup from a fall, respecting your mother, and to not cave to peer pressure.

(If you think you can stand it, you can see the whole video on YouTube.)

If there were one consistent theme I’d say ran through the whole video, it would be that one should live with awareness and discernment of one’s situation, and one’s sense of self.

For true believers, discernment when dealing with the world in each moment, and sense of identity in Christ, are crucial to navigating life. Without them, we’re just dinghies being tossed about by the wind and waves of life, trying to find the next thing that might give guidance and meaning to our lives…only to be left wanting again.

Indeed, I can testify that without a sense of identity in Christ, you can be duped by the ruler of this world. I was duped for 40 years, seeking but never finding…till Jesus opened my eyes. Become an agent and be somebody in Christ, or be the Deceiver’s fool.

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. -Judges 21:25 (NASB)

In the 2005 movie Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, the third chapter of the Star Wars science fiction saga, moviegoers witnessed a large-scale betrayal that led up to the events in the 1977 movie Star Wars. Misplaced trust and security in a corrupt leader and embedded clone troops set the stage for a galactic massacre and iron-fisted rule.

When the time was right, the soon-to-be self-proclaimed emperor issued the command, “Execute Order 66,” the trigger phrase to activate dormant programming in clone troops across the galaxy. Those troops instantly turned on their allies, the Jedi (the peacekeepers), and the galaxy was plunged into a dark era.

That may be science fiction, but the parallels to our world become clearer by the day.

Before man was created, Lucifer was cast down from heaven for attempting to usurp God, and then as the serpent, tricked Eve with the same lie: Just do what you want. If you do this forbidden thing, you will be like God. We know how then ended.

Many generations later, especially noted throughout the Book of Judges, God’s chosen people repeatedly turned from Him and His laws, doing what was right in their eyes. When the perversion got too great, Israel finally cried out to God, and He would rescue them with a judge…and then they would repeat the cycle all over again.

We continue the cycle today, as the world continues to get darker and more perverse, where man knows that doing whatever he wants is right. Humans are elevated and worshiped like gods, and the Bible is relegated to fairy tale status. Those who follow God’s laws are ridiculed and considered ignorant dinosaurs. The stage is being reset again for a new cycle.

As foretold in the Book of Revelation, the spiritual equivalent of Order 66 will be executed, when Satan and his fallen angels will attempt and fail the ultimate cosmic coup (Revelation 12:7-12). But then all hell will break loose on earth when the sleepwalking world will sadly realize that their trust in only themselves was woefully misplaced (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). But there is a new hope.

Though there will be a Great Tribulation on the earth in the last days, believers are the only ones who can take comfort in knowing that they alone were the faithful who will ultimately end up in the presence of the Lord, unlike all those who heard of Him and turned from Him. Where will your heart be when Order 66 takes place? If you haven’t chosen the only deliverance and path to Heaven, walk this way.

The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. -2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)

I can testify that until I was saved, the world and all its lies were undoubtably real and true. My senses did not lie to me, nor did my sense of morality. I would’ve considered myself quite perceptive and aware of how the world worked.

Oh, how God turned that all upside down when he pulled the wool off my eyes and showed me what it really meant to see beyond my eyes and mind!

Back in high school, I was fortunate enough to take a class in philosophy. (And when you’re not saved, what a head trip that is!) And in that class, I read about the famous Allegory of the Cave in Plato’s The Republic.

Seeing is believing…

In this allegory, imagine adults who have been imprisoned in a cave since childhood. They are chained in such a way that they are all facing the cave wall in front of them, and their bodies and heads are fixed so they cannot look around, or at each other.

At some distance behind these prisoners is a fire, or light source. In between the fire and the prisoners is a short wall with a walkway next to it, and free men—who stay out of sight under the wall—carry objects along the top of the wall. These objects cast shadows onto the cave wall in front of the prisoners. The free men also talk, and their voices echo off the same cave wall into the ears of the prisoners.

These prisoners, who have known nothing else but what is before them, are living in what they believe is reality. It completely real to them. Their eyes see shapes and their ears hear sounds.

…until a taste of truth is had…

But suppose one prisoner is unshackled and is made to turn and look at the fire. His eyes would hurt from such intense light, and he could not clearly see the objects that were casting the shadows. If he were told that what he was looking at his whole life was not real, but these painful things he’s squinting at now are, he would run back in disbelief to the comfortable view he’s known.

…and especially when the ultimate truth is shown.

Now, suppose that same prisoner is forcibly dragged out of the cave. The searing sunlight would cause him to feel anger and pain, only getting worse as it blinds him.

But, eventually, his eyes start to adjust. He first sees shadows, then reflections of people and things in the water, and then the actual people and things they were reflections of. Eventually, he can see the moon and the stars and night, and the sun. Once he is able to look straight into the sun, he can start to understand what it is and reason about it.

This former prisoner would correctly conclude that what he saw was true and real, not what he’d been experiencing previously in the cave. So he wants to free the others in the cave!

