My dear readers,

Do You Resist the Way of the Wicked?

Proverbs 12:26: “The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.”

The devil does not care how a Christian falls as long as he falls. The devil has used threats and persecution effectively throughout the ages to bring down many believers by destroying the holy lives they have spent years building. Threats to the believer’s freedom and life or the lives of loved ones are effective weapons the devil will never stop using. But just as effective, if not more so, is the weapon of seduction. Seduction has a power that brings no pain to its victims but great pleasures. This pleasure numbs the mind and renders the believer spiritually blind to the pit before him, so that he walks into it as if it is solid ground. This seductive power inflames the lusts and pride in all of us, believers and unbelievers alike. No one is immune from the seductive power as long as he lives in this mortal, earthen vessel, till he dies or the glorious resurrected body replaces his body!

Since seduction will come, what must we do to overpower it?

The literal translation of Proverbs 12:26 is, “More excellent than his neighbour is the righteous, but the way of the wicked seduceth them.” The emphasis is on the phrase “more excellent.” The righteous is a believer who has the righteousness of God in Christ imputed to him. He is righteous within and without. Whenever he stumbles and falls into sin, he will repent of his sins because the righteousness within him will compel him to do so with the help of the Holy Spirit’s conviction.

In contrast, the neighbour is not a believer. If the neighbour is also a believer who is righteous, then the contrast of “more excellent than his neighbour” becomes meaningless and it would be wrong to compare. As he is not a believer, he is a sinner controlled by his sinful nature. When controlled by his sinful nature, carnality rules his life. He works hard and makes plenty of money. Assuming he is a farmer, he would own much land for his great harvest. He would also possess many cattle and flocks of sheep and goats and live in a big house with many servants. His life is rich and full of all earthly things money can buy. He is the envy of many of his friends and neighbours.

But the righteous is more excellent than he is! In what way is he more righteous?

Firstly, his relationship with God is one of righteousness in Christ. His burdens and bondage to sin are broken forever. He experiences peace in his heart, which he has never experienced before. This new life lifts his spirit every morning. There is great joy in his soul. His heart is filled with his love for his newfound LORD. The new focus in his life as a righteous person in Christ is his spiritual experiences. He prays without ceasing. He worships the LORD with joy. Keeping all the holy feasts had been a perfunctory ritual, but as a born-again believer, these have become meaningful spiritual experiences that refocus his life, ensuring it is right with God according to the Scriptures. He has found the meaning of life and the purpose of his existence.

Secondly, he does not measure his life by the abundance of his possessions. This extraordinary heavenly attitude elevates him above the vain social norm of the accumulation of materialism. Because of this heavenly attitude, he stops labouring for the meat that perishes. He works harder, honestly and more diligently than ever before, not to increase his wealth and to put his trust in it like he used to, because he desires to glorify his LORD God almighty. He looks across at his neighbour's vast amount of land and feels no envy like he used to before his salvation. He thanks God for what he has.

Thirdly, he trusts in his LORD to provide for his every need while focusing on his spiritual well-being. He ensures a holy witness for his LORD daily. He is godly at home and in the field where he labours. He desires to promote Christ and no longer self. Money matters are now the least important when they were the most important before he became righteous in Christ.

In these ways, the righteous are said to be more excellent than their neighbours. The former seek after things eternal, whereas the latter seek after things temporal. Yet the wicked will seduce both the righteous and their neighbours who represent all peoples on earth.

In the case of the neighbour who seeks materialism, the seduction will be about all things temporal. He is attracted to wealth, fame and fortune. The way of the wicked is the broad way that leads to destruction and damnation. The way of the wicked is very attractive to him because they live by the same frequency of the love of mammon. He may not seduce others with his carnality, but he readily succumbs to the way of the wicked joyfully. To him, the way of the wicked has been his way of life since birth as he was born with a sinful nature. Now that he is running happily in this way, he realizes how smooth this way is to his feet. There seems to be no obstacle that hinders him. He sees glitters of gold, silver and precious stones everywhere he turns his head. His heart skips a beat the nearer he gets to his goals. The more tightly he grasps mammon with his hands and heart, the more he wants. Enough never seems to be enough! He pursues this way of the wicked with a smile till he dies in his sins.

There was hardly any resistance to seduction.

In the case of the righteous, the way of the wicked may still attract him. His mortal earthen vessel may succumb to the dangling carnality that the wicked hangs in front of him. But he does his best to resist with the help of the Holy Spirit, who indwells him. He prays for strength to overcome. He avoids the way of the wicked and the wicked in his life as much as possible. He regularly worships his Lord as a new pattern in his life and enjoys it. He fellowships with God’s saints who are like him in righteousness. Attending Bible Study with fellow believers strengthens his faith as he grows in the grace and knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord. He loves his new life in Christ as a life of righteousness that brings peace and joy in his heart, independent of what he possesses. Yet, he realizes that no matter how hard he struggles against the way of the wicked, he may fall at times.

The question is, what will he do after he falls?

The righteous will repent when he falls into sin because of the righteousness within him. He has this inner conviction from the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit within him that he needs to repent. This is the right thing to do to restore the holy image of Christ in his life, that is the most important thing to him. Whenever he sins, he knows he has hurt it. The only way to restore it to holiness is to repent. As he grows and matures in spirituality, he will become more sensitive to his own sins. The moment lust begins in his heart, he will repent almost immediately. If he has wronged someone, he repents sincerely. If someone has hurt him, he forgives immediately, just as God forgives him for Christ’s sake. This is the best way to fight against the way of the wicked and limit its deadly damage to the holy witness in every believer’s life.

This is a deep-set conviction he must never forget because of the weakness of his flesh that still succumbs to the seductive power of the wicked way. He despises the way of the wicked with all his heart. He hates it even more whenever he stumbles. He longs for the day of glorification when this battle between the law of the Spirit and the law of the flesh will be over. Until that blessed day arrives, he will fight on by the grace and strength of God against the seductive power of the wicked way.

Do you resist the way of the wicked?