Forgiveness and Trust, part 6

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. 
Ephesians 6:10-17

Trust is earned. Forgiveness is free. So, although we don’t trust just anybody, we do have to forgive everyone. When we fail to forgive, it not only affects our relationship with that person, it affects all of our relationships.

If I haven’t forgiven my parents, my siblings, or an old flame, it will eventually cause problems in my marriage. And, if I don’t learn to forgive unconditionally, I give Satan a foothold in my life. Satan especially wants to destroy my marriage; he is a skillful opponent.

We are in a war every day of our lives. Ephesians 6 reminds us, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” We are told to put on the armor of God. We must prepare for spiritual warfare. Our enemy is real and looking for a foothold. It is imperative that we not give him one by failing to forgive.

There is an old Arab proverb that says, “When the camel gets his nose in the door of your tent, you’ve got a camel in your tent.” It’s like being a little bit pregnant; time never stands still. When you allow the devil to get a foothold in your life, he will move right on in and take over.

The kudzu plant is famous in the South for its ability to take over acres of land in a short period of time. The reason it is so successful in covering trees, automobiles and any other stationary object in its path is because what is growing above ground is connected to a vast and prolific root system. This is why the Bible warns against a “root of bitterness.” When we fail to forgive, we allow Satan to establish a sphere of control in our lives. This root of bitterness caused by failure to forgive will grow until it produces all kinds of evil. When Satan gets a foothold, he will take over more and more of your life.

Your marriage is not just affected by the failure to forgive your spouse; it starts with the failure to forgive anyone who has wronged you at any time in your life. You have to forgive even if the offender has never apologized and is, in fact, not even sorry. The person will be punished if they fail to repent.

God does not place the responsibility to punish on you. The Bible says, “Never seek to take revenge, my friends. For God has promised, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’” It was liberating when I learned to truly forgive people and to follow Jesus by praying for God’s mercy on the offender. It’s an act of faith.

Suppose you’re a first century Christian and several of your relatives have been imprisoned or even put to death as a result of the work of a fanatical young Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus. What would you like to see happen to him? It’s natural to want God to bring judgment.

Why would God allow this fanatic to live? Because God had plans for him. God used him in ways no one could have imagined. He used this man to write the majority of the New Testament and bring the gospel to the nations. It is only by grace that any of us are saved. When we truly comprehend this, it’s not so hard to extend grace to others.

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