Discouragement

It has been said, “Discouragement is the tool of the enemy.” Although I do not entirely disagree with this statement, I would point out that I have never found solid Biblical proof for this statement. It seems true that Satan would be responsible for any discouragement that may come upon us, especially since Christ would bring us encouragement (see Philippians 2:1).

Regardless of whether or not discouragement is the tool of the enemy, it is certain that truth and honesty are tools of God:

Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth. (Psalm 31:5)

Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. (Psalm 43:3)

These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts. (Zechariah 8:16)

An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. (Proverbs 24:26)

To be truthful and honest, I am discouraged. It doesn’t necessarily help when people say, “Don’t be discouraged, that is a tool of the enemy!” Well maybe it is, but to combat that tool, I am using two weapons that are clearly from God, truth and honesty.

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place (Psalm 51:6)

Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth. (Proverbs 16:13)

I am discouraged, and I need Jesus.

Too often the church acts as if once you have given your life to Jesus, you will never have any problems again. They say, “Don’t be discouraged, you have Jesus” (of course the hidden idea is that if you are discouraged, then you must not have Jesus). Well the trouble with that line of thinking is that it actually subtracts Jesus from the equation. It keeps us from being truthful and honest. It keeps us from coming to Jesus and saying, “Dude, I am discouraged, and I need You!”

Do you think that Jesus is afraid of discouraged followers? No. As a matter of fact, those are the exact people that He came to earth to connect with. He did not come to heal the healthy, but the sick (see Matthew 9:12; Mark 2:17; and Luke 5:31).

God is not impressed when we tell each other, “We won’t be discouraged because that is a tool of the enemy.” He is impressed when we come to Him completely broken in truth and honesty, and say, “God, I am discouraged. I need You. I need Your encouragement. I cannot get through this without You.”

I think that at the heart of this problem is a misunderstanding of salvation. I am encouraged to know that the Bible points out that we have already been saved (see Ephesians 2:8-10), that we are currently being saved (see 2 Corinthians 2:15), and that some day we will be saved (Philippians 1:28). The truth of salvation is three-fold, and this truth is of utmost importance. The error is in accepting Christ and then thinking that it was a magical time in your life which now enables you to grit your teeth and get through anything that comes your way; to put on a cool, happy face even though you are sweltering inside; to live as if you already have Christ and not as if you still, in fact, need Him today, and will still need Him tomorrow. The error is in hoping that some day you will attain a level of super-spirituality which will enable you to live not in complete dependence upon God, but rather as a fourth member of the Trinity. This mentality, by the way, is also a tool of the enemy.

The good news is that God does want us to be encouraged. He does want us to overcome the enemy, but it can only be done in His strength, not our own. Jesus has saved us, but He wants to keep on saving us so that on that great day He will, in fact, save us.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:6-10)

If anyone is discouraged today, as I am, let us together approach the throne of grace, where Jesus Himself is seated. Let us approach with truth and honesty, and let us ask Him for the encouragement we need.