School of Prayer: Spiritual Integrity, Pt1

On the Mount of Temptation (Matt 4) Yeshua's identity was questioned, then his authority was questioned. When the enemy could not destroy Yeshua's purpose through persecution, he turned to his disciples.

Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you (demanded to have you), that he may sift (shake in a sieve, to try ones faith to the verge of overthrow; a breaking to pieces and separating from God) you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

The sifting process is a breaking and here Yeshua did not say that Satan had been denied. Yeshua said he would pray for Simon. Notice that Simon was used, not Peter. Simon was the name associated with Peter’s carnality. This indicates that Satan was going to attack Peter’s person, character, mind, and heart. Yeshua's concluding statement, “when thou are converted” literally after you get over being broken, strengthen your brethren. No one escapes the sifting process. God permits and also controls it (Eph 1:11). God uses the tendencies of the enemy to accomplish his will, but like Job the enemy does not have free choice on what he does or when.

The enemy can try to overthrow our faith and subvert our will, but he cannot take anything we do not let him have. Sifting is a personal calamity designed to make a person quit walking n faith. Many stories have been told of good people being crushed by the sifting process. Crushed is not the same as being destroyed. The enemy will try us on every side. He does not play fair. He knows how to get at us, malign us, and target us. As the stress of temptation and the pressures of failure and inadequacy mount, our spiritual integrity helps to keep us from destruction and getting totally consumed. Spiritual integrity does not mean that we will get everything right. It is not about being perfect. It is not being above failure or mistakes. It is an overall decision, that even in failure and imperfection, we are constantly striving to keep our spiritual boundaries so that we are not overrun.

In stress we are taken out of our place of comfort and under pressure we become sensitive, frustrated, and impatient. Our values change and become more selfish. Integrity helps us to acknowledge the problems and weaknesses of ourselves and others. It limits the impact of strong emotions and thinking that fuel bad behavior that would wreck the plan of God. How many times have we lashed out in our despair, been frustrated, and fed up with our place in life or the outcome of our circumstances? Feeling like a failure and acting like one is an integrity issue. We may feel many things that can’t be avoided but what we produce in our behavior is a type of faith that says a lot about what we are embracing.

Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5 were asked about their actions and they lied, were judged, and died. During great revival, great judgment often comes. What happened? In temptation, they forgot who they were. God is the provider and sustainer of all. When Ananias and Saphira lost their focus in temptation, they violated their place and forgot their identity. When that happened, they lost their authority. The same thing happened to Judas who betrayed Jesus Acts 1:20/ Ps 109:8.

Spiritual integrity is a form of holiness that pursues a Godward direction in all respects so that there is no contradiction in our inward thoughts/emotions or outward behavior that would contradict the will or person of God. Integrity implies that there is no separation between words (values) and ways (actions). It is ultimately based on how we give and receive love. Interpersonal and spiritual issues arise when we cannot do both effectively.

Holiness and love are related. Love is the foundation of who God is; holiness is how he acts in relation to that love (a type of spiritual integrity). God does not violate his love, his word, or his justice. Our spiritual integrity is aimed a mirroring a faithful reflection of the love of God and love for God. If we cannot love well, we cannot express faith well, or honor well, and our prayers will be hindered (Rom, 12:10, 1 Pet 3:7-9). Our integrity is tied to our personal values and character traits (middah/middot). It is the duty of intercessors to continually work on refining their character and keeping their hearts and spirit clean (repentant and obedient to the scriptures).

Rav Calev Lehrer Apostolic Messianic International-Gulf Coast (picture by Gustave Dore-1865)