Proverbs 3: 4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
2nd Corinthians 2: 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
There is no doubt that America is now in full blown panic mode as the possibility of chaos and national upheaval looms large on the horizon. Men’s hearts are indeed failing them for fear, looking after those things that are coming upon the earth.
Everything that is vile, everything that is false, that is incendiary and profane is now on the menu daily, and mortal man seems entirely powerless to stop the downward spiral into the abyss.
Even when the changing of the guard occurs, those seeds that have been sown nationally will continue to germinate, and will bring forth commensurate fruit in due season, for the Bible says, whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
This is the work and product of fallen human nature that is not transformed by the grace of Christ, but is rather motivated by demonic spirits. Man does not have it within himself to resist the incursions of the devil, because pound for pound he is much stronger than we are.
And thus, the only remedy for the fallen condition of humanity is the grace of God applied to the heart and this is the reason why we do not point anyone to manmade solutions but rather to Christ alone, for He is the only Person who could solve this world’s problems.
Man was originally made lower than the angels, and since the fall in Eden by our first parents, folks have continued to sink lower and lower on all fronts. The mental, physical, and spiritual capabilities we were created with have all deteriorated drastically of the years.
And now, folks have become considerably weaker, physically, morally, and mentally, to the point where we cannot control ourselves without Christ. This is an inconvenient truth we will have to confront and be reconciled to, if we are to understand our dire need of Christ.
You may see persons well dressed, apparently very intelligent and they may seem to have it all together but at the opportune moment, when the serpent is ready to strike, all those who are not covered by the blood of Christ will succumb to his deadly sting, and that is what you’re seeing live, in real time currently.
This fact about our powerlessness outside of Christ has to be clearly understood, before we proceed for it is critically important to establish from the Bible, the reasons for the urgency of the moment, which is driving persons into panic mode. Thus, we will have to put it plainly.
A human being without Christ has much weaker will power than the devil, and for this reason, if persons have habitually yielded their freedom of choice, by doing his will he can and will dominate that person’s mind, and can literally force them to say, and do evil things, even things they had not originally planned to say or do.
The bitter words that are being spoken daily and the hatred being stoked, coming from the mouth, must be traced right back to the source. The Bible says it’s the work of devils, because they have the ability to intrude into a person’s thoughts, words, and their deeds.
This is the plain truth, without any gravy, or salad dressing, and we must now confront this reality in real time from the Scriptures. Think about it for a moment, if satan could speak through Peter, who was a disciple of Christ, imagine what he could do through persons who are not in Christ.
The Bible does not beat around the bush, nor does it mince words about the source of what folks are seeing currently, and therefore, we must pay close attention to the following passages, for they reveal truths that most people would have difficulty being reconciled to. Let’s read:
2nd Timothy 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
In other words, satan has much stronger will-power than any member of the human family, and thus, he could, and will speak directly through any individual spontaneously, who is not kept by the power of God through faith in Christ.
We like to think of ourselves as large and in charge, but the Bible teaches us that folks would inevitably serve one of two masters, either Christ or satan. It is not what you will hear in the secular realm, nor is it a cute doctrine, but it is the truth. Let’s read:
James 3: 3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the captain wants.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind.
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work.
Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Revelation 16: 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 101] The spirit of anarchy is permeating all nations, and the outbreaks that from time to time excite the horror of the world are but indications of the pent-up fires of passion and lawlessness that, having once escaped control, will fill the earth with woe and desolation.
There are those who erroneously think that on their own they could resist satan’s incursions, and for this reason some have decided, and others are planning to resist the predicted dangers of the final conflicts, during the last days of earth’s history, without Christ in the heart.
We have some bad news for such persons, if they’ll continue to harbor that perspective, because when prime time comes around, and such persons are not found in Christ, the devil will force you to do his will, using his baseball bat.
And according to the Scriptures, we have not seen anything as yet, for these are just the early tremors of a much larger conflict that will culminate in the close of probation. The issues are so serious that we must now read from the pen of inspiration the truth about the matter, before we proceed. Let’s read:
[D.A. pp 324] When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature.
The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan.
But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world.
It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light.
If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness.
Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We might leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan;
But without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ and continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end.
In one of the first passages that we read earlier the apostle Paul says we are not ignorant of his devices. We are not supposed to be, but some persons may not be cognizant of how “his devices” are deployed, and how they work. So, let’s delve into the study for today: “Making Decisions In Panic Mode”
When wolves are on the hunt, they’ll first panic the herd by running directly at the entire herd, and then the individual members of the herd are driven into panic mode. And in this state of mind, they usually make a decision that ultimately determines which ones will be singled out for lunch.
Prior to their decision in panic mode, the wolves do not really know who will be on the menu, but as the herd is scattered in a frantic effort to escape, the weak and the vulnerable are singled out, and that is how the wolves know where their next meal is coming from.
For starters, his devices are always structured to put you into more problems than you’re already in. The devil doesn’t set his devices just for fun, it’s a well- thought-out plan to destroy unwary souls, and thus, we must study from the scriptures how his devices are employed.
As our topic suggests, one of his most successful devices is to try to get you to make hasty decisions when you are in panic mode. It is a tried, and true device that has driven many saints in ages past, to do, and say things that were entirely out of God’s will.
