MONSTERS ARE CALLING YOU --
MONSTERS SERIES, PART 2

Galatians 5:13-25, Selected Texts (NASB)
David Bruce Linn, Pastor-Teacher
12 March 2006
All Rights Reserved

The marvelous animated film Finding Nemo tells the story of a pair of orange and white striped clown fish. One day when the son, Nemo, is on a school field trip he swims off impulsively and gets captured by a diver who roars away in his boat. Nemo finds himself in a salt water aquarium in a dentist's office with no way to get home. The dad, Marlin, is very distraught and begins a quest to recover his son.

Right at the beginning of his quest Marlin bumps into a blue tang fish named Dory who knows which way the boat went. They go swimming off madly in pursuit. Along the way they have many adventures and encounter many dangers including sharks, floating mines left behind from a war, and a whale. Through an unlikely set of circumstances they finally arrive at the marina from which the boat came which took Nemo into captivity.

As Marlin and Dory are inspecting the names painted on the sterns of the boats in the marina, they are suddenly scooped into the bill of a hungry pelican. They almost get swallowed but they fight so hard that the pelican is forced to cough them up onto the dock. The two fish are just about to get eaten by another pelican when they explain their quest in desperation. All they are doing is trying to find Nemo, they proclaim. Wonder of wonders, the other pelican has heard of Nemo and is willing to help them find him.

At that moment seagulls begin to land around the pelicans and the two gasping fish on the dock. The first one pipes up: "Mine!" Then the next: "Mine!" More and more seagulls land, until the fish are totally surrounded, and the chorus of gulls chirping "Mine!" is overpowering. In a flash the friendly pelican scoops Marlin and Dory into his bill and flies away to save them from being eaten by the voracious mob of gulls. The gulls take off in hot pursuit. They fly back and forth, trying to get the evading pelican with the fish in his bill. The pelican is almost overtaken but in a flash of hot shot flying he turns sideways and slides through the space between a sail and a mast. All the gulls slam into the sail and get stuck fast by their beaks. Even so, they do not stop squawking relentlessly: "Mine! Mine!"

1. MONSTERS ARE ON THE HUNT FOR EVERY PERSON

We all wish that life were peaceful and safe all the time, like fish living in an aquarium. All we would have to do is float around, eat once a day, mate if possible, and nibble algae off the fake plants and decorations. But the Bible has sobering words to us that life, every single day, is like the experience of Marlin and Dory who were surrounded by ravenous, relentless gulls. There are monsters, in fact, seeking to lure us in and devour us.

The Lord Jesus warned us that there is an entire class of these monsters bound up in the world system which is raised up against God as exemplified in Luke 20:46-47: "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation." At the time of Jesus the scribes were a specialist class of law scholars who held sway over the thought life of the people, much more so than the priests. They had become quite worldly by infection with Greek thought. They apparently, like lawyers today, had a position of influence over vulnerable people. Jesus said that it was customary for them to "devour widows' houses." Those who did not have families to protect them in time of need found themselves in the hands of these first-century lawyers. Some were good but the scribes had a justly-deserved reputation for heartless exploitation of the vulnerable. Not only does the world system not love you, it has a pronounced tendency to try to devour you the moment you let your guard down.

A second class of monsters is described in Genesis 4:6-7, where the Lord was instructing Cain about the danger of the sin in his own heart: "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." Sin is described as a wild animal, crouching at our door and ready to spring upon us. This is a whole category of beasts which are all related to various lusts which spring up within us. We are commanded to master them.

A third class of monsters is described in 1 Peter 5:8: "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." The Devil himself with all of his servants, both demons and humans, are on the hunt for you and I to devour us. They will use every insidious trick to get us to make ourselves vulnerable to their lies and devouring work. Their job is to steal, kill, and destroy, and they work around the clock.

So the idea that all people are basically good, that the world is an essentially innocent place, and that the heavens are populated with ascended masters who just want to help mankind is pure poppycock -- the worst kind of foolish thinking. It's the kind of thinking that can get you killed or worse. There are monsters on the hunt for you with innumerable faces, and once you raise your guard against one of them another one will appear with a different face.

2. WAYS WE BECOME MORE VULNERABLE TO THE MONSTERS

When I began to list the ways we become more vulnerable to the monsters it easily became quite long. If you see some of them you can understand the principle behind them and apply it for yourself. Besides, if I give you a limited list and you merely follow that, you will be vulnerable to things which are not on the list.

