What It Means to be Filled with the Holy Spirit # 40

"Neither Give Place to the devil" 

So we begin to see why the giant Goliath, the uncircumcised Philistine who is branded with the number 666, could challenge the armies of Israel. We are learning that we must not allow our natural man to give ground to the enemy. And this becomes even clearer as we see that Abraham and Sarah also gave ground that strengthened this Philisitine giant.

In Genesis, chapter twenty, we find Abraham giving place to the devil because he allowed the reasonings of his natural man, the self-centered carnal reasonings of his old man, to cloud his judgment. Consequently, instead of walking in faith, throughout the breadth and length of the land into which God had called him, Abraham lied to protect himself. And even more significant, this is the second time that Abraham committed this same sin.

Now there is much more going on here than Abraham telling a lie. The first time that Abraham told this lie he was in Egypt, and the second time he is in Gerar which is Philistine territory. We have seen that satan uses both Egypt and the Philistines as agents of his antichrist spirit. When Abraham went down into Egypt he was just beginning his walk with the Lord, and in fear for his life he told the Egyptians that Sarah was his sister and he allowed her to be taken into the king's harem.

Now we need to see that Sarah, who is also recorded as one who walked by faith in Hebrews 11, was also at fault because both times she went along with Abraham's lie. Many will say she had no choice, she must submit to her husband. This is not true, for the Bible teaches that wives are to submit unto their own husbands, as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:22). So when a husband is not following the Lord, the wife should first of all remain devoted and loyal to the Lord. When a husband and wife have both dedicated their lives to the Lord like Sarah and Abraham, then when either one of them takes a wrong direction, the other one must take their stand in the Lord for what is right. If Sarah had expressed to Abraham her trust that the Lord was able to take care of them, perhaps it would have strengthened Abraham's spiritual man, and together they could have taken their stand. But Sarah submitted not unto the Lord, but unto Abraham's natural man; and they both missed the mark.

But God sovereignly moved to protect Sarah and Abraham, for Sarah was to bear "The Seed," Which is Christ (Galatians 3:16). God also brought Abraham and Sarah out of Egypt, and they moved again into a walk of faith before the Lord. However, when we sow to the flesh we reap in the flesh; and Abraham did not leave Egypt free of his natural man. He brought with him the riches he gained there, which resulted in the division between him and Lot. And he and Sarah brought with them an Egyptian woman named Hagar, which resulted in Ishmael - who was Abraham's and Sarah's attempt to produce God's "Seed" out from themselves.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 41)