The destroyers in your life
There are many destroyers that find their way to manifest in and through man. The Lord Jesus Christ said in Matt. 15:18-19, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adultries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” These are destroyers also but they are also little considered malice, grudge, covetousness, envy and bitterness.
Malice: Is the intention or desire to execute evil; wrongful intention to increase the guilt of certain offenses as to hurt another. As when you hate someone and want to seek revenge. An improper motive for an action, such as desire to cause injury to another. Colossians 3:8, “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath , malice — .” Remember that malice is the desire or intention to carry out evil against another person. Malice is anti-God. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not evil, to give you an expected end.” This is how God sees us with no malice. Also according to Ephesians 4:31, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.” 1st Peter 2:1-2 states, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies and all evil speaking. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” Malice is a destroyer of the soul and body and allows the devil to oppress or possess a person. The manifestation of this is evil and not good. It comes from the heart and also defiles a person.. When evil is done because of malice it is a destroyer. How are you doing with the destroyer of the soul called malice? Did you repent of any malice or are you struggling with it? Put away malice, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof,” (Rom. 13:14).
Grudge: This is a persistent feeling of ill will or deep seated resentment as a result of past issues or offenses or disagreements. James 5:9, “Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold the judge standeth before the door.” Leviticus 19:18, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself : I am the Lord.” Are you struggling with the destroyer called grudge? See, when you still harbor bad feelings towards a person who offended you in the past, maybe many days, weeks, months or years; you have issues of grudge. Worse is for those who claim to forgive others; but as soon as something brings those forgiven into focus; the forgiveness vanishes and the grudge rears its ugly head up. Are you dealing with grudges? Do something about it fast for it is a destroyer. Your salvation is more important than holding grudges.
Covetousness: Identified by an inordinate or excessive desire for wealth or possessions or for another’s possession. Luke 12:15, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” How is covetousness in your life? Are you struggling with this evil destroyer? When you desire or are jealous over what belongs to another; such that you want it for yourself and in some cases you want it by all means, you are battling with covetousness and know it not. Remember Colossians 3:5-11,
“Covetousness which is idolatry.” Many times we resist the scriptures and forget to obey it. Resisting the scriptures is rebellion against the truth (the Word of God), as noted in 1st Samuel 15:23, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” Watchout for the destroyer called covetousness for it is also linked to rebellion, witchcraft and idolatry.
Envy: Is a desire to have a possession or quality or other desirable attributes belonging to another person. Such desires lead to a feeling of resentful longing or feeling of discontent aroused by another person’s qualities, good fortune or possessions. Proverbs 27:4, “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” Also,”Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long,” (Proverbs 23:17). According to Matt. 27:18, “For he knew for envy they had delivered him.” Also Acts 7:9, “The patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him.” Looking at Titus 3:2-3, “To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.” A quick look at James 3:14 and 16, “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth, ——, For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work (satan at work here).” In Acts 13:45, “But when the Jews saw the multitude, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.” Do not accommodate envy for it is a destroyer of your soul and life.
Bitterness: Almost all forms of bitterness start from a person feeling anger. Nevertheless, holding on to that anger for too long grows into bitterness. Remember the scripture admonishes us to be angry but sin not; let not the sun go down on your wrath, (Ephesians 4:26). Bitterness happens when you feel there is no action left to take, because everything is out of your control. King Saul was bitter against King David, because the Lord rejecting him as king was beyond his control, so he took it out against King David. Bitterness could lead to murder, as Saul tried every way to kill David. This was because Saul allowed the root of bitterness to grow in him. Bitterness is a destroyer, those who allow it grow in them soon discover they are not able to forgive, grudge pagues them,they are all the time complaining, never able to appreciate what is good in their lives: are unable to rejoice with other people or empathize with those they are bitter towards. Bitterness dries the soul out and makes room for physical diseases and body poor functioning. The bitter soul will experience spiritual degeneration.
Remember Ephesians 4:31, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” Jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame, (Song of Solomon 8:6). “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy, (John 10:10). The destroyer is satan and his tools include malice, bitterness, envy, covetousness, grudges and much more. Do not allow these destroyers get the better of you and you run the Christian race in vain. Paul said, run to win, (Phil.3:8; 1st Cor. 9:24). Heb.12:1-4, “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame; endured the contradictions of sinners against himself, consider these lest ye be wearied and faint in your mind. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin”. Jesus Christ endured all these without any malice, grudge, covetousness, bitterness, envy and the like for the joy set before Him. The saved ones are his joy. Let us follow his footsteps, with the joy of eternal life and eternity that is before us; and despise from our lives, the destroyers, malice, grudge, bitterness, covetousness, envy and the likes. If you are in this web of destruction of satan, repent be washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, and hold on to the joy set before you, no matter the circumstances.
156 – The destroyers in your life