Change Your Focus, Change Your Life

There are many things in today’s culture that try to grab our focus. There are all sorts of things that aim to seize our attention and hold it. Anything from TV commercials, news broadcasts, music performances and talking heads of all sorts. They are all after one thing… you.

Whatever you put your attention on grows. What you focus on, you actually give power to. Did you know that? It sounds like new age philosophy, but it is actually in your Bible. The Holy Spirit, as the divine master teacher, taught this principle long before any new age wannabe – and the Holy Spirit actually taught it correctly – on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. This is what we will be studying today.

Let’s begin by reading Philippians 4:8:

“Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Now many of us are familiar with this verse of scripture, but just because we are familiar with it, does not actually mean that we have received what it is saying. Allow me to explain… Notice that it says whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise. All of these things exemplify, the truth of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself fits every one of these categories. He is the truth. He is honest. He is just. He is completely pure. He is altogether lovely. He gives you the best report in any circumstance.. He is virtuous, and He is worthy of all praise. And in the Gospel you always have a good report. Remember that when the twelve spies were sent to examine the Promise Land of Canaan, ten of them came back with what God called an “evil report” in Numbers 14:27. Their report was evil because God had already spoken over their situation… He had promised them that they could take the land; He had given it to them, their victory was assured, and already done as far as God was concerned. But instead of resting in that; instead of marching forward to take the land confidently – they choose to focus on what their eyes could see… they choose to give their attention to what their physical senses were telling them, and exalt their senses and feelings above the word of Almighty God. They exchanged their good report for an evil report – and it had dire consequences for them.

Often times, we do the exact same thing. You see, in Christ Jesus today, we have also been given words from God; great and wonderful promises in every area of life. The Bible even says in Hebrews 8:6 that in Christ Jesus, we have been ushered into a better covenant with better promises. So the promises are there, and they are for us who are in Christ. We are even (again) familiar with many of them, but we instead tend to do exactly as the ten spies. We choose to remain in the realm of what our eyes see, and what our physical senses tell us instead of what the LORD has spoken concerning our situation.

Take another look at our verse of Philippians 4:8 – the end of the verse says to think on these things. Now here’s the interesting thing about that particular word “think”. We read that in our English Bible and we “think” (pun intended) that the word means to simply get into our most thoughtful posture, stroke our chin, raise our eyebrow and mutter “Hmmmm” about these things… But no… You see that little word for “think” there, in the Greek text is actually the word logizomai – which you may remember from one of our previous studies detailing the reality of the finished work of Christ for us. The word is an accounting term in Greek. It deals only with reality. It deals only with actual fact. It can not be used for speculation, dreams, wishes, maybe’s or hope-so’s. Only absolute reality, like a bank statement. You either have the funds or you don’t. No in-between. So this word being used in our verse of Philippians 4:8 is very telling, and indicative of the manner being inferred here. The verse isn’t just saying to casually think about things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praise-worthy… it is saying, count them as done and accomplished in your life. Mark them on the checkbook register of your life, signed in the blood of Christ!

He bore your sicknesses and carried your pains. You’re experiencing some pain in your body right now… now you have a choice. Are you going to be like Joshua and Caleb and say “Surely we can take this land, God is on our side!” Or are you going to slink back because the giants seem to big and the walls seem to high and thick? You have to decide what you are going to trust and believe… God’s word and promises for you, or what your physical senses and feelings tell you.

Now I know what some of you are thinking right now: “James, that’s absolutely crazy! The Bible can’t possibly teach that!”

Well, friend, it does. Turn to Joshua 23:10-13:

“One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fights for you, as he has promised you.

Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God.

Else if you do in any wise go back, and join to the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you:

Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you.”

God is the one that fights for us. He has promised it. It is He who has named Himself our Healer, Provider, Protector, our Shepherd, our Father and our Friend who even sticks closer than a brother. He didn’t give Himself those names for His own benefit – He named Himself those things for our benefit so that we would know Him and His nature and character. That He really does love us that much, and by those names, we could have absolute confidence in who we are trusting, and all the ways in which we would receive help.

In verse 10, we see that one man of you shall chase a thousand. No enemy is a much for us… why? For the LORD your God, He it is that fights for you, as He has promised you. Do you believe it?

Verse 11 says to take good heed to yourself that you love the LORD your God. Notice the personal nature of this statement. It doesn’t just say “love God”… it says “love the LORD (the I AM) the Covenant-Keeping God, the one who can be trusted and relied upon. And notice that it’s not just “the LORD God”, but it is the LORD your God. This is personal, this is intimate. And it’s impossible to have real honest love without trust.

He calls Himself your Healer… do you trust that? Even when you don’t feel it? He calls Himself your Provider… do you trust that? Even when money is tight and bills seem to pile up? He calls Himself the all-sufficient One… do you believe that? Even when you experience feelings of loneliness, depression and hopelessness?

You see, these are all giants in your promise land. They are high and thick walls that can seem very imposing – and you have a choice to make just as each of the twelve spies had. Do you trust in God’s promises for you, or do you side instead with your feelings, emotions and senses. Look at verse 11 of our text:

If you go back, if you join with the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you. If you marry them, if you join with them, and go into them and they to you. Then the LORD will no longer drive them out from you, and they will be snares and traps and scourges and thorns for you.

He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit has just said to every one of us. If you choose to slink back, and join again with your old way of seeing things, your old worldly mindset and way of thinking, if you choose to return to your old belief system after having received the word of truth regarding what Christ has done, then your progress will be halted.

Notice what verse 12 says. Regardless of which area you refuse to believe in, it inevitably follows this pattern. The remnant of the nations (old habits, beliefs, ideas, natures) that you choose to remain and join with, will become snares and traps that stop your progress and hold you in place.

They will become scourges in your side, that can hurt you physically, and drain your spirit and life.

The will also become thorns in your eye. Thorns in the Bible represent cares and worries of life, and the fact that they go into your eye means that you will become spiritually blinded by them.

Please remember that we are not talking about sinful actions here – we are talking about what you choose to believe! If you hear the truth of the Gospel and the words of life that will set you free, and instead choose to disregard it in favor of the message of the world that leads to destruction and death – just as the ten spies did.

Now why is this true? It’s not because God gets angry with you. Turn real quick to 1^st Peter 5:8:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:”

We have an adversary, the devil, and look at what verse 8 says… he goes about as a roaring lion. Now lions roar to put fear into their prey, and that is also what the enemy does. He tries to put fear into you, to keep you afraid and timid. His only weapon is lies and deceit, to try and make you afraid.

Notice the verse also says that he is seeking whom he may devour. Which that he can’t just go and devour anyone, there is a prerequisite before he can devour – thank God the devil is seeking! Keep him seeking! And do you know what the prerequisite is? Do you know what keeps you from being food for the devil? Look at both of the verses that surround this one…. I find it very interesting that this verse about the devil is surrounded by these two verses.

Verse 7 says Casting all your cares upon Jesus, for He cares for you. D you realize that He cares for you? He wants you to cast your cares upon Him. Many times we think that God wants us to show resolve to determination by carrying our cares ourselves. We think that God wants us to “man-up!”, but no! He wants us to cast our cares upon Him and allow Him to care for us.

Well then, what resolve should we have? Look at verse 9:

“Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brothers that are in the world.”

We resist the devil not by focusing on resisting him, but by being established in the faith that we are made right with God through Jesus’ blood, that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Yes, the devil will continue to remind you of your mistakes, failures and sins. And he will tell you that because of these things, you cannot receive your healing, that you will have to pay for your mistakes or that something bad will happen to your family. He will try to accuse you, he will try to condemn you and try to persuade your heart to believe that he can do bad things to you.

But the truth is that the devil cannot enforce anything in your life if he cannot persuade your heart. And your heart cannot be persuaded if it is “steadfast in the faith”, if it is established in righteousness.

We often hear the phrase that the devil cannot posses a Christian, but he can oppress a Christian. However a Christian can only be oppressed if they are not established in the righteousness of God by Jesus Christ. Isiah 54:14 says that once you are established in righteousness, “You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you”

And that that word accomplished from verse 9 is the Greek word epiteleō which means to bring to an end, to finish. Some times when we see our brothers and sisters in Christ walking in victory, we get jealous or resentful. We may even try to downplay their success by saying “they haven’t lived my life”, but in reality this verse here says that we should be rejoicing in seeing the way God has delivered them knowing that the same afflictions have been ended in our brothers that are in the world.

I have been on my deathbed more than once. Christ ended that affliction and healed me. I have been dirt poor, even so poor that the dirt wanted to give me a handout! Christ ended that affliction and continues to provide all of my needs and many of my wants. Now do you believe that God is that good, or do you believe the lies that the enemy feeds you so he can devour you?

Perhaps you recognize now that you have been believing some garbage from the enemy. Maybe you’re thinking now that you do have some scourges in your side and thorns in your eye. Are you doomed to life a life of oppression until you perish? You have have to pull out your hair and rend your garment and cry bitter tears hoping that just maybe God might listen?

Nothing so dramatic. Simply Repent. Change your mind to agree with God, the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The good news is that Jesus has come to free you. I would encourage you to remember that Christ suffered the snare and trap of the enemy (Psalms 35:7-8, 140:5) when the Chief Priest and rulers used Judas to betray Jesus.

Jesus on the cross was pierced in His side, and blood (symbolizing life) and water (symbolizing spirit) flowed out)

Christ wore the crown of thorns on His head,, and I can assure you that some of His blood flowed down into His eyes. Anyone who has ever taken a shower and had shampoo (or even sweat from their brow) flow into their eyes can understand this.

So here is the application of the principle we are studying today. Live your life in the truth of Christ, not in your old habits of the natural, or fleshly carnal way of thinking. Do you think that sickness, poverty, weakness and pain are normal parts of life? Then I would encourage you to take a fresh look at the promises in the New Covenant by Jesus Christ! And we have plenty of studies on each of these things and more are coming in the future.

The Covenant which God has placed us into by the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ, is all-encompassing and totally complete, just as Christ is. And it has been accomplished! We are not waiting for some time in the future for the covenant to become active. It is active now, and our only part to play in this covenant, is to believe! Jesus has done all the work, and we get all of the benefit!

So in closing… change your focus. Stop giving attention to the giants and the walls in your land, and start focusing on the promises of victory you have been given. Then instead of wandering in the wilderness, you will be able to boldly proclaim that in Christ, you are well able to take the land! And no enemy will be able to stop you! The LORD is on your side, and it is He that fights for you!