The Christian Life Fight
Normal War
When “the desire of a flesh is against the Spirit, the desire of the Spirit is against the flesh” in Galatians 5:17, and what could be even more normal when compared to Christians to feel asunder, divided, split, torn in the inner being — or with what has been said, to sense that we had “two principles with us, challenging for a mastery” (72)? For as long as we’re carrying both the flesh and the spirit the war can be normal.
No one should amaze when we can find in us a dreadfully strong pull of not wanting to pray when we are aware that we have to pray. The aching longing of satisfied some cravings like — for food, sleep, entertainment, drink, sex, —we aware that we must refuse. The heavy lethargy if the Holy Spirit bids us in sharing the gospel or serving our family. Even the fickle forgetfulness which dulls a morning’s zeal through early afternoon, or the driving compulsion to depend our own comprehension instead of God’s revealed word.
“The existence of inner divisions and the opposition doesn’t mean that we’ve lost; it only means the war had just begun.”
We shouldn’t be surprised in certain moments, any longer than the army must be surprised through the enemy fire. Instead, we should take the courageous. “We are clearly not friends of Satan”. “Like the king of this humanity, wars not against a person subject”, and the presence of an inner division and the opposition doesn’t mean we have lost; it only means the war has started.
Good War
A Christian fight isn’t just any kind of war, but the greatest war the world had ever known. “Let’s settle it within our minds that a Christian discipleship fight is one good fight — truly good, really good, and emphatically good”. Yes, war is fierce. A fight sometimes bloodies and beats us. During our lowest, we may sense tempted to misery. Even still, how great is a Christian fight.
This is good because Christ makes assurance to us that he can tread down the foes in Micah 7:19. It is good because God promised to strengthen everyone in the thickest fractions of a battle in Isaiah 41:10. It is good, because anyone that fall will find forgiveness in 1 John 1:9. It is good, because we kill only devils and sins, not men in Romans 8:13. It is good because the war restores instead of ruining humanity in Colossians 3:5, 9–10.
And above all, it is good because we are fighting with, under, and for Jesus. He’s our fellow Soldier and our great Captain, who won us himself through dying for us, who vows now to not leave our side in Matthew 28:20. “Would anybody live a life of a Christian soldier?” “Let him bear in Jesus, get closer to Jesus, tightens his hold on Jesus each day that he lives”.
Then now, we march forth beneath a banner “Jesus is better,” not surprised and fearless by fight, swords drawn alongside all things within us not like him. And we will look to that day when “these two great marks” of a Christian became one, and the war gives the means to Jesus endless peace.