God’s Power Tools

Ever tried using a screwdriver to twist a long screw into or out of wood? It’s almost impossible. But with a power tool, it seems effortless. When Karen and I reroofed our house, we pounded every nail with a hammer. Besides hitting our thumbs a number of times, it took us a month. Our neighbors, on the other hand, hired professionals. With their power nail guns, it took them a day! How about cutting a stud with a hand saw? Tiring and the edge isn’t square. But a circular saw cuts the wood like a hot knife cuts butter.

God has given us power tools for living the Christian life well. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Power tools are much more effective in the hands of a professional than in mine. In the same way, God’s tools are much more effective when operated by the Holy Spirit.

1. GOD’S POWER TOOLS DEMOLISH STRONGHOLDS. A stronghold is an area in our lives which has become like a fortress with a moat around it. The fortress walls grow stronger as we continue to engage a particular sin. It is called a stronghold because it imprisons us. We feel helpless to break the habit or addiction. You may need outside help to discover new ways to act. If so, I’d suggest Celebrate Recovery. I’m not suggesting it is easy, but in time God’s tools operated by God’s Spirit can set us free. “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16)
2. GOD’S POWER TOOLS DEMOLISH ARGUMENTS. This does not mean that we are to be argumentative with other people, seeking to win every dispute about God and the Bible. It means that God’s Word is the source of truth. It can stand up to all false philosophies that seek to undermine our faith. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)
3. GOD’S POWER TOOLS DEMOLISH PRETENSIONS AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. Pretensions are lofty opinions that are based on a wrong view of God. Probably the most well-known pretension is the THEORY of evolution. Often it is presented as a firm fact by aggressive proponents who present themselves as very learned and intelligent. But don’t be fooled, the foundation of evolution undermines God as the Creator of our universe and life on this planet. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)
4. GOD’S POWER TOOLS ARE ABLE TO CAPTURE THOUGHTS AND BRING THEM INTO SUBMISSION TO CHRIST. Do you realize how slippery thoughts are? It’s easy for them to run helter-skelter at light speed. But God has given us His Word to discipline our thoughts and keep them pleasing to Him. One of the best ways I’ve found over the years is to memorize verses from the Bible. The first psalm in our Bibles highlights the value of dwelling on God’s Word. “Blessed is the man whose … delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (Psalm 1:1–3)

Let’s put God’s power tools to work in our lives, encouraging each other, facing the enemy and trusting God for all things.

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