Concerning War

Ever have one of those moments when you feel completely detached from everything around you? When, in all honesty, you feel alien in your own world? Perhaps you see a billboard with an image completely contrary to your moralistic pursuits and your separation from it stones you dead to it. Or perhaps it’s the opposite – you find yourself in a position where you are floored by the awesomeness of God’s creation – and such a sunrise coming up, like a strong man running it’s course, detaches you from the earth you stand upon and your body is clouded by the pleasure of your spirit in worshiping God. A battle in the war between the flesh and the Spirit is won by the Spirit. I love these moments – because I become aware of my spirit and feel the true joy of eternal salvation. For a moment, I understand and the mirror that I see through dimly becomes slightly clearer.
Recently, I’ve been challenged by the call to walk by the Spirit. Spurred on by some teaching from Galatians 5 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” And I think about how true this is in my own life. How my pursuits of righteousness are often so opposed to the things I want to do!
So, the more I think about it (it has been constantly on my mind) the more I see how walking by the Spirit means more than just walking. It means everything – it means while walking, running, eating, sleeping, playing, working, thinking, in sickness, health, joy, pain, in community, and while alone. If we live by the Spirit so let us also walk by the Spirit.
Of the many questions that could be asked here I have asked myself this: “Why?” I love to ask that question. Why would I want to do something that puts myself in such a state of war? What on earth is beneficial to walking by the Spirit in contrast to walking by the flesh? Of the many answers I will give three.

1) Being a Good Steward of What God Has Given
For a Christian there is the responsibility to - 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” God has provided the ability for us to walk by the Spirit. In His faithfulness He will not lead you where you cannot escape and in that there is no element of the flesh that the Spirit cannot stand up against and defeat. We must be good stewards of such God given ability.

2) The Worship of It
Paul says this to the Philippians, “therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12,13). The working of God in us pleases Him. It is for God’s good pleasure that we work (and are worked on) out our salvation. Romans 12:1 echoes this same idea – “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Notice how is the presenting of your bodies that is a spiritual worship. It inclines me to think that denying the flesh and walking in contrast to the flesh by the Spirit you are practicing your “spiritual worship”. Oh what better way to worship our holy God in spirit and in truth than to commit your body, mind, and life to Him?

3) The Benefit of It!
Keep your eye on Christ! “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Walking in the Spirit is fruitful beyond the life of all fruit. In Galatians 5:21 Paul says this about walking in the flesh, “I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” On the other hand John says in 1 John 1:7 “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” How then do we walk in the light? (That’s a whole other blog post!) I think the answer can be summed up in what Paul goes on to say in Galatians 5 “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” And those who belong to Christ will inherit the Kingdom that is His.
One thing I wish to clarify at this point is that our salvation in Christ is not founded by our deeds but by our faith in Him (Rom 5:1) – and our walking by the Spirit is beneficial in our confirmation of our faith, the strengthening of our faith, the proclamation of our faith, and the pleasure of God in seeing and suffering our faith by warring our flesh.

So - walking by the Spirit. I believe the surface is barely scratched in the depth and value of such a life. What trials and sufferings are ahead of us who choose such a life – but what joy we can count it in the hope and life of Jesus Christ! May it be so that as we continue to walk by the Spirit and in fear and trembling (for reverence and worship of God) work out how to do so we will often be stoned dead to the world in our separation from it and floored by the glory of God that is all around us! Dedicating and worshiping and benefiting as we walk by the Spirit and no longer by the flesh.

“Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience a with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:10-14