Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table

This is an excerpt from Louie Giglio’s book Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table. It might seem logical for them to chuck their faith. We wouldn’t be surprised if they turned away from God in the midst of difficulty, or if they leaned toward their favorite addiction in an attempt to feel better. Unfortunately, that’s what too many people do when the going gets tough. See, when life turns hard for us, we’re almost always tempted to welcome the Enemy at our table. But when we realize that Jesus invites us to follow Him even though life is hard, we discover the foundational truth for winning the battle for our minds. This is the depth of faith we see throughout the Bible. Three Hebrew young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, worshipped God in an era when King Nebuchadnezzar had commanded everybody to worship only a huge, gold statue of himself. The goal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was to be obedient to God’s call on their lives. When the music played (the signal for everybody to fall down and worship the golden statue), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remained standing. Because of their righteous actions, they wound up being thrown into a raging fire. What was God thinking? Surely that made no sense. They didn’t do anything wrong. Shouldn’t they be rewarded for their righteous living? Wasn’t God for them and not against them? The faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t deflate. Instead, their faith inflated. Even on the edge of a fiery furnace, they were able to say to the king, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17–18). Rescued out of their circumstances or left to go through the fire—either way—they would stay true to God. Or take a look at Paul and Silas. They found themselves in prison. Their crime? They set free a female slave from demonic oppression. They did the right thing. Even then, the citizens of the city of Philippi gathered in a furious mob and dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities. They were severely beaten and thrown in jail. Paul and Silas were trying to honor God. They’d been on a mission trip, and this is what they got? Nobody would have faulted them if they had abandoned the faith, or whined and complained, or turned to some sort of an addiction in an attempt to quell their pain. But no. It was midnight. Their feet were fastened in stocks. Their backs were bloody and raw. And Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs of praise (Acts 16:16–40). That’s a faith that inflates during difficult times. I look at Paul and Silas; at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; and at all the people throughout Scripture who encountered times of intense trouble yet went bigger with their faith, and I marvel. The prophet Habakkuk stated it clearly when he cried out: Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no grain, even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are empty, I will still be joyful and glad, because the Lord God is my savior. Habakkuk 3:17–18 GNT The last two lines indicate huge faith. And did you notice the two phrases repeated three times in Habakkuk’s prayer? Even though . . . I will . . . Habakkuk basically said, “Even though there’s no harvest, and even though crops fail, and even though the fields are desolate, and even though the stalls of provision are empty, I will still be joyful and glad because the Lord God is my Savior. I have not lost my faith. In fact, my faith is even greater. I’m still going to rejoice in the Lord. I’m still going to worship God. I’m not going to get sidetracked by attitudes or actions that harm me. When I encounter hard times, my faith inflates.” Those two phrases lay out a powerful cause-and-effect relationship as an example for us to follow. Even though bad things happen, I will still praise the Lord. Even though bad things happen, I will not let my mind be lost to the Enemy. That’s the kind of faith I see in Jay and Katherine Wolf. As I wrote this chapter, they received word that new tests were needed to clarify a previously undetected set of neurological challenges. Depending on the results of those tests, they could be facing more challenging headwinds. They asked Shelley and me to pray for them before the scans were performed. When we finished praying, Katherine prayed for us about a storm that Shelley and I were navigating. In Katherine’s prayer, she quoted Habakkuk 3:17–18. We said our amens, and I told her I was just about to write those exact verses. She said, “I love the last verse: ‘God the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights!’ I clung to those words when I was learning to walk again” (v. 19 BSB). Back in 2009, having received less-than-optimistic diagnoses from doctors, she personalized the passage for her situation: Though I cannot walk, And I am confined to a wheelchair;  Though half my face is paralyzed, And I cannot even smile; Though I am extremely impaired, And I cannot take care of my baby; Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior! This is not the faith of a Christian who believes in God only when the sun shines. This is not a faith that wilts under pressure. This faith flourishes even though the pressure is on. This faith says, Even though bad things are happening, I will praise the Lord. How might you personalize Habakkuk’s prayer? Even though I am under intense financial pressure . . . Even though my spouse is with another person right now . . . Even though we are in a global crisis . . . Even though . . . Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior! Developing this kind of “even though / I will” faith changes the temperature and trajectory of your life. When the pressure mounts, this kind of faith doesn’t deflate. Instead, it actually inflates. It becomes bolder. More resolute and undaunted. More robust. The development of an “even though” kind of faith has a lot to do with where we position our focus. We can develop this kind of faith, in Jesus’ name, and the development of this faith is the foundational principle behind not giving the Enemy a seat at our table. To do that, we need to root our thinking in a well-known but widely untapped biblical promise. If you want to keep reading from Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table, click here to grab a copy of this special resource.

