Some may believe that they are able to compromise with God. I have heard many people say something like, “Me and God have an understanding…” as if God will turn a blind eye to their misdeeds in return for something they may have to offer. But what do we really have to offer God except our devotion and obedience? After all, hasn’t He said:
“I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills… If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.” (Psalms 50:9, 10, 12)
“… Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22b)
It is important to know that compromising spiritually is never acceptable to God, because it is compromise that Satan most often uses to defeat us. Look at Moses as an example; starting in Exodus 8:25:
“And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.”
In the next several verses, we will learn of the four kinds of compromise most commonly used by the devil. Egypt, or the land, is a type of the world; Pharaoh is a type of Satan; and Moses is a type of the individual Christian. In Exodus 8:25, we see the first form of compromise presented – the compromise of worldliness. Worldliness is being related to, or devoted to, this world and its pursuits, rather than to spiritual affairs. On the surface, Pharaoh’s order seems acceptable, good even. Isn’t he telling Moses to go and sacrifice to God? Isn’t that a good thing?
Sure it is – if it’s done God’s way. Notice the end of the verse, “…sacrifice to your God in the land.”
Serve God, but don’t leave the world. Call yourself a Christian, but stay in the world. Don’t give up your sins. Don’t change a thing. Don’t repent. The devil doesn’t mind us naming the name of Christ, just as long as we don’t “put on” Christ. Making this compromise would be like the prodigal son coming to his senses, realizing it would be better with his father, but all the while remaining in the pig pen (Luke 15:17-19).
God tells us:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
In another place, He said:
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? …Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)
We cannot serve God and stay “in the land.” We must come out and be separate.
The next form of compromise is found in Exodus 8:28:
“And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away…”
In other words, serve God, but don’t let your sin get too far away from you. This is the compromise of provision. Provision is the act or process of providing a stock of needed materials or supplies; making provision for the flesh.
Satan says, “Ok, you won’t stay in the world. That’s fine, just don’t get too far from the world. It’s ok to look back and remember the “good ole days.” It’s ok to keep your drinking buddies on speed dial, just in case. It’s ok to keep the stack of pornography in the very back of your closet. It’s ok to stash that last pack of cigarettes in your desk drawer. You can go on out of the world, but don’t get too far. You never know when you might want to come back, right?”
But God tells us:
“…No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)
He also tells us to:
“…put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Romans 13:14)
The third form of compromise is found in Exodus 10:9, 11:
“And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go… Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire…”
This is the compromise of isolation; not involving others. Satan says, “If I can’t stop you, I have to at least keep your spirituality from spreading. I’ll keep you quarantined. Fine, go be a faithful Christian, but don’t involve anyone else!”
This happened to the Apostles; see Acts 4:15-20:
“But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all…and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name… But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye….”
Satan has been trying to shut Christians up for centuries; but God commands us:
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Lastly, in Exodus 10:24, we come to the fourth form of compromise:
“And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed …”
This is the compromise of preservation. Satan says, “Serve God, but don’t give or sacrifice anything.” But God requires us to give ourselves completely, holding nothing back:
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:34-37)
Now that we know the tactics of the devil:
“We must watch, especially in the beginnings of temptation; for then is the foe more easily mastered, when he is not suffered to enter within the mind, but is met outside the door as soon as he hath knocked. For first cometh to the mind the simple suggestion, then the strong imagination, afterwards pleasure, evil affection, assent. And so little by little the enemy entereth in altogether, because he was not resisted at the beginning. And the longer a man delayeth his resistance, the weaker he groweth, and the stronger groweth the enemy against him. Let us therefore humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God in all temptation and trouble, for He will save and exalt such as are of a humble spirit.” (Thomas Kempis)
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