Gratitude is Warfare

According to Wikipedia, “Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada. Because of the longstanding traditions of the holiday, the celebration often extends to the weekend that falls closest to the day it is celebrated... Historically, Thanksgiving has roots in religious and cultural tradition. Today, Thanksgiving is primarily celebrated as a secular holiday.” This is just a way of saying that it is celebrated without any reference to God.

Unfortunately, this disregard to the religious roots of our holidays is becoming increasingly common. This is why Thanksgiving is frequently referred to as “Turkey Day.” As we drift from our history and God, Thanksgiving gives way to Turkey Day, and gratitude slowly disappears. This is tragic, because gratitude is not only a virtue, it is a weapon. Thankfulness is one of the weapons in our spiritual arsenal. Gratitude is warfare.

For God’s people who continue to celebrate Thanksgiving, we should also remember that the apostle Paul instructs Christians: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18).

God’s people need to be intentional about utilizing gratitude to fight the weaknesses, difficulties and sin in their lives. The Greek verb “give thanks” is a present imperative, which means Christians are commanded to give thanks continually. Simply put, Christians should be saying “thank you” all the time. “For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Fight Arrogance with Gratitude

Those who experience great success, whether in sports or business or ministry or school or whatever, are prone to have inflated egos. One wit said, “Man is the only animal where a pat on the back causes his head to swell.” Therefore, the more God blesses you, the more crucial expressing thanks will be. Combat feelings of pride with expressions of gratitude. It’s pretty difficult to be thankful and arrogant at the same time.

Fight Grumbling with Gratitude

The famous English Bible scholar Matthew Henry was once attacked by thieves and robbed of his purse. He wrote these words in his diary: “Let me be thankful. First, I was never robbed before. Second, although they took my purse, they didn't take my life. Third, although they took my all, it was not much. Fourth, let me be thankful because it was I who was robbed and not I who did the robbing.” In the midst of a situation where grumbling and complaining is the natural response, Matthew Henry fought off those feeling with gratitude.

Fight Deism with Gratitude

A deist believes in a god who is not personally involved in their life. This god is like a clock maker who after winding up his creation, left it to operate all by itself. Many Christians are functional deists, acting as if God isn’t at work in their lives, when the truth is the exact opposite. By simply giving thanks to God we are reminded of his personal involvement in our lives.

Fight Anxiety with Gratitude

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7). Prayer “with thanksgiving” is designed by God to broaden our perspective. Anxiety functions like blinders on a racehorse. It causes us to fixate solely on the problem and pain directly in front of us, and hinders us from seeing anything else, especially God and his wise, loving, providential involvement. When we’re anxious we can thank God for his presence with us, for the maturity that this trial will produce in us, for his grace that is always sufficient, for a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, for the promise that in this difficulty God is working for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.

Fight Unbelief with Gratitude

Gratitude is the response to God’s faithfulness in the past. It says, “Lord, thank you for being faithful.” Faith is confidence in God’s faithfulness in the future. It also says, “Lord, thank you for being faithful.” John Piper has said, gratitude for past grace fuels our faith in future grace. If your faith is wavering, look back at God’s faithfulness throughout the ages and throughout your lifetime. Recently, I was reading Luke 22:35: “And [Jesus] said to them, ‘When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘Nothing.’” As I thought about the answer of the disciples, I had a small epiphany. I realized that I have never lacked anything I needed. God has met all my needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus, just as he promised (Phil 4:19). Gratitude for God’s past provisions strengthens our faith in his future provisions.

Fight Indifference with Gratitude

In Philippians 1:8, Paul says of the Christians at Philippi: “God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” Where did that love come from? The answer is found in the previous verses (Phil. 1:3-7), where Paul thanks God for the financial partnership, for the koinonia of the gospel, of these believers; and the natural result is a fountain of great affection and love. Love for our spouse, children, friends, church, etc. is increased or diminished, in part, by how often we express thanks.

Fight Sin (or the Devil) with Gratitude

Genesis 3:1-2 says, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden.’” Eve left out a crucial word in her answer, namely the word “surely.” God said, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,” other than the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. By omitting the word “surely,” Eve downplayed the goodness and generosity of God, and therefore her own gratitude.

Let’s try a thought experiment. What if Eve had responded to the serpent: “Look, God created this entire universe for his glory and our enjoyment. The only thing that is off-limits is one little tree. I am so thankful. In fact, I’m abounding in thanksgiving, and if I abound anymore my heart will burst. Isn’t it astounding how blessed we are?” If that had been Eve’s response to Satan, I think she would have avoided being deluded and taken captive.

In first Chronicles 23:30, the Levites “were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening.” Regardless, of the circumstances, a great way to begin and end the day is with gratitude. It’s a powerful weapon that we must not neglect.