James 1:5-8

[Hidden In Him]

Undermining Satan's Strategies, By Receiving Words Of Wisdom From God



What is a word of wisdom? The apostle Paul talked about it in his first epistle to the Corinthians, where he listed it amongst the many spiritual gifts the Lord was giving to the church for their edification.

There are diversities of [supernatural] activities, but it is the same God who works all in all... to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another the gifts of healings... (1 Corinthians 12:6-9)

Not much is taught on the word of wisdom today, but I believe it to be a supernatural form of divine revelation. Satan sometimes puts us in complicated situations - ones where it feels like it would take a Chess Grand Master to figure out the right way to deal with it. But our God is smarter than men and smarter than the enemy, and He reveals strategies to us that can outsmart him, and lead to us victory rather than loss and despair.

What am I talking about? As covered in the last few studies, Satan was subje financial exploitation, judicial oppression, and spiritual belittlement, hoping to overwhelm believers into rejecting God and departing from the faith altogether. If not, the idea was at least to allow a spirit of bitterness to take up residence in their hearts, and then goad them to retaliate against their oppressors. In doing so they would make bad situations worse, so a word of wisdom from God might be the difference between turning the tables on the enemy or suffering spiritual, social, financial and/ or religious defeat.

God desires us to walk in a Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience and kindness, and to overcome the situations Satan puts us in. As was taught in proverbs, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Yet "turning away wrath" through well-turned words is not always easy, though I have seen it done. I have been the target of cruel treatment from others myself, yet because I refused to act on my anger, He led me to turn bad situations into good ones, and enemies into friends.

This is what James was advising here; keep Satan from gaining the upper hand by not acting on the evils he was subjecting them to. Rather, they were to seeking God for the wisdom on how to deal with each one, and defeat Satan by turning evil to good.

My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various trials... and let endurance have its perfected work... and if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, who grants wisdom with simplicity to all men and does not bring reproach, and it shall be given unto him. (James 1:2-5)

The apostle Paul lived this out. He was constantly being attacked, not only physically but spiritually by having his character assassinated at every turn. Yet he knew how to respond wisely, and taught others this as well:

Bless those who persecute you. Bless, and do not curse... Recompense evil for evil to no one, providing good conduct in the sight of all men, if possible, from yourselves [at least], living peaceably with all men, not avenging yourselves, beloved, but giving place to wrath. For it has been written, "Vengeance is Mine. I will repay," says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy should hunger, feed him. If he should thirst, give him something to drink… [and] be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:14, 17-21)

To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, are insufficiently clothed, receive beatings, and wander homeless. But we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless. Being persecuted, we forbear. Being defamed, we encourage. (1 Corinthians 4:11-12)

Paul was not the only one either. In New Testament times, believers were constantly being mistreated and forced to overcome evil with good. Each situation called for a unique response, but whether enduring interrogation, intimidation, humiliation or any other form of public disgrace, believers needed specific wisdom from God to turn wrath away from their persecutors.

The problem for many however was this: With a weak faith, they were having trouble believing God would grant them a word of wisdom. So James would now give encouragement on how to receive wisdom from God, albeit with the right mindset, and one they would need to adopt if they were to succeed.


Defeating Self-Doubt

Satan beats us over the head with our sins to make us think we are unworthy to hear from God, and will not be granted wisdom. This was especially true amongst poorer Jewish Christians during New Testament times, as assumptions were being made throughout Jewish society based on two things: 1. a person's financial standing, and 2. their religious standing in the community. The rich were presumed to be the "righteous" while the poor were viewed as "lowly" or even accursed. This is why the disciples were shocked when Jesus said to them that rich men would only with difficulty enter Heaven.

And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, hardly shall a rich man enter into the kingdom of Heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." And having heard this, the disciples were exceedingly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" (Matthew 19:23-25)

They didn't say, "Yeah. Those rich guys are in trouble." They responded with, "If the rich can't even get into Heaven then who in the world can?" This was the Jewish mindset at the time, and it caused many poorer Jews to become psychologically conflicted over whether they were truly "blessed of God" or not if they were poor. Richer brothers were presumed to be walking closer to God based on their prosperity, while poorer brothers had to be engaging in some sort of sin that had led to them being impoverished. But James now warned that God did NOT see things this way, but generously granted wisdom to all who asked for wisdom "with simplicity," meaning He didn't exclude anyone because of sins in their lives. But the one crucial thing they did need was faith. If they gave themselves over to their doubts and their faith toppled, they would never receive the wisdom they were asking for.

