I finished my time there by teaching through a series called "Endings." These six messages attempted to drive home the six main things I have tried to teach them over the past fifteen months that I have spent as their student minister, and would be the six things that I would focus on more than anything if I were to remain there indefinitely. Thus, I taught six statements that sum up everything I am about. This blog series will communicate that to whomever else would like to know my heart.
Here's the fourth statement: We're in a war on three fronts.
You see, we're exchanged people who follow Christ in loving God and people, but any Christian that has been at this for a while knows that it isn't easy to live the Christian life. Why is that? Quite simply: we are at war, and little at war is easy.
Ephesians 2:1-3 is a crucial passage for this topic. These little verses contain three fronts in which our war is waged. Let's see if you can find them:
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. -Ephesians 2:1-3 (HCSB)
Did you see the fronts? Let's explore them a little:
1. The Ways of the World (v.2): our first problem is that we are in a fallen, sinful world full of fallen, sinful people. The people around us are not pursuing God, and therefore are not pursuing a loving, righteous life. They have no desire for their own holiness, and have less desire for yours. They will long for you to sin alongside them, pulling you off the road to glory and into the murky waters of worldliness. We must stay on guard against this, remembering that sinners sin and want others to sin with them. But it isn't just other people that lead us to sin and turn from God.
2. The Ruler Who Exercises Authority over the Lower Heavens (v.2): There is an influencer of souls in this world, and his name is Satan. He and his armies of darkness are our adversary, and they have been given a certain amount of authority and reign on this planet for this time. These dark forces are active and evil, moving on the hearts of people all across the globe to turn from God and fall like themselves. They influence those of "the world" and those of us who are exchanged and following Jesus. However, one more front exists in this war.
3. Our Fleshly Desires (v.3): Not only does the world and our enemy want us to sin, but we ourselves want to sin. Our flesh is broken and sinful just like the flesh of every other person on Earth. We are no better than any other; v.1 of this passages states that "we were dead in our sins" just like all humans. That is why the exchange had to happen: we were sinners following the ways of the world and the adversary, all while loving sin ourselves. We must never forget that our flesh longs for sin, and this is why we must be made holy by Him who can do so.
Our growth in holiness happens as we follow Jesus, but it isn't overnight. We must work and scrap and fight, relying on the Spirit to help us. That is why Ephesians 6:10-18 is in the same book as verses 2:1-3. This passage tells about spiritual warfare and the "armor of God" that allows us to fight the good fight. I urge you to look it up. Read it. Study it. Put the armor on.
Our flesh is yearning to throw us off a cliff, into sinfulness. The world is pulling us towards the same cliff, begging us to join them. And the adversary is behind us, waiting to kick us off the edge when we hesitate. We're in a war on three fronts, and in order to follow Jesus, we must fight. We must strive for truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and prayer in the power of the Spirit and the Word of God. That's our fight; that's our war.
Will you take up arms? Will you fight?
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