ARE WE LOOKING FOR JESUS IN THE WRONG PLACES? Part 21

 

ARE WE LOOKING FOR JESUS IN THE WRONG PLACES?
Part 21: The Valley of Humiliation

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

As we have travelled with Christian through The Pilgrim’s Progress, we have been asking the same question from the beginning: Are we looking for Jesus in the wrong places? We have looked at the foundation of the Christian journey, the different responses to the Gospel, the dangers of worldly wisdom, the work of the Holy Spirit, the Law and its inability to cleanse the heart, and the Cross, where Christian's burden was removed. We have also looked at difficulty, pressure, temptation, and the danger of becoming careless. In the last post, Christian arrived at the Palace Beautiful, where he was welcomed, given fellowship, instructed, and shown the armour prepared for pilgrims. Now he leaves the Palace, and the road takes him down into the Valley of Humiliation.

I find it interesting that Christian has just come from a place where he has been welcomed and encouraged. He has been able to rest, talk about his experiences, and learn from those who have gone before him. Yet the next part of the road takes him down into a valley.

Bunyan does not present the Valley of Humiliation merely as a place of misery. There is fruitfulness there, and Christian is able to pass through it. But as he continues, he encounters someone who urges him to turn back.

What fascinates me about Christian's journey is his commitment to the call of obedience. He knows where he has come from and where he is going, and despite everything that happens along the way, he remains committed to following the call that set him on the road in the first place. His journey seems far removed from my own. I have taken wrong turns, hesitated, questioned, become discouraged, and at times allowed the pressures of life to influence how I respond to what I know God has said. When I see Christian standing before Apollyon, refusing to turn back, I have to ask myself how committed I am to the same call of obedience when obedience becomes difficult.

His name is Apollyon. Apollyon approaches Christian and begins to question him, asking where he has come from and where he is going. Christian tells him that he has left the City of Destruction and is travelling towards the Celestial City.

Apollyon begins to reason with him about his decision. Why leave the place he came from? Why continue on a road that has already brought him so much hardship? Why not return? What interests me is that he does not begin by attacking Christian. He begins by speaking to him.

That is often how deception works. The enemy does not always present something that immediately looks evil. Sometimes the temptation is to question what God has already said or to reconsider a decision we know we have made in accordance with His Word.

Christian knows where he has come from and where he is going. More importantly, he knows whom he serves. He tells Apollyon that he is a servant of the Prince of princes and has sworn to serve Him. Christian does not claim that the road has been easy. He simply refuses to return to the place from which he has been delivered.

We have already discussed what happens when the pressure mounts. When we are tired, discouraged, disappointed or hurting, the temptation to find something that eases the pressure can become very strong. The alternative can start to look attractive simply because it appears to offer relief. But where does that alternative lead us?

Apollyon becomes angry because Christian refuses to turn back, and the conversation escalates into a battle. Christian is attacked and wounded, but eventually draws his sword and defeats Apollyon.

Christian has already been to the Cross. His burden has been lifted. He has climbed Hill Difficulty, faced his own carelessness, returned for his roll, and reached the Palace Beautiful. None of those things meant he would never face another battle. In fact, he has just been shown the armour prepared for pilgrims, and now we see why.

Paul writes:

“and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Ephesians 6:17

We looked at the armour of God in the previous post, so I do not want to repeat everything we have already considered. But Bunyan has placed the armoury immediately before Christian meets Apollyon, and Christian now has to use what has been provided for him.

This brings me back to the importance of God's Word. When circumstances change, our feelings can shift with them. What seemed clear yesterday can look very different under pressure. Other people may offer advice, and some of it can sound very convincing. But the Word of God remains our final authority.

Jesus said:

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17

There have been many times in my life when I have wanted my great heavenly Father to change my circumstances, but I have come to realise that sometimes the change I was seeking had to begin with me. I needed to sit at His feet, open His Word, and allow Him to change the way I saw what I was going through. I still do not always understand what Jesus Christ, my Lord, is doing, but I am learning that obedience means trusting my great heavenly Father even when I cannot see where He is taking me.

Perhaps Peter helps us understand this better. He tells us not to be surprised when the fiery trial comes,

“as though something strange were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12.

Peter does not tell us that suffering means we are on the wrong road. He tells us not to be surprised when trials come. This is a fundamental point to grasp, because we must find our direction in God's Word. When we understand this, the question becomes not simply “Why?” but “What can I learn from this?”

Bunyan does not portray Christian as someone who is never afraid or never injured. He portrays him as someone who knows whom he serves and refuses to turn back. That, I think, is something we need to understand. Being a Christian does not mean opposition or temptation will disappear, or that every difficult circumstance will suddenly change. A Christian has been prepared, but he still has to stand.

“Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:13

I certainly do not claim to have mastered this. Far from it. I am still learning what it means to stand when the pressure comes, to listen to the instruction of God's Word rather than to my own feelings, and to trust my great heavenly Father even when I do not understand what is happening. But this is what Scripture teaches us, and if the Word of God is our final authority, then this is where I must begin.

Christian resisted Apollyon, and eventually the battle was over. He continued along the road.

Signing off

Tyrone

Scripture References: James 4:7; Ephesians 6:10-18; John 17:17; 1 Peter 4:12