Sometimes I read verses that just stick with me, in my mind and in my heart. This vision in Zechariah is one of those:

“Then he showed me the high priest Joshua standing before the Angel of the Lord, with satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to satan: ‘The Lord rebuke you, satan! May the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?’ Now Joshua was dressed with filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. So the Angel of the Lord spoke to those standing before him, “take off his filthy clothes!’ Then he said to him, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with festive robes.’” (Zechariah 3:1-4)

Outstanding to me is that this man is a high priest, a religious leader and expert in the law, yet he was clothed in filthy garments because that is the best he could do—which wasn’t good enough to satisfy the righteous requirements of God’s law. And satan knew it. And he knows it about every one of us. …which is why it is not a good thing to rely on our own works of righteousness, because then the enemy would have grounds for his accusations.

Two things the enemy has always done (and continues to do), and scripture indicates that he is ramping up his attacks in the last days, is deceive people and accuse them of anything he can think to accuse them of; “…many false prophets will rise up and deceive many” (Matthew 24:11). And this familiar verse: “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, ‘The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been thrown down.’” (Revelation 12:10)

Happily, we have God’s Word, the Bible, and the indwelling Holy Spirit to instruct us concerning the truth about God, about His righteousness, and justice, and to teach us the truth about ourselves. We can successfully face the enemy’s onslaughts when we are fully equipped and armored up, as the apostle Paul counsels: “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…. 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. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request; and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:10-11, 14-18)

Scripture assures us that, “…there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2); and Jesus has given us this promise, “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)

I’ve been a Christian for quite a while now; my journey to salvation began in a fear-centered, legalistic religion before I was introduced to a faith-based, love-grounded intimacy with Jesus. It’s been a slow journey because God’s love for me personally is so difficult to grasp. Too often my thought processes have mirrored those of a small child seeking to gain her emotionally distant parent’s approval.

I am so grateful for the grace and the patience of the Holy Spirit and His transforming power in my life to enable me to grow in the grace and knowledge of my Savior. I understand, though, that there are places in my heart and my mind where I am vulnerable to deception because of experiences and choices (and sins) from my past—which is why I am so dependent on daily refreshing in the Spirit of God and through the Word of God!

However, it is obvious that the Word of God, the truth, and righteousness of His character are being rejected by many throughout the world; and when He is rejected, the truth about who we are as His unique creation is also distorted.

Isn’t it curious that the people who are so adamantly committed to saving the planet and endangered species are the same ones who advocate for killing unborn children, who refuse to acknowledge God, the Creator of this earth and of the universe? …and deny that the One who created male and female, who assigned our gender identity, knew what He was doing?

Fact is, nothing and no closely held opinion or belief system apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God’s Word, and the indwelling Holy Spirit is good enough to see us through into eternity. That is the bottom line, and the master deceiver/accuser wants to distract born-again believers from the truth so that our testimony to the righteousness and justice of God will be tarnished.

The apostle Paul expressed his concern in a letter to the Corinthians:

“But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)

This is my hope and prayer, that, as the days become increasingly evil and lawlessness increases, as holding tenaciously to scripture as the inerrant Word of God becomes ever more dangerous in a God-rejecting world, that we will remain firmly anchored in God, our Creator and Savior, His Word, and who we are as His children.