Playing down the dangers of the monsters in church in order to make people feel more comfortable puts us all at risk. The church has possession of the oracles of God which pull the masks off these monsters, and if we do not teach about them openly, who will? Sometimes the church has even built an entire theology of discipleship designed to keep us comfortable. It can be summarized in one foolish sentence: All struggles with the monsters should be over the moment a person places his or her faith in Christ, or shortly thereafter. Think of how comfortable that would make us all feel. It would mean that no one in church was fighting the monsters, and that we, therefore, would not have to help them! I think that is a doctrine of demons, because it means that people we love are torn and bleeding all over the church and we are thinking one of two damaging things: This is not happening, or That's not my problem because those people are supposed to be done with that now!

Another way we become more vulnerable to the monsters is by undermining the authority of Scripture so that when it says something frightening we do not take it seriously. Postmodern theologians are saying that truth is "local," that it cannot just be read out of the Bible and must be worked out in conversation with our people group. So while the monsters are attacking we are supposed to be sitting around with our cappuccinos: "What do you think about the monsters?" "I don't know, what do you think? Are they really a problem?" That is a prescription for getting eaten.

We can become more vulnerable by allowing the media to reprogram our minds. Recently there was a film release called Brokeback Mountain which won many awards. Its message is that homosexual cowboys who destroy their families in pursuit of foul lusts deserve our pity, appreciation, and support. Messages both direct and covert are slipped into every film, news report, song, and work of art. If we allow our minds to be like a room with doors open to everyone they will be reprogrammed by people who do not care about us.

Even Christians seem to be generating bad theologies which falsely teach that human will and wisdom are all we need to deal with the monsters. The Pelagianism taught by liberal Christianity is well known. Some seeker-driven churches seem to be teaching that all we have to do is follow certain principles in order to be safe and happy. Let me give you my own principle: Don't trust in principles, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ! Many today are toying with ancient gnosticism, the spurious gospels, and spirituality unchained from any control structure.

What picture can I give you to describe the depth of danger and foolishness in these things? When we follow them we become like the college girls who head off to so-called "spring break" to drink themselves into a stupor in a strange place with people whom they do not know. What do they think is going to happen? Many are torn up and a few are devoured. These spring break parties are prime hunting grounds for the monsters. In the same way we become easy prey when we allow ourselves to become vulnerable instead of being on our guard.

3. DEFENSE AGAINST THE MONSTERS

Thank God that Jesus Christ does not leave us defenseless against the monsters! Paul the Apostle wrote about specific ways to live victoriously in a world full of monsters. One such passage begins in Galatians 5:13: "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another" (Galatians 5:13-15).

The first thing we learn is that love is the motive which drownproofs our lives against the monsters. There are a myriad of temptations which can be defeated simply by considering whether giving in to them will result in love for God and other people, such as: "I deserve to be happy. If I am not happy maybe changing churches will make me happy. All I have to do is amputate several dozen members of the body of Christ who love me very much." There are valid reasons to switch local bodies of Christ, but this is not one of them.

The second and almost unbelievable warning is that it is possible for we ourselves to engage in devouring behavior. Why? One of the three classes of monsters lives in our own hearts. The flesh, or sin nature, goes with us wherever we go, and the process by which it devours us may end up devouring other people: "take care that you are not consumed by one another." When you find yourself about to eat someone alive it is time to track that motive backward till you find it's source in your own heart.

Thirdly, Paul promises that while we have dramatic transformation in our lives through Christ, our flesh and the Holy Spirit are always in opposition within us: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law" (Galatians 5:16-18). What an encouraging thought, that we do not have to be under the power of our fleshly sin nature! Our lives can and do change when we admit that all attempts at holy living fail without the power of God at work within us. That is Paul's point about our not being under the Law if we are in Christ. A major burden of the letter to the Galatians is to convince us that simply knowing the Law of God provides no power to obey it. In fact, having the law brings us into the knowledge of the seriousness of our sin without helping us out of it!

That would be mean for God to do except that we find our way out of condemnation by the sacrifice of Christ for our sins. Furthermore, God himself by the indwelling of his Holy Spirit in our hearts provides the power to walk victoriously through this world full of monsters. You see, though the flesh still tries to direct our lives it has been overtopped by the Holy Spirit. Flesh and Spirit are not two equal and opposing forces, like yin and yang where we never know which one will dominate. Though there is a tussle within us every day, the power of God is decisive for the believer who chooses to walk in the Spirit.

