SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1098

“Drive Them Out”

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. – Numbers 33:55

Have you ever had thorny cockleburs caught in your clothing? It is amazing how such tiny little pricks can bring such pain and discomfort. Imagine what a thorn in your side or a barb in your eye would feel like.

This is the troublesome misery image that God’s Word paints for us if we allow the ‘near occasion of sin’ to remain in our lives.

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out; Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness… – Acts 3:19; Romans 6:12-14

Having accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we repented of our sins and turned away from the sinful life we led and began to follow Him. However, many of us fail to let go and drive out some things in our life that trip us up and tempt us to sin again.

We may have to let go of relationships that are spiritually unhealthy. There are environments, bars, clubs; venues that we used to frequent that become tormenting thorns in our sides if we continue to go there. There are habits, things that we were entertained by that we must deny ourselves and drive them out of our lives.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. – Matthew 16:24, 5:29-30

Jesus teaches us that we will have to deny our flesh, take up our cross and crucify the things in our life that hinder His abiding holy presence in us. To emphasize the importance of His point Jesus uses hyperbole to intentionally exaggerate the measures we need to take to drive out the things that cause us to sin. Jesus is not advocating that we maim ourselves but He is making His point that nothing in this world is worth missing out on the salvation God has offered us through His sacrifice.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

May you drive out completely all that hinders your walk with Christ.

knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. – 2 Peter 3:17