The Shackled Servant: Three Enemies That Limit Our Service to God
Introduction
The call of Jesus Christ is not a suggestion; it is a profound, life-altering command. In Luke 9:23, the Master sets the terms of engagement:
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
This is a call to total surrender. However, many of us find our service to God hindered, interrupted, or even stagnant. We desire to serve, but we feel held back. This limitation is not a mystery; it is the result of three formidable enemies that seek to shackle the believer: Ourselves, the Devil, and the World. If we fail to identify these enemies, our ministry will be weak and our fruit will be sparse.
I. The First Enemy: Ourselves
The most dangerous enemy does not always lurk in the shadows outside; often, he is looking back at us in the mirror.
1. The Deceptive Heart
Jeremiah 17:9 warns us: "The heart is deceitful above all things..." The greatest problems we face are internal before they are external. From the heart sprout the weeds that choke our service:
• Envy (Romans 1:29)
• Impurity (Galatians 5:19)
• Deceit (Ephesians 4:25)
• Pride (1 Peter 5:5) Paul’s advice to Timothy is vital for every servant: "Take heed to yourself..." (1 Timothy 4:16). Sanctification begins with personal vigilance.
2. The Civil War: Old Man vs. New Creation
Though we are "new creatures" in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), we still reside in a body that hungers for the flesh.
• We are commanded to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) and abstain from fleshly lusts (1 Peter 2:11).
• The Doctrine: The Christian life is a constant battlefield where the Spirit and the flesh compete for the throne of our will.
3. Critical Areas of Limitation
• Sentimental and Sexual Integrity: Paul doesn't say "discuss" or "resist" youthful lusts; he says "Flee" (2 Timothy 2:22). Moral failure is the fastest way to destroy a testimony.
• Relationships and Marriage: Can two walk together unless they are agreed? (Amos 3:3). An unequal yoke is a weight that prevents you from running the race God set before you.
• Priorities and Discipline: Often, the enemy isn't "sin," it is disorder. "Exercise yourself toward godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7-9). When we say "I don't have time for God," we are admitting our priorities are misaligned.
4. The Delusion of Success
The world defines success through Fame, Power, Money, and Pleasure. King Solomon, who had all four, concluded they were "Vanity of vanities" (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3). True success is only found in fearing God and keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
II. The Second Enemy: The Devil
Our service to God faces real, organized spiritual opposition. Paul noted in 1 Thessalonians 2:18 that "Satan hindered us."
How the Enemy Operates:
• The Accuser: Pointing out your past to make you feel unworthy to serve (Revelation 12:10).
• The Tempter: Searching for a crack in your armor (1 Thessalonians 3:5).
• The Deceiver: Appearing as an "angel of light" to offer "spiritual" shortcuts (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Our Doctrinal Defense:
We are not defenseless. We have Justification against his accusations (Romans 8:33), an Advocate in Heaven (1 John 2:1), and the Blood that cleanses us (1 John 1:7). The devil can hinder the path, but he cannot defeat a believer who stands firm in the Armor of God.
III. The Third Enemy: The World
The world system is designed to alienate us from the Father. 1 John 2:15-17 tells us not to love the world, for it offers only the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
The Danger of Friendship with the World
James 4:4 is categorical: friendship with the world is enmity with God.
• Symptoms of Worldliness: Excessive anxiety over material things, uncontrolled leisure, and spiritual indifference.
• The Case of Eutychus: In Acts 20:9-10, Eutychus fell asleep and fell to his death. This is a physical picture of a spiritual reality: the world "sleep-induces" the believer.
The Word of God screams to the sleeping servant: "Awake!" (Ephesians 5:14) and "Stir up the gift [fan the flame] of God" (2 Timothy 1:6).
Conclusion
The call of Christ to "follow Me" is often limited by our own heart, the schemes of the devil, and the seduction of the world. However, these limits are not permanent.
Today, you are invited to:
1. Confront yourself: Put the flesh to death.
2. Resist the devil: Stand firm in the truth of your justification.
3. Renounce the world: Wake up from spiritual slumber.
