Monthly Archives: October 2009
Fighting The Good Fight Of Faith
The Christian life is a life of rest but at the same time it is also a life of fighting. We have to fight the good fight of faith and the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. But in all these we depend on the Spirit to lead us in the battle. We fight and we win because we fight from the standpoint of rest in the victory of Christ. We can handle the pressures and the trials of life because in the inner man God supplies us the strength. There is a strength that is not natural to the people of the world because we are resting in Christ. They think that they can break us but God steps into the situation when we are thrown into the fire. The greater the battle the closer God becomes to us. In the midst of our darkest moments we can rest assure that God is there waiting to reveal His glory in us. Nothing can shake us because we do not fight with human strength. We fight our battles with faith knowing that the victory is ours for we cannot fail when God is with us. The most common mistake that Christians make is that they think they have to fight the battle with their own resources and strength. But the moment we look at ourselves we will fail. We have to fight the battle with not only faith but also patience. We have to rest in faith and wait for the Spirit of God to move us. Through practice we will come to the place where we make fewer mistakes and hit the mark more often. With each victory our confidence in the leading of the Spirit will increase and we will start fighting the good fight of faith at higher levels. As you move from resting to fighting be prepared to suffer hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Recognise the hand of God in allowing every difficulty and trouble in your path to perfect you and make you pure as gold. Those people whom you cannot handle have been allowed into your life to perfect you. They are there to sharpen your rough edges. Don’t move into the flesh and try to handle the situation in your own strength. Search the scriptures, seek the mind of God and apply what you learn in those difficult situations and God will give you wisdom. But as long as you move in the flesh and lash out and take matters into your own hands, you will not accomplish the will of God in your life. We have to fight with the wisdom of God and the leading of the Spirit. We are more than conquerors because even death cannot defeat us. The very hairs of our heads have been numbered so that the enemy cannot touch us unless God permits. And whatever God permits will be for His glory and for the advancement of His church and kingdom so that His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Tagged fight of faith, good fight of faith
The Struggle For The Kingdom Of God
The life of a Christian is joy and peace and strength from the Lord. But there is another side to it and that is struggle in the Spirit. God is a progressive God and so, He is always on the move. If we want to move with God we have to be ready to live a life of exploits and overcoming. This brings us to the struggle we are talking about. It is not a struggle of the flesh but divinely inspired struggle. We have to be continuously moving in the inner man even though at times it might be at a snail’s pace. The journey is a lifelong struggle to bring the will of God on this earth. It is a struggle for freedom in the lives of people and for justice, righteousness and the character of God to be displayed in our lives. But in all this struggle there is the power of God which moves us. We are struggling not in our own strength but in the strength of God. It is a struggle to move to newer heights and conquer more ground for the Kingdom of God. The struggle is real because the opposition is real. We are wrestling with the powers of darkness, with principalities and powers and rulers of the other world. But each victory brings us closer to the finish line and finally we will be able to say like the Apostle Paul that we have finished the race, we have kept the faith and now there is a crown waiting for us.
Calm The Inner Man
The sure sign of a healthy spiritual life is calmness in the inner man. We have to refuse to be moved by the flesh and instead move by the Spirit. How do we know when we are moving in the flesh and in the Spirit? When we move in the flesh there is usually a struggle and uneasiness in what we are doing. We have to make an effort to do anything. This is living in the flesh. When we are moving in the Spirit, there is a freedom and we soar like an eagle. We accomplish more and do more. We know in our inner man that we are at rest. The temptation to most of us is to move in the flesh and do something for God. So we move prematurely, like Moses did when he killed the Egyptian or like Abraham did by bringing Ishamel into this world who was the son of the flesh as the Apostle Paul said. When we feel like nothing is happening, we have to remain still and wait for the strength of God to move us. How do we know all this? You will know because the Spirit of God resides in you and He will teach you all things. You will have to learn to trust the leading of the Spirit in the inner man. We might make mistakes but we will learn from them. We have to refuse to do anything in the flesh and in our own strength even though it might be a good thing and the most logical thing to do at that moment. God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than ours. So, learn to move in the Spirit and you will have peace in the inner man. There will be a sweet calm that covers your life. Mountains will be removed and nothing shall move you for you have learned to trust God in everything. You will have the calmness of God that comes as a result of faith and trust in Him and refusing to move in the flesh.