Crowned Sinner
The enemy’s two favorite tactics—ego and shame—are on opposite ends of the spectrum and the deployment of them switches from one to the other at lightning speed.
In one moment, you are tempted to believe the whispered appeal to ego. This is the thought that your ways are highest, and your reasoning and intellect the best. It is an attractive appeal, but at its root is the idea that you are greater than your God.
It is a tactic countered by Truth: “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Is. 55:8-9).
But beware, your appropriate acknowledgment of this Truth and the humbling of your ego beneath the authority of your God is very likely to be followed by the inverse accusation of shame from the enemy: “Who are you to have such thoughts? You should be ashamed of yourself!”
It is astonishing how fast one accusation switches to the other when met with initial resistance. But in reality, both accusations are aimed at the same goal, which is convincing you to focus on what is right or wrong with you rather than on the work that God has already accomplished for you!
The Truth when confronting the tactic of shame is this: God has made you “a little lower than the angels and crowned [you] with glory and honor” (Ps. 8:5)!
It is not true you are greater than God!
It is also not true you are therefore saddled with a burden of shame!
Quite to the contrary, the abounding and unbridled Truth is that the God who is greater than all saw you in your sin and chose to crown you with His glory and honor!
The enemy deploys ego to convince you God is small. He deploys shame for the same reason—to suggest your sin is greater than your God. He deploys these tactics repeatedly and often in the same breath.
They are both absolutely and wholly untrue.
Your God is great. He is greater than both your ego and your sin, and you are liberated to lay aside your shame and rest free of ego within the expanse of His power.
It is not about you. You, like me, are a sinner.
It is about your God. And His Truth is this: He has crowned you! Your defining characteristic is not your sin, but rather His glory and honor that crown you!
The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.