If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who grants wisdom with simplicity to all men and does not bring reproach, and it shall be given unto him. But let him ask in faith, making no distinctions, for the man who makes distinctions is like a wave of the sea being driven by wind and toppled. Let not that man suppose he shall obtain anything from the Lord, being a psychologically conflicted man, and [mentally] restless in all his ways. (James 1:6-9)

In essence, they were up against a kind of caste system that Satan had set up within Judaism, where the poor were supposedly of less value in the eyes of God than the rich were, and people in leadership were equally more "worthy" to hear from God than the ordinary Jew. Unfortunately, I've seen pastors in modern times endorse the same kinds of mindsets. I once attended a church where the motto, "Walking with God, walking with you" was written over the altar for all to see. It seemed innocent at the time, but after spending time with that church and its pastor, I eventually came to understand what it meant. He was telling his congregation, "If you need to hear from God, we walk with Him and we can hear from Him, so all you need to do is come to us and we will tell you what to do."

This may sound benevolent, but it is actually lethal to a personal relationship with God. Numerous articles have been written on the mentality, and how toxic it can be to. It is most pronounced within cults, where the real goal is not to help others draw closer to the Lord. The real goal is to subjugate them under the leader's thumb, and render them incapable of making their own decisions or leading their own lives. This is a strategy of the Devil that many naive and spiritually unprepared people have fallen victim to.

In a manipulative church, the pastor or senior leaders have subtly positioned themselves to take the place of the Holy Spirit in people's lives… People in a controlling church are often told they cannot leave the church with God's blessing unless the pastor approves the decision. They are warned that if they don’t follow the pastor’s guidance, not only will God not bless them, but they will also bring a curse upon themselves or their family. (Beware Of "Spiritual Abuse," Craig von Buseck, CBN)

In reality, it's a type of brainwashing which slowly destroys the confidence a believer has in their own relationship with God. As a result, their faith in their ability to hear from Him grows weaker with each passing month, until they are utterly dependent upon another person to hear Him. As another CBN writer put it:

 

[Hidden In Him]

When we pursue the honor of men, we do so at the expense of our relationship with God. If we continue to do so, gradually men will take the place of God in our lives. An unhealthy soul tie is created, and our sense of confidence is determined by our standing with those in leadership. This kind of control will destroy people spiritually. A true shepherd will use his influence to draw church members into a close relationship with Jesus, who is the only "Head of the church." Pastors operating under a spirit of control are often convinced that they are the only ones who can accurately hear from God. Under the constant exposure to this spirit, members often become convinced that they indeed need their pastor to think for them. In essence, their personal fellowship with the Lord has been abdicated for a relationship with a man. As a result, they lose their confidence in being able to discern the will of God for their lives. (Warning Signs of Spiritual Abuse, Part Two, Mike Fehlauer, CBN)


Refusing To Concede

James was turning the typical Jewish mindset on its head, however, by teaching that if anything it was actually the poor who were more blessed than the rich, and that all men should therefore have no problem believing God for wisdom. If anything it was the rich who were in the more compromised position, yet both could "boast" in the Lord if they knew how to believe Him for it.

But let the lowly brother boast in his exalted status, and the rich man in his lowly status, for like the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun arose with the scorching wind and withered the grass, and its flower fell out, and the beauty of its appearance perished. So also shall the rich man die away in the midst of his travels. (James 1:9-11)

The question was, did they have the faith to believe this? Could they receive wisdom from God, or would they lose hope, and as a result stop praying and waiting upon Him for answers? As James would now add, the key was remaining persistent in faith for however long it took, and not allowing "time and tide" to talk them out of receiving the wisdom they needed.

If any man falls short in wisdom, let him request it from God... But let him ask in faith, making no distinctions (about who will and will not receive), for the man who makes distinctions is like a wave of the sea being driven by wind and tossed. Let not that man suppose he shall obtain anything from the Lord, being a psychologically conflicted man, and mentally restless in all his ways. (James 1:6-8)

James here used the analogy of a wave gathering momentum as it drove towards the shore. He was big on momentum analogies, in fact, but here the momentum was not the good kind, for it depicted the believer riding the crest of a wave of faith as it were, but eventually crashing into the shore when they never received the wisdom they were asking for. It was like going from heights of self-confidence to the depths of despair, because they could not stay in faith to receive. Such scenarios played out in believer's minds something like this:

Day #1: "Lord grant me the wisdom to know how to deal with this situation. This person I work for is cruel and insulting, and I am forced to work with him on a daily basis. But I believe you that I have the mind of Christ, and all things are possible with God, so thank you in advance for giving me wisdom on how to deal with it. You reign forever!"

Day #2: "Lord, he is now openly humiliating me, and I still don't know what to do. Why do I have to be subjected to this business?"

Day #3: "What in the WORLD am I gonna do about this person?! I wanna take the air out of his tires and call the cops that he's double parked, but I can't. But I'm more confused than ever now...."

Day #4, and going down fast: "Lord, I asked you what to do about this situation, and I haven't received anything. Look where it got me. I lost my cool, told him off, and now I've been demoted to working weekends. Don't You love me?!"

They went from praising God to crashing in only four days, because they were looking at their circumstances and seeing things get worse instead of looking to God and continuing to trust Him that the wisdom was coming. So instead of receiving a strategy that might have outsmarted Satan's plan to make them miserable and angry, their faith toppled and crashed without ever finding a way out of their situation.

Unfortunately, too many in the body of Christ today fit the same description. They attend churches where building a close personal relationship with God isn't really stressed. What's stressed is submitting to church leadership, and making sure they participate in what the church has going on. Then they end up not being able to trust the Lord for answered prayer because He's not the One they communicate with on a daily basis. To quote again from the Steve Martin article:

Too many sheep do not believe that God still guides His people today through the means of prayerful meditation upon the Word of God and the illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is easier for the flesh to suspend the use of these spiritual faculties and scriptural means of guidance for the short-cut of asking the leader to determine God’s will and make the decisions all the time. It is not surprising that sheep who put men on pedestals, who cravenly serve men and who do not believe that God still guides them [personally] will fall prey to abusive shepherds… Perhaps, some of the time, authoritarian shepherds are God’s chastening rods on the backs of idol-worshipping, men-pleasing, unbelieving sheep who will not have God to be their God but who substitute a mere creature in His place. (Authoritarianism In The Church, Steve Martin, Founders.Org)

The enemy has strategies he has been using for centuries to make us miserable, all the more so if we are increasingly being used of God and having an effect on Satan's kingdom. As a result, it pays to develop the ability to hear from Him directly. The soldier of Christ has to learn how to believe the Lord for wisdom, and not give up until he finally receives it.


Questions And Applications

1. Did anything stand out to you in reading this study? Do you recall any thoughts running through your head as you were reading through it?

2. To quote again from the article I cited earlier, "Too many sheep do not believe that God still guides His people today through the means of prayerful meditation upon the Word of God and the illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is easier for the flesh to suspend the use of spiritual faculties and scriptural means of guidance for the short-cut of asking the leader to determine God’s will and make the decisions all the time. (Authoritarianism In The Church, Steve Martin, Founders.Org)." Do you feel God would hear your prayers if you needed wisdom to deal with a tough situation? If a friend came to you with questions, how much confidence would you have in receiving answers from God to help them?

3. Suppose for a moment that you fell on hard times financially, with family, or with your employer, and the enemy had you in a bind. For how long do you think you would you be able to stand in faith, believing Him for the wisdom on how to deal with your situation? A week? A month? A year? How long before your faith came crashing down, and you simply assumed you might never know?

4. What if you were needing to understand God's word? Suppose you didn't understand a particular passage or verse, and yet everywhere you looked no one seemed to have answers that truly satisfied you. Would you be able to believe Him to reveal it to you personally? Why or why not?

5. There is a movement within Christianity called "Faith Theology," which teaches that you can believe God for anything, including a Rolls Royce if you want one. Do you believe our passage about "asking in faith, doubting nothing" can be applied in the same way to this as to receiving wisdom? Why or why not?