David wrote Psalm 51 after his sin with Bathsheba. That sin might now have occurred if he had been doing what kings were supposed to do. 2 Samuel 11:1 says, “It happened…at the time when kings go out to battle…But David remained at Jerusalem.” In his boredom, he did not guard his heart.

Psalm 51:4 says, “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.” Our disobedience is sin against the One who gave His life for us ~ out of love.

Our heart’s maintenance is to guard it from our fleshly suggestions, clinging instead to the truth of God’s word, and applying it daily to our lives. His prayer in verse 10 is one we can adopt. It says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me.”

Since our heart is our belief center, we need to monitor what goes into it. Jude recorded three ways to build up our faith. Verses 20-21 say, “…praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

As I meditated on what it means to keep ourselves in the love of God, my mind went back to John 14:21. It says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

We keep our heart in God’s love through obedience to His word. Therefore we have to know His word in order to obey. Holes are made in the protective barrier of our heart when we choose to walk in disobedience.

Ephesians 4:18 says, “Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

I’m memorizing Psalm 145. Verse 12 was written about us ~ saints. It says, “To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.” Verse 9 says, “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”

We are His workmen created to do good works. Ephesians 2:10. We serve the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. There is no one like Him. Isaiah 40:25 says that there is no one His equal.

There are countless hurting people in the marketplace. We have a treasure within ~ the gospel. Luke 4:18 Amplified describes them well. It says, “…to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed (who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity).”

In the last week, I have received three minor mentees that were suicidal. One gal is a believer. She said that at school they talk about suicide a lot. She woke up in the night with a voice saying to kill herself. The other two are not believers. The world has no answers.

These treasures of darkness have no spiritual perception. They are ignorant of divine truth. 1 John 2:11 says, “But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” Dark. No light. Alienated from God. Let us be about our Father’s business.

Isaiah 45:2-3 says, “I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places.”

2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” We are called to set the captives free. 

There are folks bound in the darkness of sin, hatred, anger, and revenge. We are His light. If we light a match in a dark room, the whole room is lit up. I was at a convenience store paying for my gasoline. The gal’s face, who took my money, was dark and stormy. I said, “May God bless your day in a special way.” Her face lit up and she sent me a fleeting smile.

How do we practice the truth so that satan’s lies gain no foothold? Ephesians 4:27 says to give the devil no opportunity. That means that we have to be alert, because he uses stealth and cunningly devised schemes.

James 1:21 says that the implanted word saves our soul. When we embed God’s word into our heart, that truth acts like a sentinel. When satan sends a fiery dart, the truth within us instantly discerns the lie and does not allow it entrance into our mind.

Alertness is part of our counter attack strategy. We are the aggressors. We are the watchman on the wall. 1 Peter 1:13 says to prepare our mind for action. Proverbs 4:23 says to be diligent in guarding our heart. 

Embed. Implant. Inculcate. Memorizing God’s word grooves in truth that pushes up the lies and forces them into the light. Light dispels darkness.

1 John 2:4 says, “He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” We can say that we abide in Him, yet our actions might not manifest truth. There is no place for deception when truth is embedded in our heart.

Verse 6 says, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” Ask yourself: does my life exemplify Jesus in every aspect? If not, then we have hidden unresolved issues that have not been removed through truth.

We are either deceived, or we are walking in the truth. It is either or in every aspect of our lives…not just one area. 1 John 1:6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

Romans 1:17 was written about the gospel. It says, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” 

Timeless words. It is faith in the One who is Faithful. I love 2 Timothy 2:13. It says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” Romans 12:3 reminds us that it is not our faith. It says, “…as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

We are saved by grace through faith. Ephesians 2:8. John 1:16 Amplified says, “For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and we were all supplied with) one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift.”

Our trials are God’s strategic tools to conform our lives to His will and ways; expose hidden dross; develop the character of Christ needed to fulfill His purpose in our lives; display us before the principalities and powers. 

1 Peter 4:13 is also part of our counter attack ~ praise. It says, “But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings…” Verse 19 is a checkpoint for our heart. It says, “Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God…” How do we suffer according to His will? One way is through humility, so that we are walking under His canopy of grace.

Passivity is pride. Faith is active. Hebrews 11:1 uses two words that are key, ‘now faith.’ Our faith for our last trial is a building block for our present trial. We go from faith to faith. 

Our trials often expose the hidden sin of worry. Following the verse to cast our cares on the Lord are two verses about spiritual warfare. 1 Peter 5:8-9. The devil seeks those he can devour. That is the attack. Our counter attack is verse 9. It says, “Resist him, steadfast in the faith…”

Our faith requires high maintenance. If we neglect it, we unwittingly walk into the devil’s trap. The bait is hidden. Here is the definition for insidiously. Stealthy, subtle, cunning, or treacherous. Working in a subtle or apparently innocuous way, but nevertheless deadly.

If we could look at our thought processes under a magnifying glass, we would see erosion in our faith because of the times we allowed fiery dart lies to enter and become seeded in our heart. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing God’s word. Bringing His word into our hearts keeps our faith strong and active.