Tag Archives: weekend reading

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Wherever He Leads | Bible Gleanings | June 13-14, 2026

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The boy was abruptly abducted. Convinced he would make a good slave, his kidnappers forced him to tend sheep in the extreme conditions of a remote land beyond the sea. Although not particularly religious, the excruciating ordeal compelled the young lad to pray. Finally, after five arduous years, he escaped from captivity by boarding a vessel that carried him home to the embrace of grateful parents who implored him never to leave again. But the runaway slave would eventually undertake the unthinkable: return to the land of his captors with the gospel of Christ—Saint Patrick of Ireland was his name.

The Lord constrained him to return to his nightmare of a life when an Irishman appeared in his dreams, pleading, “We beg you to come and walk among us once more.” Go back to the land that stole his freedom? Relive the past he fought so hard to forget? Saint Patrick said yes. He traded his own safety for service to his Savior and convenience for compliance with Christ’s calling on his life.

The results were miraculous. His evangelistic efforts contributed to the conversion of practically the entire population. An ancient painting of Patrick says it all. It depicts him driving out snakes—the “snakes” of idolatry and dark superstition, which he expelled by proclaiming the Man who crushed the head of the serpent (cf. Gen. 3:15). Even the Celtic slave trade that had once ensnared him diminished because of the transforming power of the message he preached.

A willing believer saying “yes” to a difficult task plus a wonder-working God is a powerful combination. As a matter of fact, the Lord’s greatest works are rarely accomplished the easy way. Moses had to repeatedly stand before an intimidating Pharaoh before Israel was delivered. Gideon had to defeat the Midianites with a significantly decreased fighting force (Judges 7:1-3). The first church had to endure severe persecution in order to multiply (Acts 8:1-4). Even Christ had to suffer and die upon the cross before being raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

God is most active in the hard places: the difficult conversation you don’t want to have, the uncomfortable sacrifice you don’t want to make, and the frightening step of faith you hesitate to take. This is why the Lord delights in servants who answer His sometimes-challenging calls and commands like Isaiah: “Here am I; send me” (Isa. 6:8). Indeed, the path of obedience might bring you face-to-face with your fears, but it will also lead directly to the breathtaking purposes of God. Therefore, the anthem on every believer’s lips ought to be that which is found in B. B. McKinney’s well-known hymn which says,

“It may be through the shadows dim,

or o’er the stormy sea,

I take my cross and follow Him;

wherever He leadeth me.

Wherever He leads I’ll go,

wherever He leads I’ll go,

I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so,

wherever He leads I’ll go.”

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Danger of Doing Nothing | Bible Gleanings | June 6-7, 2026

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The number of victims it has claimed is incalculable. Few can resist its hypnotic appeal. It leaves its targets with a heavier heart and a lighter wallet. Worst of all, most of its captives never learn their lesson, succumbing again and again to its seductions despite swearing to never surrender. It has made a fool of me and has likely done the same to you: the checkout lane. 

That’s where all the junk is—candy bars, chips, soda, and other enticing empty calories that need no advertisement. And distributors have conveniently and cleverly placed such delectable treats there because they know you are stuck with nothing to do but wait in line—and look. You grab what you need and go your way in the rest of the store, but movement stops at the checkout lane. Temptation lies within arm’s reach, and before long, a chocolate bar or some other I’ll-never-buy-this-again item slithers into your shopping cart. Idleness plus temptation equals another pointless purchase, and another disappointed victim.

Doing nothing is dangerous, especially in the Christian life. Idleness presents believers with an opportunity to “check out” what sin has to offer. Inactivity leads to sin-activity. When movement stops, temptation starts. Just ask David—the Scripture says that he “tarried in Jerusalem,” dilly-dallying when he should have been at war until his eyes wandered toward a bathing Bathsheba, and the rest is shameful history (cf. 2 Sam. 11).

This is why the Bible speaks so strongly about idleness and spiritual neglect. Solomon cautioned that doing nothing to maintain your house will result in its deterioration, and neglecting to care for your soul will lead to its decline (Eccl. 10:18). He similarly taught that an idle person’s life will be overrun with evil, just as a vineyard becomes overgrown due to negligence from a lazy gardener (Prov. 24:30-34). Paul also asserted that failing to be busy doing the Lord’s work results in being busy doing the devil’s work (2 Thess. 3:11). The Scripture even teaches that an “abundance of idleness” was one of the greatest iniquities of Sodom (Ezek. 16:49).

