Set Your Affection On Things Above

By Don MacIntyre

    "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:1-4).

    There is a great battle going on right now. The combatants are using every and any resource at their disposal to win the territory. That territory is our affections. The battle is invisible, and almost silent on the outside, but inside, the clamor and clash of two great armies fills the battlefield of our mind.

    On one side stands Satan, the usurper prince of this world. In his arsenal of weapons, he lures our affections with the things of this life, the things of this very temporary world. He sends forth at us a bombardment of worldly allures, such as dreams of success, dreams of a grand retirement, dreams of great honor, prestige, riches, and that greatest of weapons, power; be it financial power, political power, power in your occupation, power in your community, power in your home, or among your fellows.

    And as if this does not portray a formidable force on their own, Satan has as his trusting ally "Self," one whom you might call a traitor because he is an insider and wields some considerable influence in the sought-for territory known as "our affections."

    On the other side stands Him. The Lion of the tribe of Judah. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. His arsenal contains but one weapon. Though only one, it is the mightiest weapon this world has ever known. It has conquered millions. It has stolen souls and won hearts away from Satan by thousands of thousands. It has defeated the enemy over and over again by its invincible power.

    That lone weapon is an old rugged cross. Upon it was crucified the God of all glory. But the grave could not hold Him. He arose victorious over death, over sin, over Satan, over all this world and its power. That cross stands as the height, the depth, the length, and the breadth of God’s mighty love for you and for me. And though years have passed by, the depth of sacrifice that took place upon that cross still commands our whole heart, all of our affection.

    So there it is, the battle. And there they are, the combatants. And here we are in the middle. The wise Apostle Paul gives to us the key to the victory in this battle with just one little word. The victory depends on you and me. That one little word so important is "set." Set, he writes. SET your affection on things above.

    It brings to mind a man taking a large hammer and driving a stake way down deep into the earth. Once and for all time, driven so deep he could not get a grip on it to pull it up again even he wanted to. Set…SET. That settles the matter, and ends the war.

    Satan can do nothing against such a godly determination, and God can do nothing without it. Your will is the key factor in this battle. So make the choice. Settle it once and for all. Drive in your stake. Only then can there be peace in your valley. Amen.