Counterfeit

We know that Satan is the father of all lies and master of deception. Since the day he fell from Heaven he has made it his objective to manipulate the lives of all who inhabit his temporary kingdom, this place we call earth.

Counterfeit:
1. To make a copy of, usually with the intent to defraud; forge: counterfeit money.
2. To make a pretense of; feign: counterfeited interest in the story.
v.intr.
1. To carry on a deception; dissemble.
2. To make fraudulent copies of something valuable.
adj.
1. Made in imitation of what is genuine with the intent to defraud: a counterfeit dollar bill.
2. Simulated; feigned: a counterfeit illness.

Today we see all types of deception and fraud--counterfeits. For example, we are told there are many ways to God when, in fact, there is only one way--through Jesus Christ. From multiple false religions to fake money, which is another god of this world, we see all manner of counterfeits. Satan is the master of all counterfeit creations. His goal is to thwart our lives with imitations of the real thing God has so skillfully designed. Notice again “To make a copy of, usually with the intent to defraud” and “To make fraudulent copies of something valuable.”

This subject is so extensive that time would fail me to present and address every issue. Instead, I would like to focus on one thing, and that is the subject of relationships in the light of what is counterfeit and what is genuine.

Satan, for the most part, has this world totally deceived, especially on the most essential areas of spiritual matters and eternity. Once a person has gotten saved, the most important battle Satan tried to win has been lost. The eternity of every Christian is forever settled and sure. Our soul’s destiny is secured with eternal life, meaning the only thing Satan has left to tamper with is our short lifetime on earth. I believe all Satan’s vengeance is unleashed or will be attempted to be unleashed, for he realizes how little time he has to make us miserable before we will enter the everlasting joys of Heaven.

I believe that after salvation, the most important decision a person can make is who they will marry. You decided to spend your eternity with Jesus, but who will you spend your life with? For the Christian, our enemy has no control over life after death, but he is determined to make life before death as miserable and wretched as possible. I believe with all my heart that the issue of marriage is the devil’s favorite playground after spiritual things, because a marriage will affect the spiritual state of a Christian. Satan is the master of counterfeit creations. He is no dummy. Certainly he has some clue as to the future of each individual’s life, and he knows just where to place his road blocks and stumbling stones so we will fall and be destroyed. He knows our weaknesses, and he is determined to use them against us.

One common “weakness” we all have is the opposite gender. It often seems to me that the strongest Christians are the ones who have the least amount of discernment in this area…and I’ve seen Satan use this weakness over and over and over again. Many a godly Christian has been destroyed by the one they chose to marry. They settled for a counterfeit--an imitation of the real thing. God’s storehouses are overflowing with good things He longs to entrust into our care. Satan, on the other hand, has a different kind of store filled with second-hand junk he will readily pawn off on anyone who has not set their sights on God’s very best.

Think with me. You are granted the privilege of viewing God’s “map” for you, the blueprint of your life. Then you are allowed to glimpse Satan’s manipulated version of that same blueprint. I can guarantee you that if you compared the two, you would find that they look quite different, but only if you study the details. If you follow along the path of your life from your childhood and teen years to a marriageable age, I just bet you will find the name of the special person God has planned for you. Now look in that general area on Satan’s map. Do you see the name of a counterfeit or counterfeits leading up to that special name on God’s map?

I believe we underestimate our enemy. At different points in our lives I believe God allows us the opportunity of getting glimpses into His perfect plan for our lives through divinely ordained circumstances. I believe that God also allows us to see the stumbling blocks Satan has set up in hopes of our destruction. But too often we think we have it all together. We take one sweeping glance and casually walk on, feeling confident that we are well aware of Satan’s deceptions. We don’t take time to study the details. The Bible says that a prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself, but the simple pass on and are punished. Those who don’t study the details of the blueprint are the ones who settle for the counterfeit instead of pressing past that point and reaching for a higher goal--God’s best.

Counterfeit money looks so real it takes an expert to determine whether it is worth anything. Remember the definition of counterfeit: “To make fraudulent copies of something valuable.” Satan is good at what he does. He will go all out to make his counterfeit look like the real thing. It is his highest aim to make a fraudulent copy of the very valuable spouse God created just for you! Only those who are in tune with the Lord and truly seeking His will above their own will be given the wisdom they need to differentiate between the replica and the genuine thing.

My dad knew he was going to marry my mom within minutes of meeting her. He knew she was God’s best for him. It was also during that time that a woman at my dad’s work set her cap for him. One day she threw herself at him, and my dad very literally threw her away from him. Guys from my mom’s past came “calling” again, and ones she didn’t even know were asking her out on a date. I find it so interesting that at this crucial point in my parent’s lives, Satan put my parents in strange circumstances just to see what they would do…what their reactions would be. Would they settle for something cheap, or would they refuse to obtain anything less than God’s ultimate best? Satan’s counterfeit is always easily attainable and won’t cost much at all. But to receive God’s best you have to endure a little hardship…a little waiting…exercise a little patience….a little self-control.