But you can vanquish idleness the same way you overcome temptation in the checkout lane: be vigilant, look away, and keep on moving. Believers must watch themselves and watch out for the devil’s wiles (Gen. 4:7; Gal. 6:1; 1 Peter 5:8). Christians must also be “always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58b), remaining occupied with serving Christ, praying often, reading Scripture, and participating in the local church. The great Puritan Isaac Ambrose wisely warned, “As a standing pool grows filthy of itself and full of toads and vermin, so the heart that is not engaged in something good and useful is a fit place for the devil to breed evil thoughts and filthy passions in.” Save yourself some money and be watchful in the checkout lane. And save yourself some regret by resisting the subtle danger of idleness.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Butterfly Believers | Bible Gleanings | May 30-31, 2026

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Peck. Peck. Peck. The nettlesome noise awakened the woman from a sound sleep. A peckish sparrow perched outside her window trying to eat breakfast—a butterfly frantically fluttering against the inside of the glass. There was a misunderstanding—the butterfly believed it was history, and the hungry bird was frustrated because it couldn’t reach its meal due to the invisible barrier between them. The butterfly had no reason to have the butterflies—it was as safe as if it had been thousands of miles away. 

Crippled with panic, yet completely protected. How frequently do we as believers suffer from paralyzing dread regarding our souls when we have no reason to? Lacking assurance, we often live as though our salvation hangs by a thread, as if heaven’s door is barely open and poised to slam shut in our faces. We fear losing our salvation, out-sinning the grace of God, disappointing our Savior one too many times, or being snatched away by the world or the devil. But according to the Scripture, there is something infinitely greater than a glass pane standing between us and falling away from the faith: the nail-scarred hands of Christ Jesus.

Jesus graciously assured that there is no reason for His sheep to live in trepidation: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). Believer, your salvation does not depend on your grip of Christ, but upon His grip of you—and He will never let you go (cf. Heb. 13:5). He likewise promised, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. . . And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day” (John 6:37, 39). And your name is inscribed in the Book of Life with immortal ink—even graven in the palms of His hands (Rev. 3:5; Isa. 49:16), and it cannot be erased by your transgressions nor made more permanent by your obedience. 

Is this not why Paul exclaimed, “I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39, KJV)? God’s grace-kept, eternally-secure, and never-lost children have no reason to live like anxious butterflies. Rather, there are a thousand reasons to mount up with wings as eagles and soar in the joy of blessed assurance. For all who are in Christ, the Lord’s promise remains unchanged: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isa. 41:10).

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

When Heaven Quakes | Bible Gleanings | February 14-15, 2026

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A traumatic earthquake in San Francisco deeply devastated the little boy, although he was oblivious to it. But he showed subtle signs of how shaken he was on the school’s swingset. The lad’s teachers observed that he would run for the swings during recess, and sway back and forth until it was time for school to resume. And when a teacher finally asked him why he bypassed the slides and merry-go-round to swing alone, he sadly answered, “On the swing, I move like the earth. So, if there’s another earthquake, I won’t feel it.” 

Without realizing it, he diagnosed the knee-jerk reaction we often have when we endure troubles in our lives. When we go through a life-shaking storm—an earthquake-level tribulation that rattles our world—we tend to brace ourselves for the next one. We live anxiously and guarded, worried that if things start to get better, that can only mean they are about to get worse. We often find ourselves quaking before the ground does.  

But the heartening truth of Scripture is that a much greater “quaking” takes place in heaven when we pray during times of trouble. As David said in Psalm 18,

“In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help . . . Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters” (Ps. 18:6a, 7, 13, 16; cf. Acts 4:31; James 5:16b). 

When we send up a prayer for help during trials, the Lord treats it like a call for backup. At the sound of our requests, God rises like a mighty warrior from His throne, rattling the floor of heaven with His swift steps, and heaven’s gates fling open wide just so the Lord can get to our side. When we pray in peril, God shouts across the heavens as though to say, “Out of My way, My child is in trouble!” When our prayers reach His ears, He leaves the throne-room of glory and enters the battlefield with us. He conducts a search-and-rescue mission when we petition Him for mercy in misery, and will even mobilize creation itself to provide us with reinforcements so we can survive the battle.

