Posted on 12/09/2002 5:48:55 PM PST by RMrattlesnake
Field Guide to The Little Foxes
By Darren Morrison with help from the unknown person who wrote the tract.
This is a guide to help you identify the little foxes that will destroy your testimony and your walk. These little foxes can even destroy ministries and whole churches as well. So here is a field guide to help you spot them when they come around. When I am outdoors I often carry a field guide with me. It helps me identify different kinds of birds or other animals. So this guide I hope will help you identify the little foxes.
Song of Solomon 2:15. Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. Yes watch out for the little foxes; the little sins we don’t always notice are the once that will destroy our walk with GOD. The little foxes will eat away at the vine and then will devour our fruit. Such a small deed can have tremendous consequences. We are so quick to spot the big sins and chase them away out of the garden, But, oh we many times overlook the little sins. The little foxes that destroy the vine.
Disobedience or sin that brought about the Fall of man, that first sin that threw the whole world into chaos and death. Now sin is our nature. It is natural for us to sin. We must work at this to overcome sin and to be constantly watchful of sin but when we watch don’t over look the little foxes. Psalm 66:18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: Iniquity is sin brothers and sisters. So you see even the little sin is important to GOD. The little foxes are numerous, there are many of them. There are many different kinds of foxes so here is a field guide to help you identify them.
1) Pride is the first little fox. This one is hard to detect, he has many disguises. He is easy to spot when he is in someone else’s garden but when he is in our garden we hardly notice him. This fox if allowed to remain becomes the mother of self conceit. Beware of this fox. Many a good ministry has been destroyed by a fox such as this one. Proverbs 16:18. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 19. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. You see pride goes before Destruction says the Lord. Seen as such a harmless little fox, but destruction is sure if he sticks around. So we must be humble for to be humble we are without pride.
2)Exaggeration is closely related to pride. This fox is so innocent looking and small that many allow him a place in their Garden. This means something that is beyond the truth. It is a lie Proverbs 12:17. He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit. We must always be in the spirit of truth.
3)Selfishness is not such a little fox. This one is the cousin to Covetousness, that is so mean and ugly that we fence him off. This one is faithful throughout life that if accepted as a child will stay with us all our life. Only by Christ’s intervention in our lives we are free of this one. Selfishness has no place in the kingdom and in our own lives as Christians. It is the opposite of the way we should be. 2 Peter 2:10. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
4)Discouragement, this little fox seems too small to be a threat. But in the churches today we have no idea what great damage this has done to ministries that will never be. So small this fox sneaks into almost every Christian’s life from time to time. This little fox comes in when prayers are delayed or things go wrong in our life. Don’t let this little foxes tell you, you cannot do what God has called you to do. Deuteronomy 1:21. Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.
5)World Conformity, this one is known in every church circle. He tries to poke his little head in every ministry and in the lives of Christian’s and sadly enough he goes undetected or seen as not really important at all,. For so many churches have let so much of the world in you hard notice works of GOD any more. This little fox takes away the power and spirituality of the church. This is one of the biggest church killers I know today. So many churches want to conform to the way of the world in order to draw a crowd. Romans 12:2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Don’t think this only applies to Churches because you can let the world into your life to where there is no longer room for GOD.
6)Doubt and Fear these ones are so unlike the other foxes. These foxes keep so many Christians in bondage and with out the kingdom of GOD. These cannot dwell were faith is, for they are contrary, to one another. You see all fear is wrong except the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of all wisdom. Matthew 10:28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
7)Fleshly Lust this little fox is sometimes let in by immature Christians. They are very ruinous to our spiritual growth and to the contrary of GOD’s word. Galatians 5:24. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. We take off the old ways of serving the flesh. So we have new ways. Ephesians 4:23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;. So we begin to think differently and not in the flesh. So don’t let this little fox near either.
8)Love of Pleasure seems so desirable to many but GOD’s world says. 1 Timothy 5:6. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. We shall find our desire for the things of GOD. Not the things of the world shall we desire.
9)Extravagance and Waste these foxes seem so insignificant to pertain to our own affairs, yet as good stewards over His heritage we may not indulge in that which pertains to self-gratification. This is never to GOD’s glory. Luke 15:13. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
10)Worry To a lot of folks worry seems almost necessary, when something goes wrong. However worry has never made a bad situation better. Worry is unbelief and is therefore sin. Matthew 6:34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
11)Resentment and Retaliation How crafty a fox is this one. How human to harbor them, yet they will go straight for the heart and leave a soul devoid of good. Ephesians 4:31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
12)Gossiping, Backbiting and Tale-bearing what a team these little foxes make. They are very closely related and so deadly. They belong in the same category as adultery, hatred and murder, yet are allowed by many who profess to love GOD. God’s judgment is pronounced upon them, and they must be dealt with in no uncertain way by those who would stand among the over comers. Proverbs 17:9. He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
13)Impatience is a well known little fox. This fox has many excuses made on it’s behalf. This fox can bring with him anger and wrath. Beware this one can show up in the most unexpected times and places. Romans 8:25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
14)Criticism and Faultfinding is a nasty little fox. It tears apart GOD’s people. It is often used to cover our own faults. Matthew 7:3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
15)Murmuring and Complaining are closely related and seem very small at first. Yet this sin has provoked GOD’s righteous judgment at one time Philippians 2:14. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: this is what GOD commands us.
16)Contention, Quarreling and Arguing These foxes are where meekness and humility are lacking. In such a cases both parties think they are right, whereas both are wrong. Just a little divine love will chase this fox away.
17)Judgeing this fox comes when we come to conclusions without knowing all the facts. Luke 6:37. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:. We must have the facts before we accuse anyone.
18)Envy and Jealously these foxes are twins and are as deadly as hungry wolves. They are cruel and disastrous and they leave your soul empty. 1 Corinthians 3:3. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
19)Peevishness, Touchiness, Vainglory, self pity, Desire for our Honor and Fame This group of foxes are cunning little thieves. To strip the vineyard barren and leave a desolate waste. They are signs of carnality. All are violators of GOD’s holy law. The same sin that brought disaster to the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:3. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
It is not the big things that will kill and destroy. Satan can use the little sins to bring down the Christian walk. The little foxes can destroy churches as well. We must stay obedient to GOD’s word and keep a constant watch Since the day we got saved we entered into a battle. The little foxes are great weapon sent by Satan.
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