Bug Hunter "Fighting Against Sin"

 By Vickie G. Paver

 My grandchildren always complain that I don't have any games on my computer.  For that reason, a few weeks ago I downloaded a little shareware game called, "Bug Hunter." I thought I would try the game out and see if it was something I wanted to keep for my grandchildren.

The object of the game is to line up the mosquitoes, maggots, flies, spiders, yellow jackets, and beetles, according to their own type. You have to line up 5 or more, horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Each time you line up the bugs according to its type, you get rid of that particular  species. It kills the bugs! Sound easy? As you play the game it becomes evident that it is not easy to get rid of the bugs on the game board!

The problem is that each time you move a bug, more bugs appear, making it difficult to line up five or more of each kind. During the game "blue bonus balls" or what I like to call "bug bombs," appear on the board. These balls help to kill the bugs, if you line it up with the bugs. One day I actually killed 928 bugs with the help of the "bug bombs!" "Bug Hunter" is a fun game. However, in my view, this game could become a time waster, unless you are playing with your grandchildren or happen to get an idea for an article. Grin.

"Bug Hunter," a good name. Even so, we don't really have to go looking for bugs, do we? They seem to be everywhere! Two years ago we battled attic flies (for real) and last year it was ladybugs and this year we battled yellow jackets into November! The longest time ever spent battling bugs!

The point I would like to make with all of this talk about bugs is this:  it is the same with sin. We don't have to go looking for sin. It finds us. It may be through outward temptations or it may just start with a thought. We wonder where the thought came from. Perhaps we decide to roll the particular thought over in our minds a little. A dangerous first move to be sure. We all have that potential for sin. And sin can multiply, just like the bugs in the "Bug Hunter" game. Little sins can lead to other little sins and before we know we have a whole pile of sins stacked up in our hearts and possibly ruin our lives. 

It is for this reason we must resist and fight against sin. How do we do this? Clearly, we have to make a conscious effort to keep sin out of our lives. Without a doubt, we cannot do this in our own strength. As in the "Bug Hunter" game, that used "bug bombs" to get rid of bugs, we have to use "spiritual bombs" (helps) to keep sin from taking over our lives. Below, I’ll try to give some practical tips for getting rid of and keeping sin out of our lives.

* First we need to get the idea out of our heads that we can withstand temptation by our own will power. God tells us to resist sin!

James 4: 7 "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…

Resist means to fight, refuse, refrain from, oppose, refuse to give in to and when we resist, the Bible says the devil flees. By submitting to God, we relinquish (or give up) and refuse to give into sin. By submitting to God and resisting the devil means we MOVE toward God, for His help and away from the devil. However, we must take action. We just can't sit and look at it all. We have to move somewhere, either toward God or toward evil. 

If you are already involved in sin, you can dump it or relinquish it to God. Just get rid of it! God's grace doesn't give us license, but God's grace does provide forgiveness.

* Secondly, we must realize that God's Word holds the answers for sins and  failures. The Rx for our soul.

When we have an illness we take medication to get better and to stay better. It is like when a diabetic has to take insulin. If they don't take it, they can die. The same with God's Word, if we don't read it and apply it, how can we expect to resist temptation and walk in a way that is pleasing to God? The Bible is God's Rx for strength in our spiritual life. It keeps us walking in the Spirit.

 Colossians 1: 10 "that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God'  strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power."

 * Thirdly, is commitment to lifelong spiritual maintenance! Spiritual  maintenance keeps our hearts spiritually healthy and our minds straight. At  least it should. God never expects us to do this on our own. We have God  first of all (living in the Spirit) God's Word, Prayer, Christian leaders, Bible teachers, Christian counselors, the body of Christ (the church) and Christian friends. This really leaves us without an excuse for not taking care of our spiritual needs. We need to seek out these helps. We can't vegetate and expect it to happen. Being spiritually fit is a lot of work! However, in an "instant" "immediate" "impatient," society, it is hard to want to work at it. We cannot afford to be lazy in this area and expect spiritual maturity to just happen. It is essential to put on the armor of God and fill our minds with good and spiritual thoughts. Spiritual armor and good and spiritual thoughts are fundamental for good spiritual health!

The armor of God (NIV)

Ephesians 6: 13-16 "Therefore put on the whole armor of God, so that when the evil day comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist' with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, 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. And praying in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Meditate on these things

Philippians 4:8 "Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, 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 is anything praiseworthy---meditate on these things."

Both "putting on the armor of God," and "meditating on the good things" are remedies for keeping our lives sin free. However, we are human and will sin, but we must remember that God forgives and we must press toward the goal and not give up! The Holy Spirit can give us the strength to go on, even when we have failed.