Every good father—upon hearing his child crying in danger—would drop everything, rush to his location, and push aside anything that stands in his way. Likewise, our heavenly Father rushes to our position, pushing aside all the glories of heaven and all the starry hosts of the heavens to come to our aid when we need Him. As James Rowe (1865-1933) wrote in the great hymn Love Lifted Me,

“But the Master of the sea

heard my despairing cry,

from the waters lifted me

now safe am I.”

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Stewarding Your Spiritual Gifts | Bible Gleanings | February 7-8, 2026

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Being blind, uneducated, and seventy years-old, there was not much she could do—but she wanted to do something. The African woman had been led to Jesus by a gospel-preaching missionary, but her newfound zeal hit a brick wall because of her limitations. She wanted to serve the needy, but felt too old. She yearned to teach, but she couldn’t read. But after seeking God’s wisdom, she conceived an unconventional idea. 

She gave her Bible to the missionary and asked him to underline John 3:16 in red ink. She then passed around her Bible to younger villagers, asking, “Can you read the passage underlined in red?” Then came a follow-up question: “Do you know what this means?” When the youth would respond, “No,” she would then tell them “the old, old story of Jesus and His love.” Although she wasn’t a missionary or a Bible teacher, she understood that the Lord gave her a job to do—and she made it all about Jesus. 

Likewise, if you believe in the Man whose voice inspired the red letters, you also have a calling to fulfill, a ministry to steward, spiritual gifts to use, and divinely-tailored tasks assigned by God exclusively for you. As Paul explained, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” (1 Cor. 12:4-6).

And the not-so-secret secret for faithfully fulfilling your God-given calling is centering your service and spiritual gifts around the “words in red,” and the Man who spoke them. When Jesus is not the focus, service swiftly degenerates into self-serving. If the glory of Christ is not the goal of your Spirit-supplied abilities, then recognition, results, and reputation will take its place. Thus, whether you are pastoring a church, teaching Sunday school, changing diapers in the nursery, evangelizing a lost neighbor, singing in the choir, leading family worship, caring for the sick, or counseling the broken—the cross must be the axis. This is why Peter said, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:10-11a).

Jesus illustrated this truth in His parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30). A master entrusted great fortunes to his servants while he was gone. Two servants invested what they were given, but the “wicked and slothful servant” buried his money in the ground for safekeeping. When the master returned, he blessed the servants who used what he gave them, but cursed the servant who did nothing with what he was given. And the lesson is clear: use what God has given you (Rom. 12:6). Don’t bury your abilities and spiritual gifts—steward them faithfully.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

God’s Positioning System | Bible Gleanings | December 27-28, 2025

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Without fail, I always added a thirty minute detour when I traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for classes and conferences, all because I failed to check my GPS. As you draw closer to the city, there is a hard-to-see exit off to the right—137B to be exact—and if you don’t switch lanes early, you will miss it because of the heavy traffic. Of course, I always zipped past it due to being immersed in classic rock on the radio or an audiobook. On the bright side, I got to explore several cities I had never visited before!

It wasn’t the fault of the GPS. It told me where to go. But it was up to me whether or not I listened. The GPS always gave the right directions, but I remained in control of the car. The availability of guidance wasn’t the problem—my lack of attention was.

And the same is true while traveling the heavenbound road of righteousness. The holy Scripture is the Lord’s GPS for our lives—God’s Positioning System. It tells us where to go, where not to go, what to do, and what not to do. As the psalmist declared, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105, KJV). The prophet Isaiah echoed the same truth: “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left” (Isa. 30:21).

However, just as with a GPS, we must choose to listen to and obey the directions the Lord provides in His word. We are still behind the wheel of our own lives, and the fateful power of decision is in our hands. And we could avoid many regretful detours of disobedience if we simply heeded the guidance of God’s word. This is why the Lord gently urges us, “Listen diligently to me . . . Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live” (Isa. 55:2b-3a). And He graciously assures us, “But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster” (Prov. 1:33).

The English hymn-writer William W. How (1823-1897) captured this wonderfully in O Word of God Incarnate, saying that the Bible

“. . . Floateth like a banner

before God’s host unfurled;

it shineth like a beacon

above the darkling world.

