Grace and peace to my fellowservants who have the testimony of Jesus, and greetings to the servants of the Infernal One.
As Christians, how we react to—or rather, that we not react to, but resist, peer pressure—is vitally important. As a Christian preacher living, working, and raising my children in a very un-Godly place, resisting peer pressure is of paramount importance, and I have spent considerable time and energy trying as best I can to teach my children why they should and how they must resist peer pressure.
A few days ago, while talking with my children on this subject, I used Romans 12:2 as an example of how we should resist peer pressure.
“Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.†(Romans 12:2).
The root word of conform, I explained, is form, which means to shape. When we conform to the world, we are allowing ourselves to be shaped by the world. In order to shape something, you have to be able to some degree to hold onto it and handle it. It follows, therefore, that if we make ourselves impossible to hold, then we make ourselves impossible to shape.
The easiest way to keep something from holding and handling you is to keep moving. In boxing, when an opponent finds he cannot stop your assault, or, when he is too slow to keep up with you, he will either run from you or try to hold onto you to slow you down and keep you from moving.
This is no less true in spiritual things. If Satan sees that you are staying busy for the Lord and he can’t stop you, then he will try everything in his power to slow you down and keep you from moving. He will first try to grasp you; and, if he manages to grasp you, then he will try to hold you. If he manages to hold you, then he will try to mold (conform) you. And once he forms you, you lose the will (and power) to resist.
The best way to keep from conforming, therefore, is to keep it moving, and to not slow down for anyone or anything. That way, Satan can’t grab you and hold onto you. And if he can’t hold you, then he can’t mold you.
My way of staying busy for the Lord and keeping it moving is by witnessing, whether it be by passing out Gospel tracts, teaching the Word, giving my testimony, writing edifying pieces for this blog, or working on or doing research for the book I hope to soon publish. Witnessing is a good way to keep it moving.
But not everyone can witness, has the boldness to witness, or is able to witness, especially at school or work. How do these “keep it moving?†The answer is by being careful where they focus their attention. The same way Satan tries to grab us and hold onto us to keep us from moving, he also tries to grab and hold our attention to keep it off the things of God. He is constantly dangling carrots (sin) before our eyes to get us to focus on them, because he knows that where the eyes go, the mind will follow.
The key, then, is not to focus on the carrot. We should certainly see the carrot (for we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices), but we should not fixate on the carrot, become obsessed with the carrot, or go bonkers over the carrot. When we see it, our antenna should go up, and we should be aware that Satan is up to no good. But after saying, “Get thee behind me Satan!†we should take our attention off the carrot, pop smoke (military vernacular for get out of Dodge), and keep it moving.
And, let us not forget that one sure-fire way Satan throws a cockroach in the cake mix is through a spouse, one or all of our children, a friend or family member, or a troublesome co-worker or boss. These can hold you and slow you down too if you let them. Like everything else in our lives, they have to be managed if we are to keep it moving.
If we do this thing, then we will never stand still long enough for Satan to get his hands on us, let alone go to work on us.
Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.
TSM