This is an excerpt from Louie Giglio’s book Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table. Jesus was tempted. The Enemy sent harmful thoughts His way. The Devil actually spoke to Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11), and Jesus heard the Devil’s words, yet Jesus never chose to entertain the Devil’s voice. See, when a harmful thought or temptation comes into our minds, we have a choice. We can either discard that thought or entertain it. If we discard it, good. But if we entertain it, that’s when the Devil sits at our table. The sin happens when we keep hold of that harmful thought and let it take root in our minds. Jesus taught this in the Sermon on the Mount. All sorts of folks were entertaining unhealthy thoughts, although they weren’t acting on those thoughts. They figured all was well. But in Matthew 5:21–22 and 27–28, Jesus came along and blew this up. Hey, He told them, you think you’re doing fine because you’re not actually murdering people. Well, guess what? If you simply hate somebody enough to want them dead . . . that’s as bad as murder. You might think you’re fine because you’re not actually in bed with someone you’re not married to, but guess what? If you’re merely imagining yourself in an illicit relationship with someone, that’s also wrong. You’re committing sin with that person in your heart.  Entertaining a harmful thought is as bad as doing a harmful deed. That’s key because it’s far too easy to think we’re not sinning merely because we’re not acting on a sinful thought. Here’s the fact: the thought itself falls short of the glory of God. When we entertain it, the thought muddies our relationship with the Lord. The thought itself occupies our mind and has the power to knock us off course. Romans 12:2 gives this stiff warning: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” The frightening reality is this: once we let a harmful thought pitch a tent in our mind, eventually that temptation is acted on. Period. Sometimes people insist that harmful thoughts don’t always lead to harmful actions, but I disagree. Harmful actions always begin with harmful thoughts, and harmful thoughts, harbored over time, always lead to harmful actions. Those thoughts must be stopped. If those thoughts are entertained long enough, they will win the battle for your mind. Sometimes we will actually do the harmful thing that we’re thinking about, while at other times the shift is simply that our attitude toward the sinful choice changes. We slowly warm up to sin. Either way, the harmful thoughts have led us to being negatively influenced. If you’re thinking about committing adultery, maybe you will actually commit adultery. Or perhaps, after repeatedly imagining yourself committing adultery, you’re more willing to conclude that adultery isn’t that bad.  Adultery is beneficial. Adultery opens doors for you. Adultery is the solution to your marital problems. All lies. Because this is truth, too, and this is why the Enemy’s lures are so dangerous: sin usually feels good. Just for a moment. We often skip over this part of the story in church, but it needs to be told if we’re to be aware of the Enemy’s schemes. Sin can be fun—at least for a little while. Proverbs 14:12–13 lays this out plainly. “There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell. Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak” (the message). Can I get an amen? That description in Proverbs sounds like many people’s weekends. Man, we were laughing so hard. We were having such an amazing time. But whoa, the next morning I was so miserable.  Moses grew up as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He had all the opportunity to enjoy the privileges of life in the Egyptian palace. Yet Hebrews 11:25 says that Moses chose not “to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” He went the other direction. The pleasures of sin are enjoyable, but they are not lasting pleasures, and they are certainly not pleasures that honor God. Sinful pleasures don’t provide peace or fulfillment. They lead to harm, separation, disappointment, and shame.  That’s how it works. The Devil shows you a lure. You bite the lure, but it doesn’t deliver what was promised. Instead, you end up in a downward sin spiral into shame, separation, and destruction. This is an excerpt from Louie Giglio’s book, Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table. Click here to grab a copy of this special resource.