It is the chart and compass

that o’er life’s surging sea,

‘mid mists and rocks and quicksands,

still guides, O Christ, to Thee.”

Are you listening to your GPS?

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Bitter Cup of Legalism | Bible Gleanings | November 1-2, 2025

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Coffee was once considered the devil’s drink of choice. Because coffee was popular among Muslims who drank it to stay awake during their evening worship services, Roman Catholic Church leaders during the 16th century claimed that it was a demonic concoction “of Islamic infidels.” That is, until Pope Clement VIII gave it a taste—and it didn’t take long for him to bless the bean. “This Satan’s drink is so delicious,” he remarked, “it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall fool Satan by baptizing it.”1 And immediately, coffee conquered the continent and flowed all the way to the mugs we fill every morning.

Coffee-hating legalists nearly missed out on one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind, and legalism continues to rob believers of God’s gifts of joy, grace, peace, and Christian liberty. Legalism, if you didn’t know, is when we add man-made rules and religious traditions to God’s word, grading our holiness and that of others based on restrictions God never gave us in the Scripture. Legalism turns us into spiritual hall monitors who police piety based on personal preferences. And legalism rears its ugly head when we measure spirituality by clothing choices, denominational traditions, worship music styles, and strict abstinence from activities not explicitly prohibited in the Bible—things like watching secular movies, wearing blue jeans to church, or enjoying classic rock music. The Pharisees of Jesus’ time were steeped in legalism, demonstrated by their indignant insinuation that His disciples were heathen-like sinners because they didn’t ceremonially wash their hands before eating (Mark 7:1-5). 

The apostle Paul warned believers about the danger of legalism in Colossians 2:20-23,

“You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires” (NLT).

Simply put, legalism may appear holy, but it does not make you holy. It may keep your hands clean, but it cannot keep your heart pure.

However, the remedy for legalism is not swerving to the opposite extreme and indulging in unrestrained and careless conduct. The solution is also not more rules—the answer is more Jesus (Col. 2:6). And we must obey the Lord out of gratitude for His saving grace (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Titus 2:11-12), and carefully assess our obedience according to what God has clearly written in His word. Additionally, we ought to enjoy and embrace the good gifts of God’s creation without guilt, and exercise wisdom while doing so. Otherwise, we will dilute the sweet cup of God’s grace and drink the bitter cup of legalism.

  1. Rick Beyer, The Greatest Stories Never Told (New York: HarperCollins, 2003), 30.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Idol Worship Stinks | Bible Gleanings | October 25-26, 2025

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The woman was “down in the dumps,” having entangled herself in a messy situation which prompted her to reassess her priorities. The Brinnon Fire Department in Washington State reported that a lady in her 40s requested emergency assistance, after falling headfirst into a vault toilet at a frequented hiking area. On the list of “worst things to happen to hikers,” this ranks as number two. How did she end up neck-deep?

She reportedly dropped her smartphone in the outhouse latrine and attempted to retrieve it—unsuccessfully. Initially, she tried fishing it out with her dog’s leash, and let’s just say her furry friend went home leashless that day. Next, she removed the seat and leaned into the abhorrent abyss to get closer—and that’s when it happened. The entire latrine collapsed inward, causing her to plunge into the filth below, where she dialed 9-1-1 from her soiled cellphone. All of this for a $200 smartphone. 

The lengths we will go for what we love and the things we are willing to do for what we value are truly astonishing. And many times, the price we pay in doing so is not worth the gain. But this is precisely what we do when worshiping gods that are not God. We often invest precious time, money, and energy into idols we believe will make us happier and more fulfilled—although they leave us down in the dumps. As the psalmist counseled, “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply” (Psalm 16:4a).

Idol-worship always costs more than it pays, and the false gods of possessions, protection, power, pleasure, prestige, and position always take more than they give. As Jonah cautioned, “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love” (Jonah 2:8). You can’t get from gods what you can only get from God. So, why give to gods and get nothing when you can give to God and get everything He promises?

Nevertheless, emulating Josiah of old (2 Chron. 34:33) and demolishing our idols is challenging because, as John Calvin once stated, our hearts are “factories of idols,” equipped with a golden-calf assembly line, eager to fashion a god from anything and everything. Paul likewise stated in Romans that we are prone to worship and serve “the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom. 1:25). This is why we are exhorted, “Flee from idolatry” (1 Cor. 10:14, KJV), and admonished, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). Therefore, we must continually “turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them” (Acts 14:15b).