The devil has placed multiple counterfeits in my life to set me off the course of God’s perfect will for my life. They were all godly men…some appeared to be and some truly were, though still not meant for me. They generally all seemed to be good, but they were not the best that God had for me. They were look-alikes, but not the real thing. Now I’m so glad I never settled for a counterfeit, for they would have ruined my life. By God’s grace I’m pressing past the counterfeits that lined my pathway, and I’m reaching for the genuine, the best…God’s best.

I am reserved! That is a wonderful thought! Do you realize you are reserved too? God has someone who He created just for you--your perfect puzzle piece. But you have to battle your way past Satan’s counterfeit or counterfeits, whichever the case may be. I have determined to keep myself for God’s best. I have adopted the mindset of a married woman. I belong to the man God has for me. Others may not see a ring on my finger, but I see one there, for the rules and boundaries I have set in my life and the promise I made to God are as valid as a marriage vow.

A casual mindset is a very dangerous thing, especially in the days in which we live. Even in Christian circles we have casual standards which lead to a casual lifestyle. We see marriages crumbling all around us. There are many reasons. Most of the time marriages fail because they were never started right. It was lust that drew or forced couples to be married. God’s will should be the #1 issue when considering marriage. If you don’t have God’s stamp of approval, your marriage will be a guaranteed failure. You’ve got to have that three-fold cord. People casually enter marriage with the mindset that divorce is always an option, when marriage is a lifelong covenant. Once broken, God’s Word firmly states that, except in the case of death, marriage should never be entered into a second time. The commitment-eroding practice of dating is the main reason why folks so casually enter the marriage relationship and then divorce and remarry once, if not several times. We greatly lack the one-man woman or one-woman man mindset. Another reason why divorce is so common today is because people don’t make rules for themselves and their own safety…not to mention the safety of the yet-to-be relationship of their marriage. Casual thinking = casual standards = casual lifestyle. I have set certain rules or boundaries for myself to ensure the safety of my yet-to-be marriage. The bottom line is that what we do before our marriage we will most certainly do after our marriage. If you have a casual attitude towards the opposite gender before your marriage, you will have a casual attitude towards the opposite gender after your marriage.

As an example, here are some rules that either I have made for myself or my parents have made for me:

1. I don’t write guys regularly, except for business reasons. When I am married it would certainly not be appropriate for me to be writing any man other than my husband, except strictly for business purposes, of course.

2. I don’t call guys. It is never a girl’s place to call a guy unless they have a serious understanding. (Even then, I like the old-fashioned idea that the man takes the initiative and the woman lets him.) When I am married I do not intend to be calling men and talking for long periods of time as if we were best friends. My husband will be my best friend.

3. I don’t leave comments on the blogs of guys I don’t know. I’ve recently come to realize how forward that comes across…not only to the young man receiving the comments, but the young lady who will belong to the young man, whether she knows him at that point or not. It is like waving a flag and saying “You don’t know me, but I’m here…just so you know!” And since it is never a girl’s place to pursue a guy, that should not be happening. When I am a married woman I would not comment on the blog of another man. It would not come across right--to the man or to my husband. I would not want people getting the wrong impression, even if I mean nothing improper by it.

4. My personal information is not accessible to just anyone. As a married woman I would not want just anybody to be able to contact me by phone, email, etc., nor do I believe my husband would appreciate that either. It would not be guarding my marriage to allow strangers or others with wrong intentions to get a hold of me, especially at times when I might be weak and vulnerable to Satan’s counterfeits.

5. I do not initiate conversations or converse for long periods of time with men. If I sense that a male is too familiar in the way he looks at me or converses with me, I go out of my way to avoid him or am otherwise sure he knows by my coolness that there is no mutual interest. When I am married I do not intend to approach and then carry on long conversations with men. I would not want my husband to do so, therefore I won’t do it.

6. I don’t go around complimenting guys my own age. It is not proper, and even if nothing is meant by it, the guy could take it wrong. Guys and girls should not go around complimenting each other on their looks, etc., unless there is some sort of serious understanding between the two. It would be considered extremely improper for a married man or woman to address the appearance of the opposite gender. I would not want my husband complimenting anyone but me, and for that reason I will never compliment any man I don’t intend to marry.

7. I do not hold the gaze of men. Eye contact is an extremely personal thing, when you consider that the eye is the gateway to the heart. I am especially careful of not meeting the eyes of guys on the street. I could never have a relationship with a lost man, therefore I am careful to keep all doors leading in the direction firmly SHUT! A girl should even be careful of holding the eyes of Christian young men. Though they are Christians, and one of them could certainly be intended for you, you still belong to the one God has chosen for you. By holding the gaze of the opposite gender, a certain line is crossed and an invisible barrier is broken. Even if the Bible did not address the subject of the eyes and the heart being intricately connected, we know by instinct that eyes are powerful. As soon as we feel a particular attraction to the opposite gender, our eyes are ever searching to meet the gaze of the other. A few times I have quietly observed couples, either married or engaged to be married, and I could not describe to you the silent messages of love that passed between the two as their eyes were fixed on each other. Our eyes can reveal things that we would never dare say with words. Avoiding eye contact is often viewed as a weakness or insecurity, but I believe it is a safety precaution every Christian, married or unmarried, should exercise. The heart is reached by the gate of the eye. By allowing someone to gaze into my eyes, I am giving them access to my heart. The only one who should have access to my heart is my husband, therefore I will not allow anyone of the opposite gender look into my eyes for too long before dropping my gaze or occasionally looking away. I am keeping my eyes and any messages my eyes might reveal only for my husband.

