Three types of poison
Introduction: venomous snakes and spiritual poisons
Did you know that around 20000 people die from snakebites every year in Africa? I am not ashamed to say I don’t like snake. I’m not one of those that totally freak out when I see a snake, but I just prefer to stay away from them – and that they stay away from me! In South Africa there are 176 different types of snakes. 77 Are not venomous, 29 can inflict painful bytes and only 20 are considered potentially deadly. (Stats from African Snakebite Institute website: https://www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com) The interesting thing is that all venomous snakes fall into one of 3 categories depending on what type of venom they have. You get cytotoxic, neuro toxic and haemotoxic snakes. Cytotoxic means the venom attacks and destroys tissue, neurotoxic venom attacks the nervous system and haemotoxic the blood system.
How do we protect ourselves against snakes? We want to be able to identify the dangerous ones, we want to know the symptoms and signs as well as potential complications of the different types of venoms, we want to try and prevent any bites and, if we ever do get bitten – we have to get to the nearest emergency unit that stocks antivenom! ( The African Snakebite Institute is a great resource if you are interested in learning more about this)
Just as one gets different categories of venom, we see in the bible that there are different categories of sin. In 1 John we read about the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and most people believe that any sin has its origin in one of these categories. We will be looking at these three types of “spiritual poison” in the same way we look at poisonous snakes: Identification, symptoms and signs and complications, prevention and antidotes.
1 John 3:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Let’s also have a look at Genesis 3:6. Have you ever wondered why Eve actually gave in and ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree?
Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Eve was tempted when she saw that the fruit was good for food (lust of the flesh), it was pleasant to the eyes (lust of the eyes) and desired to make one wise (pride of life). What is even more interesting is that when Jesus was tempted by the devil in the desert, the devil also used these same three things to tempt Jesus!
Luke 4:3-12
And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
(= Lust of the flesh)
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.”
(= Lust of the eyes)
Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
(= pride of life. Being so proud, you believe the natural laws don’t apply to you. Trying to force God’s hand, believing you can tell God what He should do)
Identification
Lust of the flesh
This is everything thar appeals to the carnal and physical appetite – basically what you eat and drink and what you do with your body. It is using physical things to try and fulfil a spiritual need or hunger.
Eating, drinking, sleeping, sex are all basic human needs and are not wrong of themselves, but the devil can come and distort these licit desires into illicit desires. My mom always said “anything with a too is not good”. This is definitely true in this case. Too much food is not good, too little food is also not good. Too much sleep or too little sleep, too much sex or too little sex. (Obviously referring to in a marriage!) 1 Cor 6:19 says our bodies are supposed to bee temples for the Holy Spirit. If we give in to the lusts of the flesh, we are not only dishonoring our bodies, we are actually dishonoring the Holy Spirit.
Lust of the eyes
Lust of the eyes is basically everything that looks good, but isn’t yours. Simply said, it boils down to greed. It is good to appreciate things, it is not good to covet or lust after things. Jesus tought us that the lust of the eyes are more about what happens inside your heart than the resulting physical actions.
Matthew 5:28
But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Pride of life
This is everything that appeals to haughtiness, pride and arrogance.
It is putting yourself above God.
The devil often uses personal achievements (which are good!) and pervert it into a self-sufficient attitude. An “I can do it all myself” attitude. Pride often hides deep in one’s heart and is not always easy to identify.
Signs, symptoms and complications
Lust of the flesh
Human beings consists of three parts – body, soul, mind and spirit. A very brief explanation would be:
The body (also called the flesh) – the physical body that can touch, see, hear, feel and smell (the part that interacts with the physical world around us)
The soul – our will, thoughts and emotions (the part of us that make decisions)
The spirit – the spiritual part of mankind that died with the fall and is resurrected when we are born again, (the part that interacts with God)
1 Thessalonians 5:23
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When we fall for the lust of the flesh there are 3 major consequences.
1. War against your soul
1 Peter 2:11
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul
It is essential to understand that the flesh and the soul in in constant battle against each other. Every decision you make is a decision whether you will feed your flesh or feed your soul. The more you give in to the flesh, the stronger it becomes. The more you say no to the flesh, the more the soul realises it is not in subjection to the flesh and the easier it becomes to make the right choices and feed the spirit, not the flesh.
Proverbs 6:32-33
Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.
Wounds and dishonor he will get,
And his reproach will not be wiped away.
2. Cannot please God
Rom 8:8
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
God cannot have a relationship with your flesh! He wants a relationship with you, with your soul and spirit. Giving attention to your fleshly nature = choosing against a relationship with God.
3. Cannot inherit the kingdom of God
1 Corinthians 6:10
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
This is one of those verses that many Christians prefer to skip. Does it really mean that these people mentioned here cannot go to heaven? Note that the first part of the verse specifically mentions the unrighteous. Who is the unrighteous? Those who are not in right standing with God. How do you get to be “in right standing with God”? Romans 3:22-26 we are justified by grace. Jesus has made us righteous! (More about this later). Inheriting the kingdom of God does refer to our heavenly inheritance, but it also refers to our inheritance here on earth – living in the fullness of what God has for us on earth already. (see Luke 18:29-30).
Lust of the eyes
1. Many sorrows
1 Tim 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
This verse teaches us that greediness leads to sorrows. Take note that this verse does not say that money is the root of evil, but the love of money. It is not wrong to have money, it is just wrong to love your money. And, as we can see in the story of the rich young man in Mark 10, this can be very difficult.
Mark 10:21
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
If you ever wonder if you love your money more than you love God, just ask yourself the same question that Jesus asked this young man. Would you be willing to give all your possessions away and “follow God”? Just to be clear – following Jesus does not require doing this, but if He asked you, would you be willing to? We should never be bound by our possessions in such a way that we are not free to do what Jesus asks of us.
2. Wars
Human nature is selfish. One of the first words a child learns is “mine!”. Most finds in pre-school is about “my toy” and “my turn”. Unfortunately, some people never grow up. What are wars about? It is simply someone wanting something that is not theirs!
James 4:1-3
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
The amazing thing is that, if we want something, we don’t have to take it from someone else. God has more than enough for everyone!
2. Wrath of God
Colossians 3:5-6
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience
Covetousness = idolatry!
When you want something really bad, that becomes your only focus All your energy is directed towards obtaining that thing. What you put your focus on, what you spend all your time on, becomes your idol.
Exodus 34:14
for thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God
Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
God is jealous about his children! When we displace God in our lives with worldly idols, we ignite his fire, his wrath.
Pride
1. Distance between yourself and God
Psalm 101:5
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure.
Mankind has this warped idea that as someone else is looking or doing worse than me, I’m OK. When we slander someone, that is actually (often unknowingly) our goal. God says He will destroy se slanderer. Why? Because that person you are bad-mouthing is a wonderful creation of God that He loves!
James 4:6b
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall
2. Abondenement
Rom 1:21- 28, 32
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise!
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
I love how the Passion Translation translated verse: “God lifted up his restraining hand”.
As I read these verses, I started to wonder. Why would anyone know God yet not acknowledge him as God? The answer is simply, pride. It is someone who is not willing to submit under God, someone who prefers to be lord over his or her own life. The same goes for someone that is criticising God. By saying “How could God do this?”, “Why would a loving God allow this?”, we are saying that we know better than God and that we could have done it better. It is wise to remember that God is all-knowing and we are not. When you think you know everything, you really do know nothing.
Prevention and antidotes
Now we come to the good part! There is a saying that prevention is better than cure and this is so true. Unfortunately we live in a fallen work and sometimes people to get bitten – by physical and spiritual “snakes”. The bible is full of verses advising us on how to prevent and treat these spiritual poisons – and even the physical ones!
Lust of the flesh
1. Prevention: write God’s laws on your heart
Prov 6:20-24
My son, keep your father’s command,
And do not forsake the law of your mother.
Bind them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
When you roam, they will lead you;
When you sleep, they will keep you;
And when you awake, they will speak with you.
For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
To keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress.
Love comes from your heart. Therefore, binding the laws on you heart, does not just mean knowing them, but actually implies loving them. Do you love your Father’s laws?
Prov 7:1-5
My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your nearest kin, That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words.
If you know and love God’s Word, the seductress will not be able to lead you astray.
2. Fasting
Fasting is a way to show the body, the flesh, that he is not the one in control. By saying no to food (or whatever you choose to fast from), you are teaching the soul that it is not subject to the desires of the flesh. This might be a relatively small victory, but it can act as a gateway to victory over much ‘bigger’ sins.
John 6:35-36
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
By fasting we are reminding our bodies that spiritual food is more important than physical food.
3. Crucify the flesh
Gal 5:34
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Crucifying the flesh sounds like a tall order, but it actually just means saying no to the flesh. By saying no when the flesh is screaming to be satisfied, you are driving a nail through your flesh in the spiritual world.
4. Water baptism
Rom 13:14
Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
By putting on Christ we choose Christ and say no to the flesh and it desires. But what does it mean to “put on Christ”?
