Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: james 4:7

far ants — August 20, 2025

far ants

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When I was a young naïve kid, I thought all ants were nice ants.  In Ohio we mostly had teeny tiny “sugar ants.”  They are so named because they are attracted to sweets (a trait we both share).   They were happy ants and were never much of a bother.

But when I was transplanted to Texas, I was assaulted by fire ants (which we pronounce as “far” ants).  So named because they are aggressive and bite and keep on biting as they inject bits of venom under the skin. 

These fire ants are red like the devil.  They supposedly came to us from South America by stowing away on a ship.

So how did the fire ants get to be so mean? 

At creation, God made the ants, and they were sweet natured and peaceful.  But then came the fall and all creation was affected by the curse – from a glorious garden to thorns and thistles (Genesis 3:18).   

God frontloaded that one original sweet natured kind of ant with the capacity to adapt itself to its environment.  Over time that one kind was multiplied into the roughly 14,000 species that are recognized today.

This did not involve the evolution of one species to another, but the simple adaptation of the original ants to their environment.

So, I am guessing that the fire ants came to be so fiery because they grew up in a tough neighborhood. Hey, the jungles of South America are rife with giant anteaters.  Those guys had to learn to defend themselves somehow.

Though I am loathe to admit it, we Christians are a lot like fire ants.  We live in a worldly environment that pressures us to adapt ourselves to it – to allow it to reshape the values and character that have defined us.

We who were birthed in Christ’s righteousness are surrounded by the squalor of sin.  These forces pressure us to adapt ourselves to this toxic environment in which we live.

There is certainly plenty of evidence of it happening today.   Seldom a week goes by without the news of another prominent Christian who has compromised and capitulated to the pressure. 

At the moment, I am grieving the loss of Michael Tait, former member of DC Talk and the Newsboys. 

And yet, I could also take a painful introspective look at my own values and character and realize that there has been some erosion.  Things are just not as sharply defined to me as they once were.

But – we cannot – we must not adapt.  We must resist, says Peter.

“Be sober and alert. Your enemy, the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him…” – 1 Peter 5:8-9.

James agrees, “So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

But how?  How do we resist these vicious assaults and the corrosion of our character?    Paul has an answer.  He wrote, “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” – Ephesians 6:13. (NASU)

He then provided us with a detailed review of the full armor that the Lord has provided for our defense.  Included are such things as the belt of truth, the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness, the foundational footwear of the Gospel, the shield of our faith, and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.  – (Ephesians 6:14-18)

We are, says Paul, to put it all on…”take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist”  This armor won’t do us any good when its packed away in the closet.  We must take it up and put it on.  We need to wear it and use it. 

Resist not adapt.  That’s what we must do.

A PRAYER: Lord, help us to stand against the tidal wave of this world. 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ® unless otherwise noted.

manipulated! — January 19, 2024

manipulated!

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Oh Wow! I have been manipulated by a video game. The app is called Royal Match, but it is one of many apps that are similarly designed.

It begins with an enticing drop-down ad featuring lots of happy users.  The download is free and there are no ad interruptions, plus you can play offline.  It’s ideal.  It appears that there are no strings attached. 

So, I download and play. The developer made it so easy that even someone over age 12 can succeed. The gains are lavish. Scores of coins and bonuses are collecting, and the rush of success feels good. No downside, so I play on.

At certain points, they pit me against other players.  Peer pressure pervades.  At other times I’m forced to play against the clock.  The frantic pace keeps me engaged. 

I eventually reach a point where I’m stuck.  I need to spend some actual cash to get that extra boost to beat the next level.  This was not disclosed in the promo.   If I don’t buy, I’m warned that I’ll lose what I already have.  Pressure prompts my purchase. 

When I lose successive times, I’m forced into a 30-minute time-out.  Like a junkie, I keep checking the clock – is it time yet?

When I first picked it up, I could play and set it aside.  But now every unscheduled moment I work the app.  Sometimes I wake up at 3 a.m. and seek my device. 

I have to play – I must.  I’m in too deep to stop.

______________________

Honestly, it’s as if the app developer was the devil himself.  No, there is nothing evil about the game, but the way it manipulates me is so like the devil.

His essential work is to tempt us, by that which draws us away from God.  He is so identified with temptation that Scripture dubs him, “the tempter.”  (Matthew 4:3) 

Those of us that are planted on the rocky soil tend to fall away when tempted.  (Luke 8:13) Those planted in the good soil don’t always fare so well either.

Satan is relentless in his quest.  Consider his attack on Jesus, “When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time.”  (Luke 4:13)  Satan levied one unsuccessful attempt after another, until he punted and waited for a more opportune time.  

