Fighting as a Christian (Part III)

Leave a Comment / Carnality, Obedience, Thoughts / By

 

Jesus showed us that fighting as a Christian isn’t about physical combat or aggression, but it is about spiritual warfare!

Demonic forces and strongholds

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2Corinthians 10:3-6

When we live in carnality, instead of trusting God in a situation, our actions and reactions can open us up to demonic spirits These demonic spirits oppress the life of the believer, hindering them from obeying God and experiencing freedom.

For example, if a person has had an unstable childhood, they may struggle with a spirit of fear and distrust. Whenever something occurs that hints at instability and uncertainty, they might respond with fear and distrust, shutting down emotionally. The truth is that demonic spirits cannot be counseled, nor can our understanding help us to manage them. We must fight not to live a life controlled by a spirit that holds us in bondage to something that happened thirty years ago. We need to take authority over those demonic spirits and cast them out in the name and authority of Jesus!

The flesh

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

When the above character attributes arise in us, it’s easy to blame someone or a situation, but we cannot fight as we once did. The works of the flesh need to be addressed by crucifying the flesh. We must not allow these dark character qualities to find a safe haven within us. By excusing bad behavior, we allow it to remain.

For example, if a person comes from a background of neglect or excessive attention, they might develop narcissistic characteristics that make everything about them. This selfish ambition drives them to seek validation from others. Over time, this can lead to envy, competition, and anger when one’s goals or desires are not met. They might even manipulate situations in their lives to gain attention or recognition.

Don’t believe the lie that unless you control or manipulate outcomes or relationships, you will be left behind or forgotten. Fight the urge not to dabble in witchcraft to make something happen. When you see any of the above works in your life, recognize you are operating in carnality, which will open the door for demons to enter your life.

Some of the above characteristics have served us so well for so long that they become our best friends. We relied on them consistently to achieve results. Some become so adept at using them that they can even disguise the works of the flesh with spiritual appearances, allowing those traits to remain hidden for a long time. However, as Christian fighters, we cannot continue to tolerate the works of the flesh. We must sever our relationship with these dark habits and completely distance ourselves from them to make spiritual progress. We need to do this by first addressing demonic spirits such as fear, inferiority, and unforgiveness. Second, we need to crucify the flesh and its bad habits.

Lord help us to conquer our flesh and not allow strongholds to form or remain in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

Fighting as a Christian (Part II)

Leave a Comment / New Creation, New Life / By

How is fighting as a Christian different from the Old Testament fightings that the Israelites were engaged in? The Israelites often fought physical battles against other nations, as directed by God. However, when Christ came, He changed the rules of engagement in the Kingdom of God. Now, Christians are called to engage in spiritual warfare, not physical combat. …

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God-Ordained Relationships (Part II)

Leave a Comment / Agree, Comparison, Competition, Loyalty, Relationships / By

The friendship between Jonathan and David is one of the most beautiful and profound relationships depicted in the Bible. What were the elements that made this relationship so special?

Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt. 1 Samuel 18:1-4 (NKJV)

David and Jonathan’s relationship was more than mere friendship. It was a binding agreement of loyalty and support that reflected the will of God and the purpose of God that was prophesied over David.

The phrase “the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David” signifies a deep love. This kind of friendship is rare, built on mutual respect, admiration, and a shared faith in God.

Nowadays, it is hard to find these kinds of friendships. It seems like many relationships are limited to a certain seasons of life or certain activities in life. Are you investing in friendships that nourish your soul and bring you closer to God? Are you giving to others as you are receiving from them? 

David and Jonathan’s relationship had certain elements that made it successful:

Their Love was selfless

A relationship cannot just be about what is in it for me .  Jonathan’s love for David was selfless, as he loved David “as his own soul.” This reflects the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31). True friendship involves giving of ourselves.

A mutual understanding and agreement

David and Jonathan had made a covenant with each other. They must have had various conversations that brought them to actually make a commitment to each other to be steadfast in their relationship.

Sometimes, relationships don’t go well because two people have a different vision and expectation for the relationship, but they have never openly discussed those expectations. As a result, one person continues to be disappointed in the relationship, and the other one may not even realize that there is a problem.

Focused on God’s Purpose 

Jonathan giving David his robe, armor, sword, bow, and belt was symbolic. It represented Jonathan’s recognition of David’s future role and his willingness to support him even at great personal cost. How willing are we to honor and uplift our friends, even if it means making sacrifices? Sadly, many times, friendships tends to start out right but, eventually, comparison and competition by one or both people sets in that poisons the friendship.

Let’s examine our relationships based on the quality of mutual love, mutual benefit, and how the Lord leads us in the relationship.

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay