If fallen man is reflected in the body, the natural man is represented by the mind. This chapter is an exciting one! I hope you will really start seeing things come together and connecting in powerful ways.
When experiences from the past are traumatic, the body responds by taking over. When the brain and the nervous system hijack the body, we may not have much of a choice in that moment. We need to get through such intense experiences by grounding ourselves and staying with our bodies. Changing our breath or the shape of our bodies are two simple and powerful ways to change what is happening inside of us. We can find the right experiences and tools to release the trauma from the body; however, if we want lasting change, we must go deeper inside. When we are past the intensity of the moment, we can allow our futures to be changed by what I am about to show you. I believe what I am about to share with you is what sets us apart from animals. Mammals are the only one of God’s creations with higher brains. Humans have the thickest higher brains out of all mammals. We have upper brains so we can problem solve and critically think through things. We do not have access to our upper brain during a trauma response; however, we can work through the roots of trauma in the moments that we do have our upper brain online. (If you would like to understand more details about this, I would encourage you to do some research on the ACE study).
Why do we do what we do? There is always a reason for every action. Sometimes we can get distracted, for example, as parents. We see our toddler having a meltdown and we get so caught up in the screaming and the biting that we can forget they are acting that way for a reason. As adults, we don’t usually resort to kicking, screaming, and biting, but just like an upset toddler who is acting that way because of big feelings, we must also learn to walk it backwards to the reason. Maybe the child is tired. Maybe an important toy was just snatched away from him. There is a reason that child is doing what he is doing.
And guess what, there is a reason you are doing what you are doing, too. That includes anything that turned up because of our discussions on fallen man and natural man, as well as trauma responses (which on several occasions for me sounded quite a bit like that toddler I just described).:)
We are about to take a closer look at this process. Hopefully this can lead you to some important personal discoveries about yourself. We have spent our time together thus far mostly examining things on an outward level. If we want to really understand and allow for lasting change, we must do more than just “white-knuckle it.” It’s time we plunge even deeper inside to look within ourselves and discover the roots. As we do, we will then be prepared to minister to others around us as we support them in their own similar journey inside with Christ.
How does Satan tempt YOU in YOUR mind? How does he appeal to YOUR fallen man or natural man tendencies? How does he tempt you with things of the flesh? These are the things that are appealing to your body like we previously discovered. How does he snag you? What makes them so alluring?
Remember the natural man means our desires for the carnal, sensual, and devilish---whether those are demonstrated by actions on the lewd end of the spectrum, the benevolent end, or somewhere in between. The natural man tendencies are the ways we fight against our fellow men and God. They are the ways we tend to turn away from things of the Spirit. The natural man is even demonstrated in our contentment with where we are spiritually. We have kicked back and chosen “autopilot,” so to say, rather than continually seeking for increasing light.
How does Satan "get you" or keep you trapped? Let’s look at a few ways Satan does this. As always, maybe you will see yourself in some, all, or none of these. This isn’t intended to be an all-inclusive list, but just a few things to get you thinking. How does this look for you?
We already visited pride. Can you see this trap clearly and how it can lure us to do things we otherwise would quickly see right through? If Satan can get us to compete with our fellow men, he can easily drive us to go to any lengths to “save face” with those around us, seek for power or precedence, or pursue things. As we are unwilling to follow the Spirit’s promptings and we rebel against God, Satan can have a hey-day as we follow him in a path of misery.
What about forms of denial? We give in to minimizing, or downplaying the severity our actions perhaps by saying, “I don’t have a problem. Or, “This isn’t a big deal.” We cave to justifying in some form or another such as, “I’ll never do it again, so I don’t need to repent of it” or “I have given a lifetime of service that has ‘made up’ for it.” Satan can easily tempt us and keep us from repenting through forms of denial.
Remember how we introduced learning to be still (the English version) at the beginning of our time together? Can you see now how busyness and distraction can actually be one of his tools to capture us in fallen and natural man tendencies? “It’s easy to see how sin can harden a distracted heart, love can fade, and fear can rise in a hurry” (Source). Busyness and distraction can go hand-in-hand with procrastination, or the promise to ourselves that there will always be another day or time to change or fix it.
What about shame? Sometimes people confuse guilt and shame, but they are actually different. It is normal, and even helpful to feel guilt. Guilt can actually be a gift from the Holy Ghost. Guilt is, “I made a mistake,” or “That was bad.” Shame, however, is, “I am a mistake” or “I am bad.” Can you see the difference? As a child of God we need never give in to shame. There is always hope. We are never too far gone.
I believe Satan’s goal in using shame is for the person to be in isolation. As a person experiences shame, they tend to pull away or into themselves. Shame centers on the fear of not being good enough. “If they really knew what I am like, nobody would love me. I am unlovable.” Sometimes shame leads us to pull back because we think we must be the only one struggling like this. And Satan loves that because first, we won’t be seeking for greater light. Second, we won’t allow for the counter to shame, which is connection. We won’t seek for a firm connection with God or with others. Can you see how shame can be one of his favorite strategies to get at us?
Although there are probably plenty of other ways Satan tempts us (and please make note of anything that came to mind), there is a common theme to each of these. Can you see how Satan uses lies in general? Everything Satan says is either a flat-out lie or only partially true.
The same goes for those whom he has deceived, whether they realize it or not. They repeat those same lies to those within the sound of their voice. Sometimes it is a straight regurgitation of those same lies. Sometimes it is in some form of flattery. Sometimes it may be more difficult to easily detect the deception because it comes as “philosophies of men mingled with scripture” (Source). The lies have been tied to scripture; however, the truth has been twisted or taken out of context so we don’t easily detect it!
Doesn’t it make more sense why we would succumb to our fallen and natural man tendencies when we recognize Satan’s goal is to thwart God’s plan and take as many down with him as he can? He isn’t going to make it easy. He will throw everything at us that he possibly can. If we aren’t alert, he can keep us down without much effort on his part.
“The only thing left for [Satan] is to oppose the Father’s plan by using every possible enticement and temptation to bring us down and make us miserable like unto himself. Satan’s plan to accomplish his diabolical goal applies to every individual, generation, culture, and society. He uses loud voices—voices that seek to drown out the small and still voice of the Holy Spirit that can show us ‘all things’ we should do to return and receive.
“These voices belong to those who disregard gospel truth and who use the internet, social and print media, radio, television, and movies to present in an enticing way immorality, violence, ugly language, filth, and sleaze in a way that distracts us from our goals and the plans we have for eternity.
“These voices may also include well-intentioned individuals who are blinded by the secular philosophies of men and women and who seek to destroy the faith and divert the eternal focus of those who are simply trying to return to the presence of God and receive ‘all that [our] Father hath’” (President Ballard, Source).
We must be on alert for Satan’s tactics in our personal lives in general. We must pay careful attention to his lies whether they are directly from him or from those who have been deceived by him. We must seek to know what is true. Let’s continue to look closer at what is actually underlying your actions.
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