Escaping From Doubting Castle
And The Giant Called Despair
By Chap Bettis

Can you identify with Christian of Pilgrim’s Progress? His pathway grows soggy and covered with poisonous vines. The sky became black and Christian spent the night huddled at the foot of an oak tree, caught in a downpour.

o The next morning, Giant Despair came upon him, captured and beat him, and imprisoned him in the dungeon of Doubting Castle with grim battlements and thick, black walls. Christian tried to sing but he could not. His mood was dungeon dark. Giant Despair beat him mercilessly, and he grew weaker each day. He found in his cell a rope, a knife, a bottle, the tools of suicide, and for a moment he was tempted to end his misery.

o But one evening he began to pray and a little before day, good Christian, half amazed broke into passionate speech. What a fool am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty. I have a key in my pocket, that will I am sure open any lock in Doubting Castle. It’s name is …..

o Have you been harassed by the giant Despair? Has he thrown you into Doubting Castle? Did you know you have the key in your pocket? Would you like to know what that key is?

2 Peter 1:1-4

How do we unlock the doors of Doubting Castle and escape from the giant called Despair..

First, you need to remember that grace and peace come from knowing Jesus Christ. v.2

o We must be absolutely convinced that there is one way to peace, one way to enjoying God’s favor.- that way is through our knowledge of God.

o We’ve talked about it before but it bears repeating that when the Bible talks about knowledge, it is not head knowledge, or college degrees in theology that Peter is talking about. Grace and peace come from our experiential knowledge of God. One modern paraphrase states it this way “Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God.”

o Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God. -- J. Oswald Sanders. Many of you remember the illustration from Beth’s funeral in which a rich man seeks out a picture of perfect peace. Scene after scene of sunsets, beaches, calm lakes are brought to him. He rejects them all. However, at last he finds the perfect scene of peace. A painting of a thunderous, tumultuous waterfall. But there in the foreground, is a mother bird which is watching over its babies. Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God. -- J. Oswald Sanders.

o That grace and peace doesn’t flow down arbitrarily. It flows to use through knowing JC.

o Paul, as an old missionary said his aim in life was to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering.

o Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is that God might give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they might know him better.

o Paul wrote the Colossians that a fruit of godliness was increasing in the knowledge of God.

o Our Father desires that you know him, really know him. And I am convinced that the Lord brings trials into our lives so that we will run back to him and grow in our experience of him. That the only reason the good Father allows pain into the lives of the children he loves is to bring that back to himself. Otherwise we would be far to easily pleased with the things of this world.

o Too many people want God’s gracious blessing, God’s gracious peace on their lives without the God of the blessing, the God of the peace. God wants to give us himself.

o In this world you will have trouble. Invite Christ into our troubles.

o In this world you will have trouble, Fly away to him.

o In this world you will have trouble, God is your refuge, our strength, a very present help in trouble.

o In this world you will have trouble, He will not take you out of trouble but he will be with you in trouble.

Second, you need to remember that Jesus Christ has given you everything you need for life and godliness. (v.3)

o It is easy, even as Christians to despair. To believe that God has called us to live for him but has not given us everything we need.

o The truth of the matter is that the one who calls us will enable us.

o He may not give us everything we want, but he always gives us everything we need.

o So many times we sit captured by the Giant of Despair, sitting in the dungeon of doubting castle, thinking that we do not have the tools to escape. But this verse says that Jesus Christ has given you everything we need.

o What are some of the resources our Lord has given you? Spirit, Word, Promises, Church, Prayer, New Creation, Child of God.

o Lies of the evil one is that this situation is hopeless, God has left you alone,

But what is that key that unlocks the doors in the dungeon of doubting castle?

Third, you need to remember that Jesus has given you the key of promise to help you walk the Christian walk. v.4

o Notice that it is because of his glory and goodness or excellence that he has given us his promises. They are called great and precious promises. And they are said to be granted to us. The same word for endowed. Wouldn’t you love to have an endowment you could draw on at any time.

o JI Packer says it this way, “In the days when the Bible was universally acknowledged in the churches as “God’s Word written,” it was clearly understood that the promises recorded in Scripture were the proper, God-given basis for all our life of faith, and that the way to strengthen one’s faith was to focus upon particular promises that spoke to one’s condition.

o Charles Spurgeon said this. “I can say myself that I have lived on one promise for weeks, and did not want another. I want just simple to hammer that promise out into gold-leaf and plate my whole existence from it. God never gives his children a promise he does not intend them to use.

o There are some promises in the Bible which I have never used yet, but I am well assured that there will come times of trial and trouble when I shall find that poor despised promise which I thought was never means for me, will be the only one on which I can float.

o How many of us would view God’s promises as great and precious?

o How many would say that they have come out of Jesus’ goodness to us.

o How many would say that they are a key to participating in the divine nature?

o However, we need this word of caution. We need to be careful that we understand our Father’s mind, as we cling to the promises. As Fathers we make promises that have conditions. Our promises will be fulfilled, but the timing may not be what the child wants. Our son or daughter may misunderstand the timing because of their limited perspective. They may begin to accuse us of not keeping our promises when in reality we have just have not conformed to their timing. For example, I may say we are going to have fun together this afternoon. My child hears – We are going to play Risk at 1 PM. Is that what I promised?

o What promises will unlock your dungeon door? What promise will help you escape the Giant of Despair?

o Nothing is impossible with God.

o God is working all things for your good

o There are over 7400 promises of God to man in the Bible. As you read in your devotions, mark them with a P for Promise.

In the early days of our country a weary traveler came to the banks of the Mississippi River for the first time. There was no bridge. It was early winter, and the surface of the mighty stream was covered with ice. Could he dare cross over? Would the uncertain ice be able to bear his weight? Night was falling, and it was urgent that he reach the other side. Finally, after much hesitation and with many fears, he began to creep cautiously across the surface of the ice on his hands and knees. He thought that he might distribute his weight as much as possible and keep the ice from breaking beneath him.

About halfway over he heard the sound of singing behind him. Out of the dusk there came a man, driving a horse-drawn load of coal across the ice and singing merrily as he went his way. Here he was--on his hands and knees, trembling lest the ice be not strong enough to bear him up! And there, as if whisked away by the winter's wind, went the man, his horses, his sleigh, and his load of coal, upheld by the same ice on which he was creeping!

Like this weary traveler, some of us have learned only to creep upon the promises of God. Cautiously, timidly, tremblingly we venture forth upon His promises, as though the lightness of our step might make His promises more secure. As though we could contribute even in the slightest to the strength of His assurances! He has promised to be with us. Let us believe that promise! He has promised to uphold us. Let us believe Him when He says so. He has promised to grant us victory over all our spiritual enemies. Let us trust His truthfulness. Above all, He has promised to grant us full and free forgiveness of all our sins because of Jesus Christ, our Savior. And He has promised to come and take us to His heavenly home. Let us take Him at His word.

We are not to creep upon these promises as though they were too fragile to uphold us. We are to stand upon them--confident that God is as good as His word and that He will do what He has pledged. (The Bread Line, Newsletter of the Colby Presbyterian Church, Colby, Kansas)

If you have any questions, comments or observations, please call Chapman Bettis at 401 727-2367 or John Riley at 401-453-5550 or email at johnr@cornerstoneri.com