John Mark Comer combines cultural analysis with spiritual formation. He identifies the role lies play in our spiritual deformation and lays out a strategic plan to overcome them. The world is also defined in an anti-God manner, as a system of practices and standards where man reigns supreme and can attain his own salvation and destiny. This can be summed up as worldliness as opposed to godliness. Father of lies Comer brilliantly breaks down this concept of the world, and he does it using quotes from some great thinkers and theologians. The list of books I want to read grew significantly after this section. Ultimately, the church is called to be counterculture to the world. How do we do that? Comer again gives some really practical suggestions pointing to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Live No Lies The devil’s aim is to isolate people and make them sin. His method? Lies. He’s a master manipulator, and he knows exactly what lies to tell. For instance, a married man might believe the lie that getting a divorce and beginning a new relationship will make him happy. It’s an attractive fantasy – like most of the lies that people believe. the world is more than just a system that’s out there in the sociopolitical ether. It is, as Eugene Peterson pointed out, “an atmosphere, a mood,” that’s crept into us like a cancerous rot. An airborne emotional pollutant we inhale every day, an anti-God impulse we circulate in our bodies’ lungs. It’s “the society of proud and arrogant humankind that defies and tries to eliminate God’s rule and presence in history.”

Of course, it’s not always easy to distinguish lies from the truth, and it can be even harder to let go of these illusions. But, for a follower of Jesus, it’s absolutely essential to identify and reject lies. It’s the only way to live a good Christian life and be happy.

Success!

The process of becoming a good Christian is a kind of practice or exercise. Through adopting positive habits, a Christian can build the strength of their spirit – essentially their willpower muscle. The stronger a person’s willpower, the easier it is to overcome their primitive desires. The West has become a post-Christian culture. Society still retains the scaffolding of Christian morality. But it’s attempting to move beyond Christianity and reject commitments and restraints. The West is like a rebellious teenager who fights his parents’ authority while still living at home and eating their food. Willpower is at its best when it does what it can (direct my body into spiritual practices) so the Spirit’s power can do what willpower can’t (overcome the three enemies of the soul).” (p. 175) Spiritual formation happens when we align our thoughts with reality. “It is by spirit and truth that we are transformed into the image of Jesus and set free to live in line with all that is good, beautiful, and true,” Comer writes. Spiritual disciplines that help us do that include silence, solitude, prayer, fasting, and meditation on Scripture. Having previously reviewed ' The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry' by this author, I was keen to see what his latest book had to offer, and I was not disappointed. How not to lose your soul

If you haven’t heard, John Mark is also launching a new ministry this Fall called Practicing the Way. Through Practicing the Way, John Mark will create beautiful spiritual formation resources and experiences to help you and your church be with Jesus, become like Jesus and to do what he did. To join The Circle, become a pilot church or learn more today, head to practicingtheway.org this towering life is still moving people, not just to live by faith, but to die in faith” - Bonhoeffer’s prison guard The book is divided into three sections, each covering three main enemies of the soul: the world, the flesh, and the devil. John Mark not only develops the tension we experience facing these enemies but gives practical guidance on how to overcome them.All of us are easily deceived. In his book Dupe, the deception expert Dr. Timothy Levine shows how even the most intelligent people are terrible at identifying lies. Our default reaction is to assume someone is telling the truth. I spent over two months reading this book because for some reason I found myself re-reading chapters, in a good way though? Yes! As I’ve already said, this is Comer at his best. It’s engaging, conversational, thoughtful, and spiritually formative. You can’t often say all of those things about a book. So, yes: please read it! Too often, we focus on fighting against sin ourselves. Be honest, how is that working out? The better approach is to focus on spiritual practices (i.e., abiding in the vine, walking by the Spirit, etc.) and unleash the power of God to transform us. The way of Jesus seemed familiar and boring to me heading into college and the way of the world was very enticing. Praise God that he has put me on a trajectory of falling in love with him once again, thanks to an incredible community of friends and family and a ministry that has prevented me from living comfortably. John Mark has been one of the most influential catalysts in my faith in my entire life right up there with Centrifuge, Bill Rodriguez, La Vida, Ebeth, and Akash. I cannot wait to continue being taught by him as he launches into a new chapter of his ministry.

