![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() |
Spirituality Information |
|
![]() |
The Great Battleground
Being a Christian does not exempt us from having to fight daily with the problem of sin in our lives. We know that being saved does not mean we are perfect. We know that we all have personal deficits that we must persistently work toward controlling; temper, impatience, unkind thoughts, self centeredness, and a host of other possibilities. We know that we all have some skeletons and they do not always stay hidden in the closet. Sometimes it seems as though we have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality and like Paul, we find ourselves fighting the war within. The characteristic of our human experience is the tension set up within a nature divided against itself. We belong to a physical world, yet we also believe ourselves to be citizens of a heavenly city. But our carnal impulses are all too often at variance with our spiritual longings. We all experience the frustration of knowing what is right, but failing to do it. Our knowledge of right is invariably greater than our power to always perform it. We know what is right and we really want to act accordingly, but with monotonous regularity, we fail. The inescapable fact of the matter is that by ourselves, we cannot do what is right. We just do not make the grade. Knowing the rules whether they are golden or silver, do not make us able to obey them. We keep on falling into a trap called sin. You see, there's an inner struggle going on-a war within between contending forces, the spirit and the self-and on our own, we lack sufficient power to overcome. Think of the times in your life when the day started off bright and you were feeling really good. You rejoiced in the spirit and felt like going on for the Lord; felt like holding up the blood stained banner, felt like your mind was made up and you were on your way up and then, all of a sudden, all hell broke loose. Unexpectedly, a situation evolves that we cannot handle; hell hounds get on our trail, death comes knocking at our door, stumbling blocks get in our way. We know we should not allow these things to get to us, but seemingly no matter how hard we try, no matter which way we turn, no matter what strategy we use, we wind up defeated; twisted in knots, a slave to sin. And if your experiences have been anything like mine, you will agree that sometimes it seem as though the more we squirm to get out of the mess, the deeper we sink in. The new life in Christ in not an easy life by any stretch of the imagination for we are still sinners even after we believe. The battle within resembles in nature that between Jacob and Esau in Rebecca's wound; between the Canaanites and Israelites in the land of promise, between the house of Saul and the house of David. It's a difficult war, because Satan's army is always after us; they stay on our heels. Well, the question is, how do we win this war? We fight this war by walking in the spirit. We do not have to be controlled by our lower nature because we have the Holy Spirit. Paul said, "The power of the life giving Spirit has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death." We need the power of the life-giving Spirit. The only way to triumph over evil is to walk in the Spirit of God. Walking in the spirit means living life to please God rather than to please yourself or others. It means obedience to God rather than obeying your own needs and desires, or the needs and desires of others. We start out each day with a definite decision that by faith, I will walk in the Spirit of my God. Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.
MORE RESOURCES:
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
A Celebration of Life As human beings it is inherent to want to self-actualize and build lives of deep profound meaning. This is what each of us came here to do. The Tess Syndrome There's a lot of talk about angels these days. They're getting some pretty good press. Just Learning To Cope I have been thinking about this all night. I am realizing that there are more and more people dealing with anxiety. GOD 1.0: The Universal OS Welcome to the GOD 1.0 Tech Support Page. Time for Healing We have to go through some unfortunate experiences sometimes in our life. When you speak with other people you will always find out how easy your experience is in comparison to what they have suffered. Moksha - Salvation Hinduism... Highlights Concept and the Path Is it not true that only after gaining Enlightenment (Self-Realization) that one can reach the stage of Moksha (Salvation).Moksha is that ephemeral truth of life without which human beings cannot sustain themselves. Thinking Out Loud (Answers) Part two of a two part series (Channeled) Spirituality is about everyday life, which includes getting up in the morning, getting ready for the day be it work, school or play. It is about knowing yourself and the connection to your environment. Should Christians Drink Alcohol? Tea-totalling Texans? Them's fightin' words!I live in a small Texas town which is probably not all that different from a small town anywhere else. Lately, much has been reported by the local media and debated at city council meetings regarding liquor licensing. The Emptiness That Binds The Universe What is the opportunity here? What is the benefit of this difficulty? What is the gift? ~ Marc AllenIt's strange--behind the terror and confusion of the world, behind the frustration of things not working out for us or anyone else, and behind the unending battles of struggle--there is an inner joy, a radiance that shines in the heart, an awareness that exists forever. One day, when we have all packed up our toys and gone home, we will look back on these days of earth as a marvelous adventure. Picture This (Part One) Picture this state of existence in your mind by closing your eyes after you have read the lines below.You are totally conscious and aware that you exist. Law Vs. Grace At first glance it does seem that law and grace are opposed. Even the Bible seems to be divided into two sections the Old Testament (law) and New Testament (grace). Instructions... Guess Work or Gods Work? I can't boast about my culinary skill, because I just don't have the natural ability to get around in a kitchen and "whip" something up. I am one of those people who lacks the imagination to throw something together. Is It Safe To Walk Into Your Doctors Office? In a recent case study which I also summarized in a recent article entitled "Some Evidence of How We Are Spiritually Connected" I discuss how we are connected beyond the physical.Briefly the study revealed that two individuals who experienced the same traumatic incident together shared the energetic memory of the incident in their own bio-fields as well as a common interpersonal or collective field. The Truth of Reactions In my life, I have tried to be Good and Pure and True. In these qualities, I have failed miserably. Surviving the Tsunami--Animals and Their Connection with the Spiritual World When the Tsunami struck Asia and East Africa on December 26, 2004 more than 220,000 humans died, but amazingly the wild animals escaped without harm.Two chained elephants managed to pull free of their chains before the Tsunami wave arrived and they ran to higher ground for safety. The Best Laid Plans We all know that the best laid plans of mice and men sometimes go awry, so we shouldn't be surprised when the best laid lifeplans go awry, too.What "looks good on paper" doesn't always look as good when it comes up in your life, especially if - like so many of our learning experiences - the person or the situation that we're dealing with proves to be less than a positive experience. Do You Make These 3 Mistakes In Your Christian Life? You're probably sabotaging your successful Christian life right now if you're making one or more of these mistakes. Do you know what they are?I'm going to share with you quickly three of the most common mistakes that Christians make and how they can be corrected. Finding Freedom! "You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. " Psalm 31:8, NIVDuring this weekend we're reminded of all of those who've gone before to fight for our country so that we can remain America the Free. Dream As Big As God! Sounds like a tall order doesn't it? But I think you'll see that it's what we're expected to do. But you might say, "I've tried that and it didn't work. Geralds Story - A Tribute to Valor John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.June 6, 1944. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 |