We are at war part 2

Part 2 of 2

There is something else that drives us; we also have an instinct and a determination to survive. “Fight or flight” is the common term used to describe how we handle dangerous situations. It is an inherent reaction that kicks into gear when a situation demands engagement and yet we do the exact same thing with our thoughts. We may not be aware of how our brain functions but God knows; however we are knowledgeable enough to know that we either run towards a temptation or run from it and if the attraction offers us reward we tend to succumb to it. This is how the natural person behaves.

We then get saved by the blood of the Lamb, we are born again and then something else kicks into gear igniting an ability to overcome the strongholds of our minds which once dominated our characters. It is a miraculous intervention that the Spirit of God empowers the Christian with but for this to be realised and acted upon there must be a shift in our understanding as we mature as Christians.

Go back in time and revisit the time of your conversion and you will soon understand how miraculous your rendition actually was; as for me, the day before was filled with wine woman and song, which then dissipated into something totally different with the Word of God as my most prized possession. I somehow couldn’t get enough of the Bible and engulfed myself in it. It was a marvellous time in my life; as a babe in Christ we are protected rather miraculously by God. He places a hedge around us protecting us from evil, praise God! We understand very little about the wiles of the devil but we know enough to appreciate that we have been saved by the blood of the Lamb. 

We then grow as Christians no differently to a child through the stages of their lives. There comes a time when we need to take our first step as the temptations of life become more severe. It is through these types of processes that we now begin to face the challenges of Christianity, our faith is tested. The difference between the pull of the flesh and the spirit becomes more pressing. We are constantly called upon to make spot decisions which will either glorify Christ or not. 

This is the our call; “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” (2Corinthians 10:3-4)

In order to walk victoriously we must understand the gravity of Paul’s statement. Our conducts will begin to change but only when we walk in the Spirit, believing and trusting God for our transformation; “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:16-18)

The day I fell to my knees and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive me for my sin and thanked Him for dying for me, a miraculous thing happened, my foul mouth disappeared. Swearing was a thing of the past, however as life progressed and I made mistakes as a Christian I noticed that the temptation to swear reappeared. Why? The answer is rather obvious; I once again starting favouring the flesh, there was an itch that needed to be scratched. This is how the war rages in our minds and our lives must be filled with an engagement of the mind of Christ if we are to have any success as Christians. But while we are in these flesh and blood bodies we will be constantly at war with our new found call. We must learn to eliminate all the bad habits in our lives that feeds the flesh and nonchalantly keeps us plodding alone as we did the day before we were saved.

Hardships work in our favour and we will begin to flourish when this is realised. Remove someone from the comforts of their home and watch them kick into another gear. This must be understood if we want a revival in our lives. Situations and circumstances will place us it trying predicaments where this will be put to the test. This is the life of the Christian, old things have passed away, behold all things are now new. This then is the overarching instruction; “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Christianity has never been a call to a cushier lifestyle but we have been separated unto God to put to death the deeds of the flesh. We are at war and the greatest of our enemies are our old natures. God give us the resolve to walk as new creatures in Christ and to excises godliness as our driving motivation throughout the day.

Signing off

Tyrone