7 Memory Verses to Change a Victim to a Victor, Part 6—James 1:22
June 4, 2007
The sixth verse to change a victim to a victor is taken from the book of James:
Principle #6 – “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (1:22)
As we have said, our diabolos mind lies to us all the time. One of the things that we lie to ourselves about is what we want to do. We tell ourselves things like “I really want to lose weight” and then we go out and celebrate with a super-sized McDonald’s meal (with the commensurate Diet Coke, of course). We might desire to look nice or feel better, but that desire is overridden by our desire for Big Macs.
When we are brutally honest with ourselves, we might say something like “you know, it would be great to be thin, but I really like eating fast food too much; therefore I prefer to remain overweight.” That is more intellectually honest than telling ourselves that we really want to be thin. How will we know when we really want to be thin? When we start eating right and exercising and thereby lose weight and are thin.
James isn’t talking about Big Macs. However, this is exactly what James is telling us as it relates to spiritual things. How do I know when I really want to read my Bible? When I do it. How do I know when I really want to give more money to the work of the Lord? When I do it. How do I know when I really want to stop a particular sin? When I stop doing it. To think we really want something and to do otherwise is to practice self-deceit.
Life is a matter of 6 inches and 18 inches. The battlefield we spend our entire life fighting on is only about 6 inches wide – the battlefield of our mind. Our mind is constantly trying to convince of things that are not as they really are. However, when we lose the battle, it is usually by a distance of about 18 inches – the distance between our head and our heart. Our minds will easily assimilate facts as they relate to God, but then we leave them there to die unused and unimplemented. It is only when the facts of God move to our heart, and thus into action, that our faith comes alive. Until our Godly thoughts become actions they are little more than the window-dressing of our minds.
As we go back to our analogy of the children of Israel as they stood before the Promised Land, we can clearly see the difference. The victims focused on wishing the land was giantless rather than making the land giantless. The victors couldn’t wait to take the land because they knew that God had promised them victory. Their confidence in God far outweighed any trepidation they might feel in the face of giants. Their faith emboldened them to action in which the giants were just one more insignificant detail in how they were going to get this land.
Have a great week,
Kyle Tucker
Comments»
I appreciate your point that only when we actually do a thing can we be sure we truly want to do it. How do you relate this to the passage around Romans 7:15 where Paul says “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”?
Is Paul at odds with James? Did Paul not truly want to do the right thing, seeing as he failed to do it (at least sometimes)?
Thanks for your article!
Thanks for your “Thoughts for the week”. I find them positive & uplifting and look forward to each instalment.
Hi Kyle- I am confused.Is htere a seventh memory verse to change the victime mentality.I don’t have a preference as to whether there are 6 or 7 .I just want to be sure I didn’t miss anything. Did I miss something??
Hi Chrysue – The 7th ‘Victor’ verse has been restored and you can go see it here.
Thanks for catching this.
(I’m replying since Kyle may be traveling.)
Hello
Just saw the article/comments. RE: Chris’ question about Paul in Romans 7…Romans 6-8 is actually one thought (chapter breaks are man-made), and Romans 7 is Paul’s continued revealing of what happens to a GODLY person under the law BEFORE Christ, before the mind of the spirit is truly revealed in Christ.
Then what we call Romans 8 starts off with the sentence about NOW, ie what happens to those “in Christ”. Though the flesh is still weak and alive as under the law (Romans 7) nevertheless, NOW, we have the free gift of the mind of the spirit to combat the flesh. Romans 8:1-14 particularly and perfectly spells this out.
There’s so much more to say, but basically when we read Romans 6,7,8 as the one thought that it is, God will bless the believer with an incredible understanding of what “the free gift of God” really is and how to overcome…not that we are ever “sinless” (Romans 8:10) but that we NOW can put to death the deeds of the body by the spirit. When we sin, as we all still do, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ, the righteous, who intercedes for us. But we still must enter through the narrow door – Luke 9:23; 13:24; 14:27; 2 Cor 5:21.