First, satan creates, or he looks for an environment of desperation, or panic and then he suggests to the mind, plan “B”, which, in the overwhelming majority of cases, will bring us a lot of unforeseen problems. Let us take a few examples from the Scriptures, so that we could better understand the issue.
A massive army from the Philistines had amassed in Michmash, with the sole intent of wiping out the Jews once and for all. Their equipment was superior and their soldiers vastly outnumbered the small and ill-equipped Hebrews, and thus, defeat was all but guaranteed, without some major intervention from God.
The situation was dire indeed, and as Saul saw the sheer size of the army, with thousands of horses and chariots, Saul knew that of themselves, they were greatly inferior, without God on their side, and they would no doubt be annihilated.
So, Saul waited, and waited, and waited for Samuel to show up at the appointed time but the time came and went, and therefore, in panic mode, he makes a decision that was contrary to God’s will and the rest is history, for that decision marked the beginning of the end for him. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 13: 5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait for the people were distressed, then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.
10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
11 And Samuel said, what hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou came not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
The same is true of Abraham and Sarah, who came to believe that time was slipping away, and as they both were deep into their golden years, they went into panic mode, thinking that the only way they were going to have a son is through adultery.
Therefore, the decision to impregnate Hagar was a decision that was made in panic mode, when their backs were against a wall, as they thought. Up to this day we are still witnessing the baleful results of that singular decision that was made in desperation. Let’s read:
Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
Here again is the very same device, as David goes into full blown panic mode, as Saul hunts him as the most wanted man on the planet. First, he makes the decision to tell a series of lies to the high priest at Nob, and then in sheer desperation, he does what we must never ever do when in panic mode.
He turns to the enemies of God for help. As we have stated up front, the devices of satan to put persons in panic mode is always to bring you more problems than you already have, and this turned out to be the case, as the Philistines remembered, and recognized David as the person who had killed their champion, Goliath.
Thus, when David realized the grave results of those panicked decisions, he recoiled in great fear for his life, and were it not for the tender mercies of God, that would have been the end of David. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 21:1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
10 And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
And we can go on and on and on, for it was in sheer panic that Rebekah resorted to fraud, when Isaac was just about to bless Esau with the birthright. In this instance Jacob also lied against God to avoid being found out by his father. The decisions, choices and actions all took place in panic mode.
Genesis 27: 6 And Rebekah spoke unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
7 Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.
8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.
11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
13 And his mother said unto him, upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
18 And he came unto his father, and said, my father: and he said, here am I; who art thou, my son?
20 And Isaac said unto his son, how is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.
Again, the sailors and captain of a certain ship are in full blown panic mode, as they believe their vessel will run aground upon the rocks, and will be dashed to pieces. Thus, in this frantic frame of mind they all decide to jump ship.
However, Paul advises against the decision, for even though they were in real peril, they were not to do anything based solely on the danger of the moment. God was still in charge, even in that time of great desperation, as He always has and always will. Let’s read:
Acts 27:5 And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.
14 But not long after, there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
During the time of the great recession, beginning with the crash of the stock market in 2007 to 2008, home values across America began to plummet in no small way, and home owners watched in dismay as their equity was virtually wiped out.
That downward spiral became so severe that very many persons went underwater on their mortgage, and found themselves in the unfortunate situation of paying a lot of money for a home that was losing value every, day with no end in sight.
Thus, rather than lose everything, some decided that it was time to jump ship, and sell, rather than end up with an asset that no longer had value, and in the general environment of panic that pervaded the land at that time very many people relinquished ownership, only to realize later on that Covid would spark a buying frenzy.
The Christian should avoid the snare of making any decision based on fear and panic, because, as we’ve seen in many instances grave mistakes in judgment can be made. Every decision and every choice that is to be made should be taken to The Lord in prayer, so that He could guide us with wisdom and discretion.
Come Tuesday, we are not advising anyone to vote this way or that way, because the choice is yours. All we are saying is that you could, and should take the issues at hand to God in prayer, instead of making choices based solely on the heat of the moment. The general spirit of fear, and panic does not originate with God, as the Bible says. Let’s Read:
2nd Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
1st John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
In the general panic that has struck the nation some may forget that God is still in control of events, and as such, His will is going to get done any which way, for He rules and overrules in the affairs of men. We may be in danger of losing sight of The Lord who sits on the throne of the universe.
Do not be afraid of any mortal man, for we are just dust, and when we focus on what man might do, we can become panicked, and may lose sight of the fact that God is still in control.
This is what happened to all the children of Israel in the wilderness as they saw in the distance, the hosts of pharaoh coming behind them. The went into full blown panic mode and in this state of mind they lost sight of the Almighty God in the pillar of cloud, and fire, and they murmured to return to Egypt.
In our day we may be seeing pharaoh, not merely in the distance, but right upon us, nipping at our heels, yet, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is still on His throne. Let us therefore know for certain that at the end of the day, His will alone will be done, and because of this, we may rest assured.
Therefore, we can hope for the best but prepare for the worst, as God decides if and when things would come to a head. Don’t be afraid of asking The Lord to guide your choices, for the passage says “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths”.
In harmony with this promise we must be reminded of the truth in the matter, for even though we might hear of proud, boastful and hateful words on a daily basis, our world is a mere speck in the universe and as such, God holds all matters in His hands.
We will end with two passages of Scripture that will keep these truths ever in view, with the hope that none will be forced into panic mode, over what man can, or cannot do. Let’s read:
Isaiah 40:15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
God Bless!