The behaviors which spring from the flesh are obvious, even to most people who do not themselves believe in Christ, as Paul continued: "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21). The Authorized Version speaks of murder and adultery as key elements of this list. We become armed by knowing the source of what we are seeing in our own lives and the lives of others. Some of these are very visible, yet some of the worst deeds of the flesh look clean on the outside but rot us from the inside where no one can see.

A powerful motive for driving these behaviors out of our lives by walking in the Spirit is the punch line Paul gave: "those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." No matter what our verbal profession of faith may be, no matter how warmly we feel about Jesus Christ in our hearts, a pattern of monstrous behavior against which we are not fighting is clear proof that we do not know him. No one is permitted to excuse himself from responsibility for choosing these behaviors. The sin nature, even with its powerful connection to monsters from the world and the Devil, cannot decisively control the lives of anyone who trusts in Christ and walks by the Spirit.

Just as people lost in the flesh actively choose evil behaviors those who walk in the Spirit must actively choose the fruit of the Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). Nobody, even those with the filling of the Holy Spirit, develops, for example, self control apart from a battle royale with the flesh. Some years ago a famous football player who was married to a famous actress was lured to a motel room with the promise of a sexual encounter with a woman not his wife. It would be completely secret, and free. He did not seek it out, but the temptation came to him. Actually, it was sent to him by people who wanted to harm him and his family. How many of us would be able to exert self-control in such a situation? The football player failed the test, the tempters got their pictures, and a marriage was nearly ruined. Even with the decisive power of the Holy Spirit working in us, we must engage the battle with the monsters by our deliberate choice and efforts. Our efforts would be useless without the power of God, but the Holy Spirit will not force self-control upon those who refuse to fight for it.

We may not dally with the fleshly sin nature: "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:24-25). We are commanded to take up our swords and hack our fleshly sin nature to death by the power of God's word and Spirit. Sitting passively on our duffs and waiting for God to fix us without our participation is worse than useless, for it insults the God who sent his Son to die for our sins and who commands us to engage the monsters. I am very thankful that Paul included himself in the last part of verse 25: "let us also walk by the Spirit." He, too, had to fight the monsters by walking in the Spirit.

CONCLUSION

The monsters of the world, the flesh, and the Devil are calling you. Their only purpose is to devour you. The moment you let you guard down they start landing all around you like those ravenous seagulls from Finding Nemo and start chirping: "Mine! Mine!"

The character Odysseus from ancient Greek writer Homer is forced to sail his ship past an island inhabited by creatures called the Sirens who are part bird and part beautiful women. The Sirens have a song they sing whenever sailors go by which the sailors cannot resist. They are so powerfully drawn to the music that they cast themselves into the sea and drown in the attempt to get to it.

Odysseus was given advance warning of the Sirens by Circe, who told him to stop up his sailors' ears with wax so they could not hear the music. Then she advised him to have himself lashed to the mast of the ship and to instruct his crew not to let him go, no matter what he said, until they were safely past the island of the Sirens. When they got within earshot of the island Odysseus fell under the spell, struggled to follow the music, and begged to be released. His crew was faithful, however, and tied him still tighter to the mast. When they were safely out of earshot of the island, Odysseus gave the signal and was released.

Beautiful though they were, the Sirens were monsters. The real world is full of monsters as well, one of which lives in your own heart. Have you heard their call? I know you have. If you respond, you make yourself vulnerable to being devoured.

The Holy Spirit of God is your mast. Have you lashed yourself to the mast? Have you chosen to focus every aspect of your will to walk in the Spirit and thereby "not carry out the desire of the flesh"? No matter how powerfully tempted you may be, you must stay bound to God's Spirit as you sail past the monsters of this life until you are safely on the other side. There you will be safe, but in the meantime you must be vigilant and remember that without God, you will certainly be eaten alive. Thanks be to Christ Jesus, our Shield and Deliverer, in whom we are protected from the darkest, most evil monsters of the world, the flesh and the devil!

[clip from 1:15:41 with Marlin and Dory in the marina to 1:18:15 when the gulls get their beaks stuck]