Idols are all glitter and no gold—God is God and always good. Idol-worship stinks—worshiping God satisfies. As David declared: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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Keep Ducking | Bible Gleanings | October 11-12, 2025

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I always duck my head when I put away the dishes. But not because my wife stealthily wields a frying pan, eager to cash in on some life insurance. No, I instinctively lower my head because of our poorly placed cabinet door—and my poor memory of its existence. It sits right above the dishwasher, and I have a bad habit of leaving it open while I put away plates, mugs, and cutlery. And having hit my head on it many times, I have learned to automatically duck—even while it is closed.

And the other day, the old adversary vanquished me again. Vibing to some good music with my headphones on, I forgot to duck, and a thud echoed across the kitchen. And a pulsing abrasion on my balding head served as a reminder that no matter how many times you’ve learned your lesson, old problems can still get you. Many dangers remain in place, waiting for you to forget they are there.

Paul the apostle understood this problem profoundly. After twenty-something years of continual Christian maturity, he admitted in Romans that he still “hit his head” from time to time:

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate . . . For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing . . . So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand” (Rom. 7:15, 18-19, 21).

Struggling with the same old sins and suffering from setbacks is a part of every saint’s sanctification. Sin isn’t going away until we are away from our bodies and present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). Until then, we must remain diligently watchful and continue ducking our heads to avoid sin and the headaches it induces. The real danger is thinking there is no danger—that is precisely when sin inflicts another bruise on our heads. As Paul also said, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). 

And when sin hits us on the head due to our carelessness, the good news is that God will lift us up by His grace. The writer of Proverbs 24:16 promised, “For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” The psalmist likewise assured, “Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand” (Psalm 37:24). Keep ducking your head, Christian. And when you forget to do so, remember that God raises the humble heads of those who have been wounded by their besetting sins.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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Know Your Enemy | Bible Gleanings | October 4-5, 2025

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Countless wars have been won following its principles, and countless more have been lost by ignoring them. Written over 2,400 years ago by a Chinese military strategist named Sun Tzu, The Art of War is essentially the Proverbs of conflict. Sun Tzu poured his greatest war wisdom into this treatise, and one of its most prominent principles is this: “Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril.”

This proverbial proposition is particularly pertinent in our struggle against the devil. Satan succeeds in seducing us when his schemes remain a secret. But our chances of triumphing over the Tempter increase when we recognize his tools, tactics, and tricks. “Knowing is half the battle,” as G.I. Joe used to say, and we can only craft a battle plan against Satan once we understand his. And the Bible reveals Satan’s playbook in Luke 4:1-13, where he employed three strategies to tempt Christ in the wilderness: doubt, deception, and distortion.

The devil first enticed Jesus to turn stones into bread, not to relieve His hunger, but to doubt the provision of His Father (v. 3). Satan was essentially insinuating, “What kind of God would starve His only begotten Son? You better make bread because your ‘God’ isn’t providing for you this time.” And his wicked whispers reach our ears, too: “What kind of loving God would allow your prayers to go unanswered? What kind of Father allows His children to go without?”

The slithering serpent also tried to lure Christ into temptation through deception (vv. 5-7). The father of lies claimed that all sovereignty and dominion belonged to him, and he could, therefore, grant Jesus the greatest empires of the world. But the truth is that all power, authority, and glory are the Lord’s (Matt. 6:13b). Thus, Satan tells non-truths and half-truths but never the truth.

Lastly, the master of deceit used distortion to tempt the Lord Jesus (vv. 9-11). He twisted Psalm 91:11-12 to encourage Christ to leap from the temple roof to His death. The devil knows the Scripture and knows how to modify, misrepresent, and misuse it. He mixes lies with truth so that it is difficult to discern the difference. And this is not surprising since the first words uttered from his lying lips were, “Hath God said?” (Gen. 3:1a, KJV).

And for each of these strategies, there is one proven defense: the word of God. Christ resisted every temptation by declaring, “It is written” (v. 4, 8, 12), and we must wield the sword of the Spirit in Satan’s face. A dusty Bible on our shelves will not help us, but the word of God stored upon the shelves of our soul certainly will. To vanquish Satan, you must know your enemy and know your Bible.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.