Honestly, it is uncanny how the manipulations of a video game, reflect the devil’s methods.

You have heard of William the Conqueror.  Time to meet William the Loser!   He also responded to a drop-down ad – one featuring an alluring young lady.   It wouldn’t hurt to click the image.  His wife didn’t know the password on his phone.  It’s ideal – no strings attached. 

He clicked and considered. She was lovely. He was stirred.  It made him feel good.   And it was so easy – no downside.   So, he chose to play on. 

But now they want money to see more.  If he doesn’t buy, he will lose the discount offer.  The pressure is on, so he makes his purchase. 

William’s wife enters the den.  He shutters the app.  It seems like an eternity as he waits on her exit.

When he saw that first image, he could look, and then set it aside.  But now every unscheduled moment he craves more.  Even at 3 a.m.  His life is unraveling, but he keeps on playing.  He’s in too deep to quit.

OK – with the gaming app, there really isn’t a terrible dark downside.  But with sin, the consequences are devastating. 

We may not struggle with William’s temptation, but the devil also knows our personal weaknesses and relentlessly seeks to exploit them.   So, here’s what we can do to counter his assaults.

1. “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”  (Luke 22:40)

2. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7)

3. Be careful with gaming apps that train us to give into temptation. 

A PRAYER: Lord it often feels like we are in over our heads.  Deliver us from evil. 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Scripture references are from the NETBible

what the devil? — July 7, 2021

what the devil?

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I took a course called Angelogy, which is the study of good and bad angels (also known as demons).  It was a requirement for those headed for the ministry. 

The angel portion was awesome and comforting.  The demon portion was eerie and disturbing.

One dreary night I needed to borrow a book for my research project.  So, I ambled over to the school library, which was housed in an old converted home.  The building was locked and empty except for a fellow classmate who I hoped would let me in.

I knocked and then watched for him through the window.  He didn’t show.  So, I tried hitting the doorbell in machine gun fashion.  The chime was one of those that had 3 gong-like tubes that sounded like something from the Adams Family.  

He heard me this time.  I watched him cautiously creep into the hall, but he wasn’t looking toward the door where I stood.  His tense face was nervously searching for the source of the sound. 

Now this amused me greatly – so I did the machine gun with the doorbell again.  And he jumped like a snake had bit him on the heel.  He then pointed down the hall with a trembling hand and screamed, “Satan, I bind you in the name of Jesus Christ.” 

Thank goodness he cast the demon out of that doorbell!  

________

Some people suspect there’s a demon behind every tree, while others have banished such notions to the myth pile.  Are demons real and if so, what do we do about them?

Real they are!  Jesus interacted with or spoke of demonic entities over a dozen times in the Gospel of Matthew.   His adversaries are as real as Jesus Himself.  They aggressively opposed the agenda of God then, and still do today. 

In Haiti, where demons are celebrated, their presence is overt and eerie and scary.  In my neighborhood, however, their subtle presence is mostly experienced as they tease that broken part of us, until it gives birth to sin. (James 1:15)

So how do we protect ourselves?

– Deny them your attention!

A band of misdirected angels arrogantly coveted the place of God.   They rebelled and God cast them to earth in judgment as demons.  But they still crave attention.  Some of us are happy to offer it to them.  We go demon hunting and often give them more credit than they deserve. 

In truth, Satan and his minions are like dogs.  They sense our fear and will use it to their advantage.  Treat them like the bullies they are and just ignore them and they will look elsewhere for the attention they crave.

– Draw closer to Jesus! 

When Jesus encountered demons, they responded in fear.”  Luke 4:33-34 says, “Now in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Ha! Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us?”  

          That demon wanted nothing to do with Jesus.  The same was true of the demon in Luke 8:28. He said, “Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I beg you, do not torment me!”  Demons are not comfortable in the presence of Jesus.  They would rather be elsewhere. 

          Fortunately, Christ indwells the believer and the apostle John said, “…the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”  (1 John 4:4) Christ within us, is far greater in power than the evil ones around us.

And His powerful presence still repels the demons.   So, dig deep, and cultivate an intimate relationship with Jesus and you’ll do well. 

Scripture tells us to “flee immorality” but never the devil.  James on the other hand wrote, “resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) He and his disabled diabolical forces are toothless and pose no threat to the person who is “strong in the strength of the Lord’s might (Ephesians 6:10)

Beware, however, of pranksters with doorbells!

A PRAYER: Lord help us to strike a balance in this area of spiritual warfare.

Scripture references are from the NET Bible ®