Envying the Foolish

By Alexandra Copeland

‘The struggle is real!’ This statement is an urban colloquialism that is extremely fitting and aptly expressed about the plight of so many today. Getting ahead has never been easy, but one would think that with the modern conveniences of technology, increased intelligence, and all-around advances that are almost baffling to the mind, there would exist today a greater sensitivity and compassion. Our higher nature has always hoped that increased intelligence breeds compassion, and that a more cohesive society is the outcome. Perhaps the jury is still out on that one. What we do know is that the same ignorance and prejudices that stymied progression and perpetuated lies about God’s Will and Word for centuries, are still blockers today. It can become so paralyzing for some, that as God’s people, we might lose faith and begin to ask ourselves if it’s really possible to get over the hurdles. 

We see the evil, and we also see the prosperity of those that allow themselves to be conduits of it. Ephesians 6:12(NLT) makes is very clear that “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” People are blind to satan’s devices, and they allow themselves to be used by him and his demonic henchman for evil. It’s a tough thing to come to grips with, and many never will, but this is the truth of God’s Word; people, even those we know and love, can be used by the devil against us.

Our aim, as citizens of heaven and children of the Most High, must be to build a solid foundation of truth, and we cannot do this by believing a lie. As Jesus Christ has told us in Luke 6:48 (NLT), only the truth of God’s Word will build a solid life that will be unwavering and stand strong. He said “when the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.” Standing on the truth means we understand that fighting against a spiritual enemy with physical weapons is pointless. We’re not wrestling against flesh and blood enemies, so when we step into the ring of faith, only the armor that God has provided will do. 

1 Timothy 6:12(NLT) tells us, “Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.” God tells us to fight the good fight of faith. If there’s a good fight, we must deduce that there is also a bad fight. A bad fight is one where we’re swinging in the air, never hitting the target. God has equipped us to fight better and stronger than this. As His sons and daughter, we can hit the target every time if we put on the breastplate of faith and love, the helmet of salvation, and stand with the Spirit’s sword of truth!

Instead of standing with the full armor of God and being poised for the good fight of faith, many of us become focused on the harm we think a person can do. God’s Word plainly tells us that no weapon formed against a faith warrior will prosper, but we ignore this and let the devil mess with our heads. Once he finds an opening he pounces, and our acquiescence to focus on the wrong target is exactly the opening the enemy is seeking. The psalmist, Asaph, paints a spot-on portrait of what this looks like in Psalm 73. He defines for us the temptation to envy the prosperity of wicked people, and said in Psalm 73:2(NLT), “But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.” This was how close he believed he actually was to losing his faith, all because he allowed himself to focus on the wrong enemy and use the wrong weapons to fight. 

It is not so much seeing the wicked prosper that trips us up. It’s believing that God has shortchanged us, the righteous, somehow; that He has favored the oppressor instead of the oppressed. This is the insidious kink of doubt that unfastens our armor. Our Heavenly Father absolutely detests doubt and fear. These cousins are not related to His Kingdom in any way. They belong to the kingdom of darkness, and are under the dominion of satan. We are brought so low by doubt and fear, and we grossly underestimate the damage they cause to our spiritual walks.

Asaph said in Psalm 73:3(NLT), “For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.” We have to keep it real, we sometimes look at those who sell their souls for fame and fortune, and do the same thing. They seem to be lavished in success and wealth. We, in contrast, seem to have trouble on every hand, taking one step forward and two steps back. Life can seem like one big struggle that doesn’t make sense. In Psalm 73:13-14 (NLT), Asaph asked, “13 Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? 14 I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.” We can relate, right?!

Understanding how this works is a tough task. That’s why Asaph tells us in verse 17 that he went to the Source. He sought the sanctuary of God’s glory and holiness, and received revelation about the real deal. He prayed to God for understanding of this. The Lord revealed the truth in such a way that even in the height of their riches, the wicked are to be pitied; for their prosperity is at best a nest of confusion, and at worse a trick that will surely lead to their eternal ruin. Our light affliction, the scriptures tell us in 2Corinthians 4:17, is only a momentary trouble, and it is preparing us for an eternal glory that outweighs any temporary discomfort we might experience. 

Any person, rich or poor, who does not love and worship their Creator, will love and worship darkness and eat the fruits thereof. We shouldn’t let the enemy trick us into envying the foolish things of this world, because they belong to him. When we focus on them, we become foolish, ignorant, and arrogant too. Our mission is to stay focused on the prize and fight the good fight of faith by trusting God, even when our conditions are not optimal. As Asaph said in verse 24, Heavenly Father is guiding us with His counsel, and He will lead us to a glorious destiny. To stand strong in this fight, we must lean on Jesus Christ and desire a closer walk with Heavenly Father more than anything on this earth. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.