By Ron Price

I consider myself to be a staunch Seventh-day Adventist. Based on that information, you could rightly expect that I read books from the Spirit of Prophecy (I just finished rereading The Desire of Ages, and am now rereading The Great Controversy), and other Seventh-day Adventist authors. Over the years I have also found value in reading other Christian authors who are not of the Adventist faith. Some of my favorites include Max Lucado, Phillip Yancey, and Kary Oberbrunner.

I try to read all books with my critical thinking brain on full alert, but this is even more true when reading authors who I know hold what I consider to be erroneous views on the Sabbath, the state of the dead, the Sanctuary, etc. I say all this to introduce you to an author you may not have heard of, but who has a life-transforming message. I refer to John Bevere and his book The Bait of Satan.

In Galatians 2:20 (NLT), the Apostle Paul writes: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” I’ve heard this referred to as “The Great Exchange” whereby Christ died that I might live, so I choose to die so that Christ may live in and through me. I willingly give up all rights to dictate the path of my life or to make any decisions without first consulting Him and seeking His will. The bait of Satan is to tempt me to take those rights back and shift the focus and control of my life from Christ to me.

It is easy to observe self-centeredness in secular society. The vast majority of citizens live day-to-day lives firmly in the grip of the enemy. They adhere to the 1960s motto “I’m Number One!” The biblical admonition found in Philippians 2:3, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves,” is absolute nonsense to those who have not tasted the joy and peacefulness of a living relationship with Jesus.

Every day it seems we read or hear of someone resorting to anger and violence because they feel entitled to do so. They feel their rights are superior to others—often based on racial or other differences—and therefore they deserve to act however they choose, and nobody better try to stop them. But is it not also true that at times we see that same sentiment within the church? Professing Christ-followers, those who have willingly accepted the Great Exchange, all too often take the bait of Satan and act as if they had never been transformed by knowing God (see Romans 12: 1, 2). They can get angry over seemingly trivial matters such as someone sitting in their pew or what color the new church carpet should be. The command to love their neighbor is all fine and good so long as their neighbor is living by their rules and expectations. Most would agree that as followers of the Lord Jesus

Christ we are to adhere to His command to love our neighbor, but doesn’t it often seem so much easier to hate, or at least dislike our neighbor than it is to love him or her? Hateful emotions occur when we forget that we have voluntarily given up all rights and therefore cannot take offense when others mistreat us. It’s not our business—it’s His. Just like it’s not our business where we work, or who we marry—or stay married to; where we go to church. None of these are our decisions anymore once we choose to let Christ have full reign over us. When we feel offended, we are to follow His response: “He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when He suffered. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly” (1 Peter 2:23 NLT). While denying self in favor of our Lord may not always be easy and pain-free, it is always the proper course of action for His followers to take.

So here are two quick tips to make that a bit easier. First, I recommend reading The Bait of Satan. Obviously, Bevere goes into much more detail than I am permitted in this space. As you become more aware of the enemy’s tactics and attempts to get you off your Christian walk, you will be much better prepared to cast them aside and keep walking.

Second, I have set my watch to vibrate every two hours from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. I use these alarms to remind me that whatever is going on in my life at that precise moment, Christ is still on the throne and He can handle anything I might be facing. When the alarm goes off, I utter a quick prayer thanking Him that He is in charge of both the universe and me.

I find these frequent reconnections throughout the day help me to stay focused on the big picture and what is really important. Remembering that God loves me helps me to love others and myself. Why not give it a try? As my Jewish grandmother used to say about chicken soup, “It couldn’t hurt.”

–Ron Price is a member of the RMC executive committee from Farmington, New Mexico. His recent book is Play Nice in Your Sandbox at Work. Email him at: [email protected]