To say yes to Jesus’ invitation is to say no to a thousand other things. As the monks used to say ‘every choice is a renunciation.’ To say yes to Jesus is to say no to living by my own definition of good and evil, to spend my time and money however I want, to the hyper-individualism, anti authoritarianism, and full-tilt hedonistic pursuit of our day. It’s a thousand tiny deaths that all lead up to one massive life. It’s not a futile grasping for control, but the freedom of yielding to Love. It’s saying to Jesus, I’m yours.” In the eighteenth century, a series of suicides across Europe was blamed on a book – The Sorrows of Young Werther. This tragic novel by the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ends with the protagonist’s suicide, and it seems that some impressionable readers were inspired to copy his example. Jesus highlights the extent of the devil’s power, to all the kingdoms of this world, not just a particular locality. Practicing the Way is a fresh invitation to apprenticeship and a guide for a more embodied faith. Through rhythms like Sabbath, Prayer, Solitude, and other everyday practices from the life of Jesus, we can begin to reshape our unformed selves and experience the fullness of a life with God. The future is ancient. Lies, that come in the form of deceptive ideas, are the devil’s primary method of enslaving human beings and entire human societies in a vicious cycle of ruin that leads us further and further east of Eden.”But there is a dark side to these as well. In this sense, the flesh is basically our selfishness and rebellion against God’s rule, manifesting itself in sinful cravings and corrupt desires. Our animalistic appetites and self-gratifying pleasures may feel natural to the body, but they are fundamentally opposed to God’s ways. As a pastor, the author is convinced that the key to survival is a combination of spiritual practices as an individual, combined with participation in the church community. Although Christians are living in difficult times of war, there is reason to be optimistic. They have everything they need to surmount their enormous challenges and live a life of happiness and freedom through God. Final Summary It was helpful to remember that I am not his target audience; I believe the Bible to be literally true, yes even Genesis and Hell, though wildly unpopular in today’s culture. I have chosen to believe that the best way to honor God is to believe Him literally. Yet, I am one fundamentalist who does not want to be angry. My heart too is broken by the effects of sin on our society. I really appreciated his review of the effects of the sex revolution and his strong case against abortion. I also agree with his assessment of street preaching. Most people who become followers of Christ are influenced by someone they love and trust, not a random person yelling about hell through a megaphone. So all that to say, JMC appears to me to love people well. I really admire that and want to grow in that area. Comer has personally helped me on my faith journey and I believe he is one of the greatest teachers of our generation. As you read Live No Lies, your heart will be strengthened and your eyes opened to the daily war waged against our personal peace.” —Rich Wilkerson Jr., pastor of VOUS Church Certainly everyone can see how ideology and arguments over what is true and false have wreaked havoc in the western world in the the last few years. As Comer puts it— “It’s a war between truth and lies.” The devil is on a disinformation campaign.

Unfortunately, these days we’re completely surrounded by lies. In secular society, false ideas have become accepted and normalized – and some have even found their way into the law. The battle is not just out there in the surrounding culture, with its secularism and alternative faith systems. It is an internal fight. There is a war going on for our souls, and within our souls, and the main weapons against us are lies. Eventually, if we believe such lies we will live them, hence the title. Jesus offers Christians the perfect example of relationships and reality, which you could also call spirit and truth. He came to show the world the truth, and he came in the form of a teacher – a human being who could relate to other people. Christians should follow his example by connecting with others and focusing on the truth.People shouldn’t do whatever they want, and not all desires are equal. Christians should distinguish between primal desires, like lust, and superior desires, like the desire to love and follow God. These negative societal influences can be subtle, but they’re also corrosive. There’s a real risk that people will end up with a DIY faith – a mix of Christianity, consumerism, individualism, and secular ideas about sexuality.