This is an excerpt from Louie Giglio’s book Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table. What follows are seven seeds from God, so don’t stop reading thinking that, “oh my goodness I’m not sure I can plant seven new things in my life right now.” You can do this! It will take time, but you can change your mind and, thus, you can change your life. My encouragement to you is to start small. Realigning your thinking with God’s thinking is a process. So take one step at a time. Take one thought each day. Dwell on that thought and memorize the scripture. By the end of the week, you’ll be well on your way to cultivating the garden of your mind. Or maybe you just want to take one thought and verse each week for seven weeks. Either way, plant and begin to cultivate these seven thoughts in your mind now. Personalize these statements for yourself, and memorize these verses. I am in God’s story. The story of who you are is part of God’s larger story. The story is bigger than you. Ultimately, the story is not about you. You have been invited into the story of God’s great glory and grace. It’s all about Him. But you have a seat at His table. Before you were formed in your mother’s womb, God knew you. Jesus the Good Shepherd guides you always, and the Lord makes firm the steps of those who delight in Him.  Psalm 37:23 So plant this thought in your mind by memorizing this verse: “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). You matter to God. But ultimate meaning won’t come from putting the spotlight on you. Your life will have the greatest significance when you choose to make it about the One who welcomes you into His never-ending story. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. You weren’t born by a random act of the cosmos. God made you with intention, and God made you wonderfully. God has redeemed you and knows your name (Isaiah 43:1). So plant this thought by memorizing this verse: “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:13–14). You are not the maker. You are made. God is not created in your image, how you might think He should be. You are created in His. He decided that He wanted you in His universe. He imagined and fashioned you. You are not accidental. Nor incidental. You are divinely crafted. Plant this seed every day. In time, you’ll have an oak providing shade for you and those around you. You’ll begin to believe that you are who God says you are. Unique. Special. Valuable. My life has purpose. You were born for a noble reason. God has good things for you to do. He has called you to live for what matters. So plant this thought by memorizing this verse: “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). Random things are random. Evolved things are void of specific meaning. But created things have purpose. There is just one you. You have a unique calling, a reason for being. Something to do in God’s great story that is important and needed. Don’t buy into the lie that you are expendable. You’re not. God put you on earth for a purpose. Your life matters, to Him and to those He is positioning you to serve. The cross has the final word. The work Jesus did on the cross defines your life. It gives you victory over death. You are identified with Christ. You are a brand-new creation. You are not unwanted, unlovely, or worthless. You are wanted by God, made in the image of God, and worthy of Christ’s love because He has chosen to place worth upon you. Your identity was born in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Don’t let anyone try to convince you of anything that wasn’t demonstrated to you when Christ gave His life for you. You are forgiven. Made right. You are holy in Christ. You are born into a new family. Woven into divine plans and purposes. Your guilt is gone. You are free. So plant this thought by memorizing this verse. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 bsb). I serve at the pleasure of the King. The work of Jesus transforms your work. You don’t merely work at a job. You serve Jesus Christ, the King of kings. In light of this truth, here is a new personal vision statement, one you can remind yourself of each day: I am dispatched by the Holy Spirit, on kingdom assignments, to be light in a darkened world, so others can see Jesus. Plant this thought by memorizing this verse: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Jesus is Lord, and Jesus is my Lord. Your God is stronger than anything, higher than anything, and worthy of all praise. Your God is the Great King. His kingdom is forever; His plans are unassailable and sure. Plant this thought by memorizing this verse: “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11). My God turns evil into good. Life doesn’t always work out as you hope. You’re living on a broken planet. But no circumstance can hinder the seeds we’ve just discussed from being cultivated in your mind. No hardship or disappointment or disease or divorce or darkness or desert can stunt the growth of godly thoughts from becoming mighty trees in your way of thinking. So plant this in your mind: “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 nasb). Start there. God has spoken these truths in His Word. Now it’s up to you to plant these truths in your mind, and keep tilling them and nurturing them until the Word takes root and grows and produces a crop. Let the pictures we’ve drawn illuminate truth for you: the garden is your mind, where you’re growing a transformed person by planting God’s Word. That person is sitting at the table, the place of fellowship with the Good Shepherd, where you don’t want to give the Devil a seat; you want to enjoy the meal with your Lord. The mountain represents the grandeur of the Lord Himself, and your privilege is to ascend higher and higher in getting to know Him. All these pictures are about the deep and deepening relationship with the God of the universe that you are invited into. Don’t be scared.  Jesus the Good Shepherd guides you every step of the way. This is an excerpt from Louie Giglio’s book, Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table. Click here to grab a copy of this special resource.