Running With the Devil

In the late 70’s Van Halen had a song titled, “Running With the Devil”. It was one of their early hits and was played repeatedly on the radio and in car cassette players (if you don’t know what one of those is, just pretend it’s a really old mp3 player). Sadly, many Christians/church members/pastors/etc live a lifestyle that can be called that.

 Through the years, I’ve had several discussions with people who have difficulty separating themselves from the world around them and trying to live a more “Christ-like” life. Most of them are professing Christians but admitted they have a difficult time living a Christian life on the days and times when they aren’t around fellow Christians. Sometimes these type people are referred to as “Sunday Christians”. They can walk the walk and talk the talk on Sunday morning, but Jesus seems to be a distant thought the rest of the week unless they run into some church members. Some of the issues they were dealing with include:

• Lying
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Hatred
• Profanity
• Sexual relations outside of marriage
• Mean spirited toward others
• Stealing
• Illegal drug use
• Lust
• Bitterness

The list goes on. On Sunday morning, outwardly they appear to be model Christians but during the rest of the week, they’re running with the devil. I’m not putting them down or talking bad about them because, unfortunately, I was one of them too for a few years. I got up in front of the church and portrayed something that I was not. Jesus forgave me and brought me back onto the path that I had strayed from but there was some damage done by and consequences for my failure

We should always strive to live the same life as we portray to others when we’re around them. In other words, be real. Don’t put on a false front and hide things from others. The world has many things to offer that can be difficult to turn away from and can require much effort and prayer on our parts to be able to do so. However, none of the items the world can offer can match what living for Christ can offer. (1 John 2:15)

In Revelation 3:16, Jesus warns us not to be “lukewarm”. He wants us to live all for Him, not partially for Him and partially for the world.

Momentary happiness and pleasure are just that, momentary. Nothing that lasts comes from the arms of another, a needle, a pill, a bank, or a bottle. All of them only provide a temporary change in your condition or situation. The only lasting happiness is found in living a life for Jesus.

With the availability of instant messaging, you can now keep in contact with friends and acquaintances almost constantly. One of the more popular now is “Facebook”. I have several friends that have attended church with me through the years and sometimes their updates and pictures make me wonder if they actually are a follower of Christ. If we repeatedly go against the teachings and directions that we receive from God’s word, are we truly followers of His or are we just slightly knowledgeable of the teachings of the Bible? If we truly are His followers, I would imagine there are times He is not happy with our lives if we live them in a way that does not honor Him.

There is an old saying to the effect that a ship in the sea is no problem, but when you get the sea into the ship you are in trouble. A Christian living in the world is one thing, but when the world gets into the Christian that is a different matter altogether. God has made us to live on this earth. He could have fashioned us to live immediately in heaven but He didn’t. He made us to inhabit this earth and to enjoy His creation. As the theologian Thomas Watson stated, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” That enjoyment is not restricted to the spiritual blessings God has given to His people through Christ, but includes the temporal blessings as well.

We have to be careful not to turn hose blessings into a curse. Everything may have a double use. For example, a knife may be put to good use in preparing food. But it can also be put to wicked use when employed as a weapon to stab someone. A computer is a fine tool, but at times men can turn it into a vehicle of wickedness

The same is true of the world itself. The apostle Paul instructed us to use it but not abuse it (1 Corinthians 7:31)

God made this planet, and it’s just a speck of dust in the ocean of infinite space. According to the National Geographic Magazine (October 1999) in our Milky Way galaxy there are “a few hundred billion stars” and in the universe “at least a hundred billion galaxies” This universe runs well according to the laws that its Creator (God) made for it. Without law and order there would be chaos. God placed us on Earth and we in turn are even smaller specks upon it, but even for such minute parts of His creation God has ordered a law to live by; otherwise, life would be chaos.

Law and order are essential in everyday living. What a dangerous place this world would be if we all made up our own rules. One person would drive on the right side of the road and another on the left. One would give way to cross traffic, another would not. One would go very slowly and another would race. The result would be anarchy.

We have instruction books for everything from cars to computers. Abide by the instructions and life is easier. Neglect the instructions and disaster follows, as people have found when they put gasoline in a diesel vehicle. Had they read the instructions they would not have made such a costly mistake.

Our spiritual lives are no different. The Ten Commandments are God’s outline of man’s duty to Him and to our fellow man. The whole Bible teaches these laws and applies them to every area of life. It shows us clearly that while we aren’t saved by trying to keep the law. We are to live our lives in accordance with its teachings. It also shows us that we get the strength to obey, not by our own will power but by faith in Christ (Galatians 2:20)

The Bible is the instruction book God supplies for the Christian life. The Bible’s basic instruction to the Christian is,

1 Peter 1:16 (NIV)
for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

In other words, we are in the world but not of it. (John 17:15-16)

The devil has the media, the entertainment world, and much of the business world firmly in his grip. So we must be most discriminating as to our relationship with the world

How should a Christian relate to the world, to the age in which he lives? The answer, in a word, is biblically. God’s Word shows us what is right and what is wrong.

(1 John 2:15-17). For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).

Also: “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

These are God’s instructions. If we follow them, we shall be blessed. If we follow the world’s lead, we shall be blighted. As a man thinks, so is he. Sin enters at the level of the mind, and this is where the battle of purity must be fought. The human mind is a marvelous instrument but can be easily damaged by what we put into it. We would never dream of pouring dirt into the engine of our car. Yet even Christians sometimes pollute their minds by filling them with worldly dirt. Our thought processes are not helped by what the world has to offer. Many Christians, night after night, spend their time in front of the television set while their minds are being polluted by the constant stream of wickedness from Hollywood. What we receive by our senses, especially by sight and hearing, has a profound effect on how we behave. It’s no wonder some wake up depressed in the morning when they go to bed with the world’s music and moral filth filling their minds?

One of the clearest descriptions of practical Christianity is found in Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things

While we dwell on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, we won’t deviate far from the Lord’s path.

But much of what the world has to offer is the very opposite: untrue, dishonest, unjust, impure, unlovely, and of evil report. To dwell on such things produces a sinful walk; it opens the floodgates and lets the world swamp us.

As a human, we are weak and prone to failure. But there is help for us in the Lord. God revealed to Moses in “I am the Lord that doth sanctify you” (Exodus 31:13). He does so as His Spirit applies His Word to our hearts (John 17:17). That is the power that will enable us to keep the sea of the world out of our ship as we sail victoriously on toward heaven. One of the most important things we can do in our journey through life, is to read God’s word. It will give you instruction and hope as we strive to live in the world, but apart from the world. We all need to do our part to live a life that pleases God, brings honor to the name of Christian, and keeps us from running with the devil.
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1 John 2:15 (New International Version)
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Revelation 3:16 (NIV)
"because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth”.

1 Corinthians 7:31 (King James Version)
And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

John 17:15-16 (NIV)
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

1 John 2:15-17 (KJV)
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever.