Don't Let It Define You

What does the “it” in the title refer to?  It can represent many things.  Allow me to consider some of the kinds of “it” that can so easily define a person: pride, self-righteousness, ungodliness, evil, hatred, and countless other attitudes and behaviors that are contrary to Christ.  You get the point—anything that reflects a satanic or antichrist spirit.

These are just a few of the “it” bombs that come to mind—things that can shape a person’s identity if left unchecked.  When the enemy comes in like a flood, often disguised in sheep’s clothing, the underlying motivation is eventually revealed to those who are spiritually attuned to the Holy Spirit and alert to deception.  Over time, a person’s true nature becomes evident, because the spirit within them is revealed.

The Bible says, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  What is hidden beneath an outward appearance of goodness is eventually exposed through a person’s words.  The mouth reveals what fills the heart.

(Luke 6:45), ”A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

I tend to read people rather quickly.  I used to call it my “sixth sense,” but I now understand it as likely the gift of discernment—the discernment of spirits—at work within me.  It is one of the nine spiritual gifts God gives to believers as He wills.  In 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Paul describes these gifts and reminds us that they are all produced by one and the same Spirit, who distributes them to each person as He determines.

This gift is the special ability given by the Holy Spirit to tell if a spiritual message, action, or teaching comes from God, human deception, or evil forces.

When God saved my soul, He broke the chains that once bound me to sin and to Satan.  I am no longer defined by the sinner I once was.  My soul was cleansed from all unrighteousness.  My speech changed.  My attitude changed.  My sins were forgiven.

The Holy Spirit is not an “it.”  He is a Person—the third Person of the Trinity.  Because of His grace, I desire for Him to define every part of my life.  My prayer is that others will be drawn to Jesus by what they see in me, rather than being repelled by the “it” that once defined me.

(Colossians 3:8-10), “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.” (vs 9) “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,” (vs 10) “and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”

Written by,

Papa Boyd