Gal 3:27
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Baptism is a very important weapon to fight against our flesh. Romans 6 explains how it works.
Rom 6:3-10
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
When you are baptized, your body (flesh) is buried with Christ. Your flesh is dead, you are not a slave to it you anymore, you are free. However, you still need to decide (daily) who you are going to allow to reign in your body.
5. Understanding grace
Rom 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
This is a polyvalent antivenom that works for more than one spiritual poison. More about it later!
Lust of the eyes
1. Be content
Another very straightforward one. If you are content with what you have, you won’t lust after things that aren’t yours.
Heb 13:5
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Phillipians 4:11
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content
Straightforward to understand, not always easy to do. One of the ways to practice being content, is to be thankful for what you have. Start thanking God every day for what he has blessed you with. Another way is to go on a mission trip to a community less privileged than where you are from. I’ve had the privilege to go on a few mission trips and it is always an eye opener to see how other people live. I was amazed at the joy they had in their circumstances and how they were so proud to show us their little shacks and even to share the little they had with us. And to see how grateful they are for the littlest gift or the smallest bit of help is really humbling.
2. Give
Acts 20:35b
And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Giving does not only bless the receiver, but it also blesses the giver! Giving opens up something inside you. It drives a nail through the selfish flesh. Another way to give is through tithing. Look at these awesome promises in Malachi:
Mal 3:10-12
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, ”Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says the Lord of hosts; “And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.
Pride
1. Humility
The bible is full of scriptures about being humble. Contrary to popular believe, it is not a personality trait, it is something you can choose to do. If it wasn’t possible to choose to be humble, the bible wouldn’t instruct us to do it!
1 Peter 5:5-7
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Who does this verse teach we should humble ourselves to?
1. Your elders
2. To one another
3. To God
Phil 2:3-4
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Being humble also means caring for others as much as you care for yourself. Jesus Christ was the ultimate example when it comes to humbleness. He chose to give up his status in heaven and humbled himself by becoming a man and then humbled himself further by choosing to die for our sins on the cross. Crucifixion was a penalty for common criminals, a
very scandalous way to die, yet Christ was not too proud to be hanged to a cross.
Phil 2:5-11
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
To be humble also means one can acccept rebuke and correction and are open to instruction and advice.
Proverbs 15:31-33
The ear that hears the rebukes of life
Will abide among the wise.
He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is humility.
2. Fear the Lord
To fear the Lord is to have a healthy respect for Him. To realise that He is God Almighty, the creator of the heavens and the earth, the One who holds all power.
Prov 3:5-8
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
Someone who is prideful cannot trust in the lord and always leans on his or her own understanding. They do not acknowledge God in all their ways, because they are wise in their own eyes and wants how to choose their own paths.
3. Be a part of the body of Christ
Being a part of a local church is one of the easiest ways to identify and deal with any pride in your life.
Rom 12:3-4
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function
We are all members of one body. Members have different functions. We cannot all be pastors or prophets or intercessors. When a new building is erected, it is important to have a good builder, but the building will never realise if you only have builders! You also need an architect, painters, tilers, electricians, plumbers, cleaners and someone to fund it. Exactly the same principle applies to the church. Every member is important and cannot fulfil their full function without the other members.
1 Cor 12:12-14, 20-25
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.
But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
4. Understanding grace
Eph 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
This is such a well-known scripture, but let’s just meditate on it for a bit. How were you saved? What did you do to be saved? We are saved by grace! So why do so many Christians walk about with this prideful “holier than though attitude”? We are saved by grace, not by anything we did! In fact, James 1:17 says every good thing is from God. If every good thing is from God, then that leaves us with nothing to boast about….
Rom 3:23-24, 27-28
For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Final word
Remember: we are all sanctified by Jesus Christ
We looked at 1 Cor 6:10 earlier, where it lists the people that will not inherit the Kingdom of God. I want us to read the verse again, but with the next verse…
1 Corinthians 6:10-11
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
If those people could be washed and sanctified there is no reason why you should believe you can’t be! We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but we are justified freely by His grace (Rom 3). You are forgiven, you are washed clean, you are sanctified.
Do you know the final word of Jesus to his disciples? It is commonly known as the great commission, but we often don’t read the last part of this. This is from the passion translation.
Luke 16:15-18 (TPT)
And he said to them, “As you go into all the world, preach openly the wonderful news of the gospel to the entire human race! Whoever believes the good news and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe the good news will be condemned. And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of my name. They will speak in tongues. They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.”
We shouldn’t tempt God by playing with snakes, but we don’t need to fear them. Jesus promised that they (all those who believe) will be supernaturally protected.
