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Battling Enemies of the Christian
In the World But Not of It For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.—1 John 2:16 Joe Megacz In our day, if an ambassador is sent to a friendly foreign country his job is a pleasant one. He can enjoy the local culture and customs. He can educate himself about the history and traditions of the nation to which he has been appointed ambassador. Perhaps his children will go to the local schools, learn the language, and make lifelong friends of the people of that land. On the other hand, if an ambassador is sent to an enemy country, his job is much different. He must maintain a diplomatic distance from the foreign government and its leaders while trying to find common ground, if possible, for constructive relations between the two nations. He will, of necessity, be alert for his own personal safety and security, perhaps being accompanied by bodyguards everywhere he goes. He must be separate and removed from the people and their nation. Christians are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) and our situation is even more perilous than that of an ambassador sent to an enemy country. We know there is no common ground for constructive relations between our king, and the prince of this world, Satan. We know that enemies are trying every day to defeat us and to even kill us spiritually. Yet here we are, and here we must remain until our work for our Lord and master is finished. Paul described our situation this way: “Here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Hebrews 13:14). We must, for the time being, live as unwelcome, even hated strangers in a hostile land until we are called to our eternal heavenly home. Christians have long recognized three main enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Let us consider each of these and how we can arm ourselves against them. Our First Enemy: The World The apostle John issued a stern warning to his fellow ambassadors: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). There is much that is good and right in the world. There are noble people who devote their time to helping the sick and needy. There are wealthy humanitarians who give large amounts of money to educate the illiterate, feed the hungry, and treat the sick around the world. Despite these noteworthy exceptions, the common spirit of mankind today is selfishness and pride. John warned us against this spirit when he said “love not the world.” The Law of the World can be summed up as, “Me first, I deserve it,” or “I can get away with it.” This is the first way the world attacks us. By contrast, the Christian ambassador must not follow or obey that Law of the World. We are not to be, or even appear to be, lawless! We must follow the Law of God which is best summed up as the Law of Love. This is how Jesus expressed it: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself” (Luke 10:27). The best defense against the subtle encroachments and allurements of the world to be proud and selfish is to continually fill our minds with thoughts of how we can serve God and his people and how we can do good for our fellow man. Such continual dwelling on these more noble thoughts will crowd out of our minds the temptation to drift along with the world in its course of pride and selfishness. A worthwhile experiment is to count for just one day how many times we think about our own wants and needs compared to how many times we think about being a good friend, neighbor, relative or co-worker, especially to those in more need than ourselves. The real eye-opener is to count how many times we actually did something to help those we thought about. A second way the world attacks us is along the lines of immorality. The morals of society have been declining more rapidly during the past few decades. Sex, drugs, and violence seem to have replaced family, apple pie, and cars as the epitome of what many people desire and enjoy. What was at one time done secretly and zealously hidden from others is now open and accepted, perhaps even encouraged, as the media applauds rehabilitation rather than restraint, celebrity and sports instead of character, and shock value in place of honor and integrity. The Christian is to live contrary to worldly standards. Like a fish swimming upstream against the current of a mighty river, a Christian is to maintain a lifestyle in harmony with the highest of scriptural standards codified in the Ten Commandments and exemplified in the lives and teachings of our Lord and the apostles. Christians are to let their light shine! Righteous Christian conduct is to be a beacon in these last days: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Paul continued: “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience” (verse 10). What an example we have! What a task is ours to follow that example! We start by being holy in the little things, day by day, and then build up to holiness in all aspects of our life. The results will be praise to God and a defeat of our first enemy, the world. The apostle John, who had much to say about our three enemies, wrote: “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3:13). Those who regard the world as an enemy and oppose its influence in their lives will not find appreciation or reward from the world, but they will have the master’s approval, something much better. Our Second Enemy: The Flesh “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). John said that the world uses the lusts and desires of the flesh as a gateway through which to attack the Christian and try to prevent a godly life. However, the true Christian is not flesh. True Christians are the sum of their higher hopes, aims, and ambitions. True Christians are their new wills, which desire to be Christlike and which fight the battle against the world and the flesh. Paul described this inner, true Christian as a new creature: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul described the battle between the new creature and the flesh: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” (Romans 7:18-20). Paul described his two “I’s”: the outer “I,” or the flesh, and the true “I,” or the new creature. Paul admitted that his outer “I” did what he would not “because [of] sin that dwelleth in me.” Paul’s flesh at times overcame his new creature. Although his new creature periodically lost some battles, Paul was ultimately victorious in the fight against his flesh, because he never gave up. This must be our lifelong battle as well, and, like Paul, we will sometimes lose. Like Paul, we can ultimately be victorious only if we never give up. Our Third Enemy: The Devil Peter gave a stern and forceful warning against this final but most powerful enemy: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Paul also warned about this enemy and gave us the proper defense: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:12-18). The “Armor of God” was discussed extensively in the January/February 2009 issue of this journal. This armor consists mainly of defensive weapons, the only exception being the sword of the spirit, which represents the Word of God. As students of the Bible we must let the Scriptures cut away error by wielding its truth skillfully. Diligent study is required, similar to how an earthly soldier practices with his weapons prior to encountering the enemy in battle. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). By knowing what we believe and why we believe it, we will be prepared for those who question us. Two of Satan’s most powerful weapons are doubt and discouragement. Satan attempts to plant doubt in both the mind and the heart, including doubt about the truth of God’s word; doubt that God’s love survives through failure; doubt about whether God is even dealing with us. If one allows the seeds of doubt to grow, they will fester into discouragement and even lead to spiritual depression. What is the right defense? Of all the defensive weapons listed by Paul, note particularly the last one: prayer. No earthly soldier enters the battlefield without communication links to others in his squadron and his commanding officers. Prayer is the new creatures’ communication link to the Captain of their Salvation, and to the one who sent them forth as ambassadors. Let not let a day go by without renewing and strengthening communication with the heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). James wrote: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Imagine that! We are given the power to send our most formidable enemy, Satan, running by resistance. Let us resist and never desist! Conclusion Most ambassadors enjoy “diplomatic immunity” which exempts them from harassment, mistreatment, and prosecution for violations of the laws of their host country (except in the most serious cases). Ambassadors for Christ receive no such courtesy from their host country, the world. They must be not only ambassadors, but also Christian soldiers prepared to defend themselves from all manner of attack from enemy combatants. We who follow Christ must be in the world but not of the world. We must not be worldly-minded nor motivated for success in the world, but we must keep our thoughts and affections on things above (Colossians 3:2). This will make it obvious to others that we are not in harmony with worldly ways and thinking. The world may hate us even as it hated Jesus (John 15:18), but that will mean we are doing a good job as ambassadors for Christ. There will also be fighting within and fighting without as with Paul: “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears” (2 Corinthians 7:5). Our enemies—the world, the flesh and the devil—attack us within, and the influences of the world and the devil attack us without. Fight we must against these three enemies until the battle is over and we are victors. Onward Christian Soldiers! |