A War Within

     My favorite Uncle, Paul Engel, was not only a dentist but a great Civil War buff.  He loved collecting guns from the era and also participating in reenactments.  He could recite all sorts of information and had many books on the topic.  Since I loved history, I always enjoyed listening to him as he recounted stories of battles.  To be certain, it was a terrible war with a high cost in human life, and the worst part was that it was a battle within our own country.  The scars left took a long time to heal.  While this was a terrible conflict, there is a battle going on today inside each one of us that we have to face on a daily basis.
     In Peters first letter to believers (Chapter 2), he is addressing young Christians and encouraging them in their walk with Christ.  Verses 9-12 remind us to whom we belong and how special we are in God's sight.  It also reminds us to be ready for the battle against our flesh which is at war with the new person we are in Christ.  "9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."  John Owen (Voices from the Past, pg. 63) puts it this way:  "The general nature of indwelling sin is that it is always at enmity with us.  There can be no terms of peace.  It must be abolished and destroyed, every part and parcel of it.  Every drop of poison is poison, and will kill; and every spark of fire is fire, and will burn.  We can admit no terms of peace or compromise."
     John Owens goes on to say that some people give in to sin because it persists until they relent.  However, when we give into sin, it only brings more sin our way.  For example, if we tell a lie, we know it can often lead to more lies until we are caught in our own web.  When the truth comes out, it is often more painful for us than if we had merely been honest to begin with.  This is a struggle all Christians face and we will not be free from that old sin nature until we are face to face with the Lord.  However, the Good News is that "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20).  To put it another way, we do not have to listen to the old sin nature any longer.  We are a new creation in Christ!  The only way the old nature can bring us down is if we give in to it and indulge once again in a sinful conduct or habit.
     Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told his disciples He would send another comforter who would be with us and in us.  We know Him as the Holy Spirit who is our guide, our strength and who brings to mind the Scripture just when we need it.  Yet, for the Holy Spirit to effectively work within our hearts that are often weak, we need to immerse ourselves in God's Word.  The more we read the truth about God, sin and our salvation the stronger we will become as believers.  Think about this.  How can the Holy Spirit bring Scripture to our mind when we are tempted if we never read it?
     Furthermore, we need to bathe our hearts in prayer to God each day.  He refreshes our souls as we spend time talking to Him.  Jesus knew this and often retreated to a quiet place to spend time praying.  It is a pattern for us.  Likewise, Jesus was also tempted in all ways such as we are, but He never sinned.  Yes, He was perfect, but in Peter's second letter, he wrote these words:  "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence..."(2 Peter 1:3).  The Lord has given to us the Bible, prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us so that we may be overcomers even as our Lord was.
     We do not not have to lose the war within.  We
 have to study to show ourselves approved of God and labor to rise above the lusts of our flesh.  This is a journey we are on which requires our effort to put to death those old patterns we lived before we became a Christian.  Praise God, though, that He has given us all the tools at hand and His very presence within to help us every step of the way.  Take heart for each day we can have victory in Christ as we seek His wisdom in the battles we face.  Selah!