The 3 Natural Instincts of the Heart
What are the 3 human instincts that will hinder us from success? And what can we do about it?
These human instincts are land mines and ticking time bombs that the devil can exploit to destroy us. Jesus came in the flesh taking the form of an ordinary man and possessing these natural human instincts and weaknesses. In Matthew 4, the devil is seen tempting Jesus by appealing to His natural human instincts. His goal is to hinder Jesus from accomplishing His calling by exploiting these weaknesses. The strategy of the devil since the days of the gospel has not changed. Today, the devil is enticing us with the same temptations hoping to bring us down at the opportune time. By understanding our natural human instincts, we can stay vigilant against the attacks that threaten our success:
a. An orphan mentality
b. Fear and insecurity
c. Lust of the flesh and pride of life
An orphan mentality clings to one who does not recognize God as the Heavenly Father. He cannot see himself as being a member of God’s family. Hence, he is constantly insecure and low in self-esteem. An orphan’s identity is defined by a social mirror. He adopts the image that others project on him. Hence, he is constantly confused about identity and looks for external affirmation of worth. His service towards God and everything he does is motivated by need for recognition. At the same time, he is not willing to submit himself to an earthly authority or an organizational structure and prefers to play it solo. A person with an orphan mentality is perpetually trying to derive self-worth from his own achievements and not from the love of the Father. He is divided in wanting the Father’s approval and yet, he does not want to submit to Him. Hence, he resorts to testing God’s patience: to what extent can the Father bear with my waywardness? Because the Father is all-loving, He will continue to bless me despite my disobedience!
In Christ’s second temptation when He fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, the devil tested Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. The devil said,
“If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You ’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against A stone.’” Matthew 4:5-6
The devil tried to manipulate Jesus by appealing to the orphan within the fallen human nature. By throwing Himself down, He had not only gotten the attention of the Father, but also drew the eyes of the world towards Himself as God’s Son. But Jesus replied,
“On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:7
The orphan needs to re-learn truth and not to test the patience of God. In the process of being discipled by a mentor, he will begin to understand that true love leads to obedience. And he will also learn that the right to being a son of God cannot be earned, but freely given by God through grace (Romans 8:15). God has called all man to be adopted as His children. It is in the nature of a son to obey the Father’s will. Romans 8:14 says that the sons of God are being led by the Spirit of God,
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. … you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! Father! (Romans 8:14-15)
He has to learn to call God his Father and focus on living the lifestyle of a son through obedience. He has to forsake his old identity as an orphan and take on the new identity as a son of God. Forsaking the old identity includes changing the way he obtains approval, his motivations towards work and the way he interacts with people. Work is an expression of love towards God and man rather than a means to gain approval.
Jesus came and called the orphans as His beloved and gave them the right to become the children of God (John 1:12). The right to sonship is not earned; it is received as a gift from God. The orphan needs to know that despite his imperfections, God will never leave him. Jesus said,
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18).
Fear and insecurity are the results of broken relationships and failed endeavors. A fearful and insecure person will not want to take risks and venture out of his comfort zone. Particularly in the area of relationships, he cannot progress in a relationship towards intimacy for fear of being rejected. He is pessimistic in his outlook and prefers to be where he is, even if it means regression. A fearful and broken person is terrified of the future and will look for immediate recourse and emotional security. He is constantly plagued with insomnia or stomach problems and walks around with a dark cloud over his head.
In Jesus’ first temptation, the devil said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (Matthew 4:3). The devil appealed to the fear and insecurity within the human nature. In turning stones into bread, Jesus could immediately benefit from His divine powers and would never again find Himself in lack. Jesus, born in the flesh, had to live like the rest of humanity subjected to a world accursed with poverty. At all times, He had to live life emptied of His immortality and yet remained faithful to His commission. Jesus replied to the devil that man is to walk in obedience to God’s Word and trust Him to provide. Many churchgoers are taught to pray and command that these stones become bread in Jesus’ name without the conviction to live life in obedience and trust; they are taught that power is on their tongue to command the miraculous.
The way to help a person beset with fear and insecurity is to help him recognize God’s presence and purpose during times of pain and failure. It is important to have someone close by to support them in times of fear and confusion. As they take gradual steps towards overcoming their fears (real or imagined), they will come to recognize the gifts and potential they possess. As they learn to persevere in their endeavors, they will gain confidence and experience breakthrough.
The lust of the flesh and the pride of life often entrap those whose hearts are prone to deception. Such are accustomed to living in two separate worlds with ease professing one set of principles in public, yet becoming another person in private. Such a person is motivated by personal fame, fortune and pleasure, and is on a direct path towards personal destruction. The lust of the flesh and pride of life entice him from the path of the Kingdom and rob him of his abundant life and glory.
In Jesus’ third temptation, “the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8-9). The devil sought to appeal to lust and pride within his human nature. Earthly pleasures of lust and the pride of man belong to the kingdom of darkness. Jesus rejected the deceptive pleasures of darkness and said, “Go, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” (Matthew 4:10).
Jesus emptied Himself of His immortality (Philippians 2:7) and became exposed to every temptation of the world. He was able to understand and empathize with the weaknesses and fallen instincts of the heart. In the presence of the Spirit, we find empathy with the One who was tempted in every way as we are. In the process, we receive mercy and grace for help in times of need (Hebrews 4:15-16).