Take Off The Disguise
Let’s read some excerpts from 1 Kings 22:14. And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.
17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.
34 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
In these passages, we find that king Ahab was trying to disguise himself from God’s judgment. God had spoken through the prophet Micaiah that Ahab would be killed if he went into battle. Ahab scoffs at this prophesy and sets out to prove the prophet a liar by disguising himself as a common soldier. Obviously, he didn’t value the life of Jehoshaphat because he told him to put on his kingly robes to attract the enemy’s attention. What a friend to ask Jehoshaphat to be the target of the battle! In verse 34, we find that a soldier randomly shoots an arrow, but the Lord guides it to His intended target. Ahab’s disguise could fool the enemy, but it could never protect him from God’s judgment.
Webster’s definition of disguise is: “To change the appearance so as to conceal identity or to mislead.”
Disguises have been used for centuries and for many reasons. In 1848, a married slave couple escaped to freedom through a daring disguise. Ellen, the wife was fair skinned and she posed as the slave owner, while her husband, William posed as her slave. To complicate matters, neither of them could read or write so Ellen bound her right arm in a sling. This would prevent her from having to sign the guest registries or other papers along the way. On many occasions their identities were almost discovered but they successfully made it all the way to Pennsylvania! In 1870, they opened a school, teaching children to read and write.
Abraham Lincoln even disguised himself as a frail old woman while traveling to Washington D.C. Upon leaving Springfield, Illinois in 1861, security agents were informed that there was a plot to assassinate Lincoln during the trip. One of the agents concocted this elaborate scheme to protect the newly elected president and it worked!
Are you wearing a disguise? Do you feel like you must exist under a false identity to hide the inner struggles that don’t seem to go away? When living a life in disguise, you don’t really feel connected to others because the real you is in hiding. This life of disguise generally leads to a life of anxiety and depression.
There was once a young man who made an appointment with a local psychologist. He explained that he had been suffering from depression for several years and desperately needed help. The psychologist thought for a moment and said, I know what you need! You need to visit the circus in town and go see the clown. He is always happy and will have you feeling cheerful after seeing his act. The young man looked sadly at the psychologist and said, “But sir, I AM that clown.”
My friend, it is not God’s will that you live under a disguise! In fact, a life of disguise is an indicator that there are things inside of you that you need to allow God to help you deal with. When you are completely at peace with yourself and the Lord, there is no reason to disguise the real you. What is it that you are constantly trying to hide? This does not have to be sin, because Hebrews 12:1 says,”…lay aside every WEIGHT and the sin that doth so easily beset us.” Complete surrender to the Lord is an unconditional surrender! He wants every part us, which includes the scars of the past, the insecurity of the present and the worries of the future. To disguise ourself with a plastic smile is a cheap remedy for the real peace that the Lord can give.
I can already hear someone out there now, “But what if I’m going through a dark trial? Shouldn’t I put on a plastic smile to disguise my inner turmoil?” This is a valid question that deserves an explanation. For us to understand this, we must realize the difference between peace and happiness. If you are a Latin scholar, you realize that the word happy is derived from the Latin word: hap. Which literally means that something has to happen. So, to say that you are happy is really to say that your emotions are tied to your circumstances!
Oh! But peace…sweet peace, is an entirely different story! And sometimes we confuse ourselves with the definition of peace. Webster’s definition is: Freedom from strife, annoyance or distraction. But Jesus said in John 14:27, “My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Praise God for a peace that comes straight from the throne room, defying all circumstances and giving hope in even the most hopeless situations!
Isaiah 61:3 says that the Lord would even give us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Child of God, the garment of praise is not a disguise! It is a perfect state of peace that utterly confuses the devil! Mark it down that if people around you are confused on how well you’re going through your trial, the devil is completely baffled.
So why not ask the Lord for a garment exchange? From the plastic disguise that you’ve been wearing for so long, to a new identity in Christ! Paul said that it’s a peace that passes all understanding! How can a grieving wife raise her hands and worship God at her husband’s funeral? How can man who’s just lost his job tell his family that everything’s going to be alright? It’s that peace that covers us in the time of trouble.
God is prepared to clothe us in His peace but first we must be willing to lay aside our false identity and throw away our disguise!