But as he reenters the dark cave, he is blind again, but because his eyes are now conditioned from living in the light. The prisoners in the cave conclude that the newly free man’s exit from their world of the cave is what caused his blindness…and if they were able, they would kill anyone attempting to drag them out of the cave.

As it is with our world.

As believers, we have returned to the cave along with billions of people whose minds and hearts are fooled by the enemy into believing, beyond the shadow of a doubt (pun intended), that what they perceive is irrefutable. The enemy makes unwitting pawns of them to perpetuate these lies through marketing, cultural trends, and so on.

The few of us who have been freed of the shackles, sackcloths taken off our heads, see beyond the echoes and shadows. We see the world as it is. And sometimes it seems like, try as we may, we are only met with hostility and resentment from a world convinced that we are the ones who need to snap back to reality.

But Jesus was clear in proclaiming the Great Commission:

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV)

We continue to fight the good fight. I personally believe we act as embedded operatives and prudently await windows of opportunity when God says, “Now!” to speak His truth to hearing ears and seeing eyes. This is why it’s crucial that in thought, word, and deed, that we do our best to His glory as His ambassadors.

His light we carry is like the light in the cave. It is just a taste of His ultimate light, which, once experienced, no one would ever want to leave…and would want the blind and deceived to see.

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. -Galatians 6:9 (NLT)

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. -Psalm 126:5-6 (NIV)

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. -John 16:33 (NIV)

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. -1 John 4:4 (NIV)

Fellow agent and traveler,

This world and its leader, Satan, will grind you under the heels of their boots…but only as long as you believe their deception. The truth of the matter is, you are not under anyone’s authority but the Lord your God. Satan and this world will deceive and distract you enough to lose sight of it and live in the flesh…and your flesh is extremely vulnerable to their messages.

I can attest that it is very easy to trip up when you’re constantly being bombarded and worn down with lies, false accusations, and everything Satan has in his playbook to trip you up. He would love to cause you so much grief that you would give up…to take your eyes off of God and think, “why me?”

But what you’re doing when you walk in the face of a firestorm, which sizzles when it hits your tears, is sowing seeds that the Lord will use to grow an amazing harvest of blessings ahead. Each tear you sow, God collects and grows for you. Each tear sown is to His glory.

It’s a grueling trek. It’s painful. It would be easier to even doubt that this is the best way to go. Be assured that the more you walk with God, the more the deceiver will attack you. Take this as a sign that you’re on the right track.

Why?

Because this trek is a constant climb upward to God. The higher you go, the more the enemy will want to send you crashing down to where he rules. And he has your number: He knows your weaknesses, and prowls like a lion (1 Peter 5:8). So what do you do?

Be vigilant and shore up your weaknesses. If you feel tempted to lose your cool, or give up out of discouragement, or doubt God’s promises, stop and regroup. Satan is chiseling at your heart and mind. The longer you stray down these decoy alleys, the longer the enemy will chip away…and he will eventually crack you.

Don your armor. Learn where you weaken, and call on Jesus whenever you need to. There is power in His name, and the devil cannot dwell where you utter His name.

To God’s glory, never give up. The heat is on because you’re headed in the right direction. God will carry you through it, and you will stand stronger on the other side, in a field of His blessings.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1-2‬ NIV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. -John 3:16-17 (NIV)

Condemnation is truly crushing. It’s stifling. It’s suffocating. Stay under it long enough, and it can kill you.

Under it, you can feel like Atlas, the Titan in Greek mythology who was punished by shouldering the entirety of the heavens, to keep them from touching the earth.

The frightening thing is that condemnation will come from three fronts: Satan (the accuser), other people, and…YOU.

Satan is very good at attacking exactly where you are weak, where you need to shore up your defenses. And he is relentless. He can also work through others, and even creep in enough to get to you, and make you doubt your worth or value here as a person. And, to be honest, as people, we can do plenty of damage without his help through condemnation of self and others. We’re actually compounding sin upon sin by doing so.

As I write this, I’m shouldering condemnation that feels like the burden of the heavens that Atlas carried. (I will share more of this testimony later…there’s still so much unfolding.) It would be so easy to just give in and let it overwhelm me. But even in this pressure cooker, I ask the Lord: what is it you’re wanting me to learn from this? It’s important to learn that there is always a takeaway from every experience.

The truth will set you free

Central to Christian living is that Jesus’ finished work on the cross—paying the ransom of His own blood as the final sacrificial lamb—set us free from the law of sin and death. He redeemed us in death, and justified us when He rose from the grave. We are freely forgiven because of God’s grace, completely unmerited and undeserved.

The lesson here, as is always the case, is not to look inward or across your circumstances. You will get lost in the waves…and condemnation is an anchor that will pull you under and keep you there till you die. You keep your eyes on God by looking up, into His face. One thing I thank the Lord for is the sun: it shines on me and my life without regard to what I have or haven’t done. It even is shining above storm clouds, so I know it’s there without seeing it on dark and stormy days. The sun’s warm rays help burn away the lies, brightly reminding us of the truth: that His love, grace, forgivness, and redemption are constant, not conditional or dependent on our performance.

So, shrug the burden of Atlas off your shoulders, as many times as you have to through prayer. Condemnation is a lie, and we will no longer believe it. We do not live under the law of sin and death. Jesus set us free. The truth will set you free.

Prayer

Father God,

Please forgive us for taking our eyes off you and shouldering condemnation. Please remind us of your loving sacrifice to free us from the work of the accuser, for your truth removes the burden of condemnation from us. Help us instead take up your yoke and walk in righteousness and freedom in Christ.

In Jesus’ amazing name,

Amen.

Today’s soundtrack

“Drops in the Ocean” by Hawk Nelson tells us that the times He forgives us is more than drops in the ocean:

And the giant keeps on calling out and he laughs at me,
Reminding me of all the times I’ve tried before and failed.
The giant keeps on telling me, time and time again,
Boy, you never win…you never win!

But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says DO NOT BE AFRAID
The Voice of Truth says THIS IS FOR MY GLORY!
Out of all the voices calling out to me,
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

Don’t look back with regret at the track record, or all the times you wish you could’ve or should’ve done things differently or better, or wished someone else had. Don’t listen when someone tells you lies about yourself. Don’t listen to the enemy’s whispers that want you to forecast a dark future. If you fall down 7 times, get up 8 times.

Part of the Christian walk is in how you get up again in the face of your Goliath.  The Voice of Truth will tell you that the future is entirely in His hands. Sure, one can make poor stewardship choices with the Four Ts (time, talent, temple, treasure), but one can also accept His forgiveness and get right back up and trust in Jesus for a better future…along with striving to be a better steward!

Let’s not long for the better hope and future now, but instead take comfort that it is coming and assured in His timing, because He loves us! Let’s instead ask Him how we can better serve Him right now, in this very moment, and ask Him for His supernatural strength, peace, wisdom, and grace to flood our hearts and wash away our lingering pains. Let’s trust completely in Jesus and His promises.

Let’s hold onto His peace so we can be in the eye of any storm. We have to carry His peace with us…it is not peace to be achieved through circumstances! Many people live in, what seems on the surface, great worldly circumstances, but without His peace in their hearts, it’s a shallow and fragile peace they have, completely at the whim of the world.

For His glory, we continue to reflect His light when it is so, so dark. For His glory, we have to—with great difficulty sometimes—choose His peace, though our flesh and the enemy would rather us wallow in torturous agony of the heart. For His glory, we continue to give Him our burdens, and in Jesus’ name pray our hearts’ desires as His servants, completely trusting He will deliver when He’s ready.

For His glory, we ask Him: Lord, what else can I do to be an even better servant today, or even right at this moment? How can I glorify you even more in the face of my Goliath? The Voice of Truth would tell you to have unflappable faith that you will slay your Goliath—because of Him. Glory to God in the highest!

Pray on for His peace, and for the assurance of a more glorious future! I guarantee you that I am as well!

Today’s soundtrack

Listen to Casting Crown’s now-classic “Voice of Truth” and let His truth reinvigorate you!

I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. For I have heard the slander of many, terror is on every side; while they took counsel together against me, they schemed to take away my life. But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, “You are my God.” -Psalm 31:11-14 (NASB)

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. -John 15:16 (NIV)

We all make mistakes…and we all have a history we can look back on and regret. And being an agent of light doesn’t magically mean we don’t continue to sin or make mistakes.

The powerful lies you may believe

This is where the world and Satan tell you that you are the sum of your mistakes, and that your character and identity to your core is worthless, untrustworthy, and hypocritical. That you are no follower of Christ, no man/woman of God, because you stumble. You are damaged goods.

The truth that crushes the lies

We all fall short of God’s glory…including your accuser(s). Not one of us can keep all His commandments. This is why the new covenant came to pass…God so loved us that He sacrificed His own son for our sins and salvation! We are already forgiven!

Your identity in Christ is crucial in avoiding the trap of fear, guilt, and condemnation in which the world and Satan want to keep you ensnared, because you can’t serve Christ when your flesh is believing the lies.

Break the chains

Talk to God in prayer…even if it’s just a heartfelt groan or sobbing. Confess and repent of your sins to Him. Ask for forgiveness, and you will see that He actually has already forgiven you!

Know that God so loved you, that you are His child who cannot be separated from His love. He actually does His very best work with broken vessels, who can best receive Him, and then bear fruit. You are not to fear the fearmongers, but to take refuge in the Lord, whose truth of His love and creation of you—a branch of the true vine—can protect you from the worst the world and the enemy will throw at you.

Put your full armor of God back on. You just forgot to put all of it on! Every morning, put on each piece: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace on your feet, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (God’s Word). Remember that, with the full armor of God, you will be able to stand your ground against the lies and attacks, and after you have done everything, you will still be standing.

I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s very hard to walk with all the slings and arrows bombarding you, while you navigate the storm. But imagine how much harder it would be without God. It would be impossible. He will carry you through this to the other side victoriously.

You are an agent of light, a child of the One True King. You do not fight for victory…you fight from a source of victory!

Today’s soundtrack

Matthew West’s “Hello, My Name Is” puts these concepts into a catchy song. Enjoy!