Psalm 55:22 “Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”
An ancient chinese text called the Han Feizi tells the story of man who was trying to sell a spear and a shield. When asked how good his spear was, he said that his spear could pierce any shield. Then, when asked how good his shield was, he said that it could defend from all spear attacks. Then one person asked him what would happen if he were to take his spear to strike his shield; the seller could not answer. This led to the idiom of “zìxīang máodùn” (自相矛盾, “from each-other spear shield”), or “self-contradictory”.
If an unstoppable force meets an immovable object you have what is called the irresistible force paradox. You have this paradox when two incompatible premises meet and both forces are considered indestructible.
With God, there are no paradox’s….
The idea that something could be indestructible is about the same as saying something is immovable, and yet the Bible makes several references to a condition that cannot change.
Psalm 104:5 “You who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever,”
Psalm 15:5 “Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.”
2 Peter 1:10 “Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,”
Psalm 112:5-6 “A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion.
Surely he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.”
A brief survey concludes that the earth will never be moved. The cheerful giver will stand forever. Peter describes the progression of the faithful and how they will never stumble. For the righteous, not only can he not be shaken, he will likewise never be forgotten.
What is the consistent element that makes all these ideas substantial?
The Lord, Strong and Mighty
The attributes described in these verses are ideas that we see only at the movies. The science fiction drama casts a character that cannot be destroyed, only to see some kink in the armor that proves otherwise. Superman might have his kryptonite, Captain America might grow old, but when it comes to God, there is nothing that can come against Him.
Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.
Anything that God forms, anything that He establishes, and anyone that is called by His name shall not be moved.
This is not a paradox, there is no other indestructible force that can come against Him.
Evil is not an irresistible Force
In the 2008 superhero film “The Dark Knight”, the Joker makes the statement on Batman’s daring and finally successful attempt at capturing him, by saying “This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object”. The quote has become iconic amongst fans of the film series.
In the real world, God has no match.
The enemy wants to convince you that you are susceptible to His attacks. If you grow weak enough, he wants you to think you can be overtaken.
We hear the warnings throughout God’s Word…
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 “Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
Ephesians 6:10-12 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.“
Ephesians 6:16 “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
The enemy of our souls loses all power over us once we are established in Christ. Satan can try to mimic God by sounding like a lion, he can take advantage of our weaknesses by obstructing our walk with Christ, he can scheme and do whatever he can to disrupt all that God is doing in your life, and he can fire arrows of accusations and try to diminish the victory that you have in Jesus.
All of these attacks are attempts to disrupt that which continues to move forward without hesitation. The reminder of who is doing the leading is a reminder of where our strength truly lies.
The Lion of Judah
Hosea 11:10 “They shall walk after the LORD. He will roar like a lion. When He roars, Then His sons shall come trembling from the west;”
Revelation 10:3 “Then he cried out in a loud voice like the roar of a lion. And when he cried out, the seven thunders sounded their voices.”
Isaiah 31:4 “For this is what the LORD has said to me: “Like a lion roaring or a young lion over its prey–and though a band of shepherds is called out against it, it is not terrified by their shouting or subdued by their clamor–so the LORD of Hosts will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and its heights.”
If God’s people want to exhibit any of His qualities, we must recognize where our strength comes from and abide in Him.
In every instance we see the Lord is both the indestructible force and the immovable object.
How do we align ourselves with His strength?
- Walk in righteousness. Walking according to God’s moral law is to walk in alignment with His character. You cannot deviate from God’s path if your road markers of life are the attributes of God. Loving God looks like loving others. By loving others you fulfill the law and you walk in accordance with His purpose.
- Remain Sober. Be on the alert. Don’t grow complacent in your attempts to remain faithful, don’t compromise on any front, the enemy is continually looking for a weakness in your defenses and will exploit them if he can.
- Put on the full armor of God. Salvation, faith, walking in the Spirit, Truth, preparation of the gospel, the Word of God, and as I mentioned righteousness. Each attribute of God’s warrior has an attribute of God that protects him or her. Don’t go into battle without this armor.
- Forgive one another. The unity of the Spirit is found in forgiveness. Within the church we must remember that we are all being sanctified daily, we all were broken people who are walking in the healing power of God’s restoration. Showing grace toward one another is the least we can do with all that God has shown us.
- Be Patient. When we wait patiently on the Lord, He promises to renew our strength. When we show patience toward others, we give them the honor that is due a child of God.
God’s Promises
Psalm 37:34 “Wait for the LORD and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are eliminated, you will see it.”
The enemy is not immovable, matter of fact he is purposed for destruction. A little while, wait, you will see the order of all things and you will know that God is fully in control.
The enemy may be mounting a front against you….fear not! Nothing brought against you will stand. You are secure in Christ if you have made Him your strength.
Revelation 12:11 “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
Our victory has already been secured in Jesus Christ. Our testimony before the world brings others out of the clutches of death and into the newness of life. We overcome not by our strength but by the strength of the Spirit of God who dwells within us and His Word that resonates through us.
The Final Victory
One day, we will look upon our enemy and the response will be perplexing…
Isaiah 14:12-17 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.
“Those who see you will gaze at you,
And consider you, saying:
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
Who made the world as a wilderness
And destroyed its cities,
Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’
So much for immovable….So many people have feared this fallen angel. So many people have given in to his schemes. Our Rock, the Lord strong and mighty has saved us from the pit of despair. Live victoriously, do not fear, knowing that everything the Lord has purposed will come to pass.
Our Rock now will be our Rock forever. Walk in that strength.
U.T. 