Self Love: Satan’s Substitute for Surrender

Echoes of Truth

April 3rd 

Theme: The Folly of Self

 

‘Entertainment is the devil’s substitute for Joy. Self-love is his substitute for surrender.’
-Leonard Ravenhill

 

 

Self Love: Satan’s Substitute for Surrender

 

We are living in a time where we must take every instruction in the Word of God seriously.

 

In times like this, when the Church ought to be pressing into unity of faith through prayer and standing strong against the enemy attacking from every direction, it is troubling that we are instead occupied with debates about things like Church comedy.

 

If this is where our focus is, has the enemy not already gained ground from within?

 

It is painful to see that there is now more division within the Church than even among those outside.

 

The early Church gave themselves to prayer, to the study of the Word, and to preserving the oneness of God in their midst.

 

But today, much of the Church seems to be occupied with ideas and patterns that have been borrowed from the world.

 

The focus is no longer daily surrender to Christ.

 

The call to deny self (Luke 9:23), to remain on the altar, and to live a life crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) is fading. Instead, many are now drawn to what satisfies the self.

 

Self-love has quietly taken the place of surrender.

 

Yes, very true. Instead of surrender, the devil proposes self-love, and quietly turns a man inward.

 

He teaches him to guard himself instead of yielding himself, to preserve his will instead of laying it down before God.

 

The Scriptures say, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

 

Yet self-love trains a man to avoid that very path.

 

It tells him to withdraw when he should yield, to hold back when he should give, to choose himself when he should obey.

 

Slowly, the heart shifts. A man may still speak of God, still pray, still appear devoted, yet the center has changed. He now filters everything through self. What pleases him stays. What costs him is rejected.

 

But the way of life has always been narrow. The Scriptures say, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). That is the language of surrender. That is the path where Christ becomes all, and self loses its rule.

 

The Scriptures warn us not to be ignorant of the devices of the devil, so that we are not caught off guard or led away from the truth we once held firmly. One of those devices in these times is this subtle idea that the Church needs entertainment to function or to remain relevant.

 

Everywhere, the message is being pushed that boredom must be avoided at all costs!!!

 

And slowly, the Church has begun to believe it.

 

She has been made to think that her faith is boring. So adjustments begin.

 

The pastor feels pressure to make sermons more “interesting,” sometimes leaning on ideas that are not led by the Spirit.

 

The choir begins to follow popular sounds and trends, simply adding Bible words to make them acceptable.

 

Even teaching is affected.

 

Instead of carefully opening up the Scriptures and grounding people deeply in truth, there is a rush to cover many points quickly.

 

Ushers become more concerned with appearance and matching outfits, sometimes drawing attention rather than pointing hearts to God.

 

Church gatherings begin to carry an atmosphere that feels more like the world than the sacred presence of God.

 

The underlying idea becomes this: let people find in Church what they enjoy in the world.

 

And all in all, Christ is not seen, but the flesh is being extremely satisfied.

 

And when self becomes the driver, we lose something precious, sis.

 

We lose the deep, abiding joy that comes from the Holy Spirit having full control in our lives.

 

The Church does not need entertainment. And the Holy Spirit is not boring.

 

The Scriptures say that joy is a fruit of the Spirit.

 

That means true joy comes from Him.

 

The joy of the Lord is our strength, and fullness of joy is found in His presence.

 

But this joy is not found by those who are chasing self. It is found by those who surrender.

 

It is not found in self-love, self-gain, self-promotion, self-pleasure, or self-righteousness. All these things draw the heart away from true fellowship with the Holy Spirit, who is the source of real joy.

 

These are serious times.

 

The line between the Church and the world is becoming less clear. It is getting harder to tell the difference between what is truly of God and what is not.

 

Yet, the calling remains the same.

 

We are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. But the Bible says if salt loses its taste, it is no longer useful. And if a light is hidden, it cannot fulfill its purpose.

 

We are meant to live in such a way that our works reveal Christ and bring glory to the Father. But in many places, this is becoming rare.

 

And the root issue is not just open sin. It is something quieter, but just as dangerous. It is the unwillingness to let go of the world’s standards and expectations!!!

 

As long as we hold on to those, we cannot fully take up the identity that God has given us in Christ.

 

We continue to pursue self because the world has set a pattern, and we are trying to fit into it. But the Scriptures say we are in the world, not of it.

 

So the question is simple: should we not then live by the standard of the Kingdom we belong to?

 

The Kingdom calls for self to be denied, laid down, and set aside, so that we can fully live for Christ.

 

The world needs salt. It needs light.

 

And the longer we delay in yielding to this call, the more darkness spreads, and the more we lose our distinctness.

 

Also Read: Self Before All, Family Falls 

 

Let us pray:

Dear Father, we are not ignorant of the devices of the devil in these last days. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Teach us true surrender, that we may be strengthened to resist the devil, and that he will flee from us.

Lord, I do not want a life that looks right outwardly but is empty within. I do not want to be satisfied with what the world offers while missing the life of Your Spirit. Deliver me from every appetite that is not from You. Let my hunger return. Let my desire for You be restored.

Father, I ask for grace to let go of the standards of this world. Break every attachment to what is popular, accepted, or comfortable if it stands against Your will. Help me to live by the pattern of Your Kingdom, not by the expectations around me (Romans 12:2).

Search me, O God, and know my heart. Remove every hidden love for self that hinders my walk with You. Teach me to love righteousness, to walk in truth, and to live a life that brings You pleasure (Psalm 139:23–24).

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Voddie Baucham on Jesus and entertainment: