01/12/2024 – Your Greatest Struggle – Internal War
Romans 7: 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
We face many external struggles in this life. Countless enemies and situations, storms, and challenges. But they pale in comparison with the internal struggle of the human soul. The fiercest and most significant struggles are those that take place inside of us. We must focus primarily on the internal battles so that we can be strong in the Lord to overcome the external challenges. In our prayer life, in our spiritual disciplines, we must never allow external enemies to distract us from the crucial battle that is taking place inside of us. Often the devil is not wasting resources in trying to fight you. He knows that all he needs to do is distract you. It is a battle of the spirit against the flesh. The Lord warned His disciples: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
We fight a battle every day. It is the battle to resist our natural desire to do what offends God and harms others. Not only that, but we must also fight to do what is right despite the barriers and excuses our body of sin will put up in resistance. When we wake up every morning, the Spirit of God will call our spirit to prayer. Our flesh will ask for coffee and more rest. We must listen to the voice of the Spirit to make sure that Christ rules in our lives.
His rule will enable us not only against temptation, but more importantly, in our service to God and to others. Unless we are led by the Spirit of God…unless our external actions are the result of internal conviction and love, instead of pleasing God we will provoke His anger! We saw this in the Lord’s woes against the teachers of the law. If we are not spirit filled…if we are not led by the Spirit of God in ministry, we are led by our flesh. That is sin’s stronghold.
If our actions are not driven by the Spirit, whatever impression we give, whatever glory we seek, is not for God, but for us. The scribes and pharisees loved to be seen by people. They loved to be called by titles that implied leadership and superiority. Woe onto all who have fallen into this trap. Wake up and start living for the glory of God!