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In honor of pastor John MacArthur, a man of truth, who died recently at the age of 86, ask yourself the question, “Do you love the truth?” This question is critical. If you or I do not love the truth and seek continually to find it, we will be deceived. Jesus said that the most important sign to be able to recognize in the last days is deception. (Matthew 24:4-5, Mark 13:5-6).

Truth and God’s Word are inseparable! Do you have the mark of the Lamb (obedience, allegiance, love), or the mark of the Beast (comfort, compromise, security, individuality)? Whom do we serve? Jesus or the spirit of the age? As believers, we need to keep our focus on the One who holds all things together (Colossians 1:17), as the universe expands, and as our “clay pots” deteriorate. (2 Corinthians 4:1-12)

The enemy of our souls is working hard to get our focus on ourselves.

• Am I good enough? Am I too bad? Have I committed the unpardonable sin?
• Do I have enough resources to be a “winner?” This was David’s sin when he counted all his soldiers. (2 Samuel 24)
• Do I seek the approval of man rather than the applause of heaven, as did Hezekiah when he foolishly showed the Babylonians all the gold and silver in the temple? (2 Kings 20)
• Do I need just a little more “stuff” to feel appreciated or significant? This was Gideon’s mindset: a “little bit” of plunder, leading the Israelites into Idolatry. (Judges 8)

We pray “Your Kingdom come; your will be done.” (Matthew 6:10) And remember, the kingdom of God is within you, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. (Luke 17:21) Are we growing as kingdom men and kingdom women? Are we daily putting on our “kingdom armor” (Ephesians 6:10-18), so we will be prepared to fight the enemy of our soul?

We, fellow children of our heavenly Father, are told how to be overcomers (Revelation 12). “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” 

(For more, see the note from The MacArthur Study Bible regarding “The revealed truth from God and Christ contained in Scripture”).