8. I do not share the deepest secrets of my heart with my friends. How often have we come to the sad realization that friends are untrustworthy? A young man or woman should confide only in parents or others who are older and have more wisdom and will give good counsel. God has given me parents in whom I can confide. And one day I will confide in my husband as I once confided in my parents. My parents are temporarily playing the role of my husband. When I am married I would never confide in another male friend, for doing so would break the hedge that should surround married couples. Since I do not intend to share my deepest thoughts and secrets with another male companion once I am married, neither do I confide in my friends, but instead I confide in my parents who represent my husband.

Several weeks ago I was at the salon having my hair cut. As we conversed, the woman cutting my hair suddenly asked if I had a boyfriend. Then she half-teasingly, half-seriously said that she shouldn’t ask that, seeing as my mom was only a few feet away and could hear our whole conversation. I felt embarrassed even entertaining the thought of what she was implying and that I would keep something of such importance from my parents. As kindly as possible, but with an unwavering firmness, I told the woman that, first, I don’t have a boyfriend, and secondly, I talk with my mom about everything. We don’t have secrets. I think she was shocked upon hearing that, and after the shock passed I got the faint impression that she was envious of the open relationship I have with my mother…though she would never have admitted it.

You see, this insane world teaches us that parents are the enemy and it is only in our friends that we should confide. And in the same way, Satan is determined to have married couples having close and too familiar relationships with the opposite gender so that the precious marital relationship will be destroyed by a lack of communication and, therefore, a lack of trust. I tell my parents about my hopes and dreams, as I will one day communicate those intimate thoughts and feelings to the man I marry.

These are just a few boundaries I have set for myself and the protection of my yet-to-be marriage. I’m sure there are others I haven’t addressed, but for the sake of being brief, I will have to stop here.

What are you doing to protect your marriage before it gets a start? The sad thing is that most people really don’t even care. They are going to do what they want, regardless of what is right and regardless of what is for their own good. The world has taught us to do what feels good and to live for the present, when God tells us to do what is right and live for the future! Today I see girls who don’t give a rip about God’s will. Manipulating and conniving, they push their own will through. They are determined to get the guy they want and nothing will hinder them in their quest. I am reminded of the wicked woman of Proverbs who hunts for the precious life. There is nothing godly about it, no matter how innocent one may wish to make it appear. “Christian” girls have lost their shame, as is quite apparent by their bold actions and presumptuous words or implications and sly suggestions. Today little whores fill the house of God, with the pretence of holiness, while their objective is to seduce young men who are trying to follow the Lord. (If you heard the stories I have, you would realize that the strong term used is extremely accurate.) It is bad enough that men struggle when they are out in the world. The church should be a haven of rest from the seductive hounding outside the church walls…but it is not. Woe, woe, woe to these wicked girls! And woe to their parents! Obviously mothers have taught their daughters nothing in the area of how a girl should behave around young men. And apparently fathers are blind and have no authority in their homes, otherwise they would restrain their rebellious daughters. I have to seriously wonder about the parents of these little “sanctified” whores in the church. They are getting their examples from somewhere--whether from the wrong friends, from TV and magazines, or maybe even from their own parents. The bottom line is that parents are preoccupied with their own lives and aren’t exercising their parental authority. God will hold these parents accountable on the day of judgment. And what a FEARFUL thing that will be!!!

I often cringe to think how deceived we are about ourselves. How many of us, while thinking we are right with God, are, in fact, walking in rebellion to God’s ways? We look at others with condemnation while justifying our own evil deeds. We would do well to examine ourselves and check our motives. Our hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Perhaps God will bring something to light that we might be wholly righteous before Him and not be as the hypocritical Pharisees.

As young ladies, we hold in our hands the power to build or destroy a man. That power should never be underestimated. Satan has certainly taken every opportunity to use feminine power to corrupt the minds and lives of men and boys alike. “By means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread.” (Proverbs 6:26) As Christian girls we should also take advantage of the influencing power God has granted us and use it to encourage and strengthen our brothers in the Lord. A Christian girl has no business dressing or acting like a whore. We should not fall for Satan’s counterfeit, neither should we allow ourselves to be used as a counterfeit to cause someone of the opposite gender to stumble. Do you love your yet-to-be marriage enough to protect it? I encourage you to search your heart and examine your motives. Don’t be a counterfeit, and don’t settle for a counterfeit. God has someone special for you! Wait on the Lord!