The Dogpile

Guest Post by: Bruce Nevin Haines

A Spiritual Football Analogy
(some use of imagination is required here, but just go with it and I think it will be worthwhile )
Watching some Ravens game highlights, I noticed there is a something that occurs without fail after a fumble.
Once the dogpile of players has formed, what I observe is this:
1)The players on the defensive team become referees.
2)They give the “First Down” signal
pointing in the direction of their goal line.
3)They don’t wait for the referees to signal.
4)They give the signal even though:· Their word doesn’t matter, and it has no bearing on what occurs next in the game.
5)They may actually know nothing about who ends up with the ball at the bottom of the dogpile.· They have an allegiance with their own team, and are more concerned with their advantage than the truth.
Satan is the accuser of the brethren. He will say or do anything to discourage us.
BUT HE IS NOT OUR JUDGE! There are times we do stumble and give in to temptation. We sin. However:
“If we confess our sins, He (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.(1 John 1:9)

After our failures we are prone to letting those failures define who we are. We believe the accusations that we are unworthy and doomed to a path of continued failure. Satan “signals” us that he has the ball, and that there is nothing we can do about it. But here is the truth:· His word doesn’t matter, and it has no bearing on what occurs next in the “game”.· He may actually know nothing about who ends up with the ball at the bottom of the dogpile.· He has an allegiance to his own “team”, and is more concerned with his advantage than the truth.
Jesus Christ, our Savior, and mediator. By whose blood we have received payment for our sins, HE IS OUR JUDGE!
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom”.(2 Timothy 4)

Let us ignore the judgement and accusations of the enemy, Satan is the false judge who has NO AUTHORITY TO MAKE THE CALLS IN OUR LIFE! When I am faced with his accusations and discouragement, I am going to imagine him as a player in the game, not the referee, not the judge. He has no actual right to determine the outcome. If I give him that right, I have handed him he ball and he now has possession. But if I acknowledge Christ alone as my judge, I will be victorious
Hand the Ball to Jesus! After the game is over, No matter what our failures have been. He Word to us is this:

²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30)