Of God, or of the Devil?

Saying that someone is ‘of God’ or ‘of the devil’ are some really overworked phrases. The truth is that most people in Christianity make it a really easy thing to decipher: If someone is part of, or a follower of their sect, then they are of God, and if not; well, they must be of the devil. But there is a biblical way of defining this, and it’s not difficult; but first we should examine ourselves to see where we’re at with it. Ready? Okay, let’s just look at something that Jesus said to Peter once, when Peter tried to tell him that they wouldn’t allow him to be put to death: “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men" (Mat. 16:23). That’s it; those who care more about the things that are truly pertaining to God, more than they care about the things of this life, are of God. Those who care more for the things of this world are of Satan. It’s really that simple. The apostle Paul said it this way: "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Rom. 8:5,6). It’s really a matter of priorities, like everything in life. Give someone just a little space to talk and they’ll let you know what’s in their heart. Jesus said that "from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” And there’s even a lot of folks that do a lot of talking about the Lord, and about the Bible, who are really just rambling (Lk. 6:45). There’s a big difference between someone who really loves God and knows what they’re talking about, speaking of the things of God; and someone who is just rambling on with religious rhetoric. It’s a difference that can be felt, even by those who are unfamiliar with the things of the Spirit of God. And those who like to ramble with religious rhetoric will unfailingly bring their conversation around to focusing on the things that pertain to carnal things, rather than “righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17).

There is also the aspect of a person’s life. What is it showing forth about the priorities of that person, or ourselves for that matter? Someone who is serious with God is going to be demonstrating that in their life, by the kind of spirit that they show forth, and by putting priority on the things that directly relate to their life in the kingdom of God, and their relationship with the Lord. And that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are going to four or five religious services per week. But it does mean that they’re staying in prayer and that their hearts are toward the good of others. A lot of people are frequenting religious services and losing ground with God at the same time, because the services they’re going to are not really providing what they need for their souls. But anyone who really wants the goods in God, is going to see to it that they get what their soul truly needs from the Lord, whatever it takes. These are the ones who will hear the good shepherds voice, and will not follow any other (Jn. 10:4,5). The scripture says "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14). The Spirit of God does not lead God’s people to focus on the things of this life, but rather to "seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;” and allow God to work out the rest of it his way (Mat. 6:33). It should also be noted that someone could be ‘of the devil,’ and get turned around to become ‘of God.’ And it can work the other way as well, that someone who is of God, can turn from their righteousness and be “led away with the error of the wicked, and fall from [their] own stedfastness" (II Pet. 3:17). So in the end, it’s all about having a merciful spirit toward others, and fearing God. It is really clear to see why the apostle Paul admonished us to "work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philip. 2:12). Amen.