The Battle

My flesh (my human/sin nature) is in battle with the Holy Spirit. I know what I should be doing, but I don’t want to do it. I don’t feel like loving. I don’t feel like forgiving. I don’t feel like being patient. I don’t feel like dealing with certain situations.

The Holy Spirit (your conscience, whatever you wanna call it) is telling me something different. It tells me to love when I don’t want to. It tells to forgive when I don’t want to. It tells me to be patient and wait on God, even when I don’t want to.

Loving people is like doing laundry. If I waited til I felt like doing it, it would probably never get done. Sometimes we have to love even when we don’t feel like it. We have to forgive, even if the other person doesn’t deserve it. We have to reflect Christ when we’d rather reflect the rest of the world.

Deut. 30:19 says, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” Everyday we have choices to make. Do we want to be like Christ or like the world? What makes Christians any different from pagans if we allow our feelings and emotions to dictate how we act? (Luke 6:27-36)

satan must be grinning whenever we start freaking out, getting depressed, or ready to let someone have it. He probably thinks he’s won this battle. But he will be sorry he ever messed with me. I can’t take away the scars that have been left on my heart, but I refuse to let him invade my heart.

Ephesians 6:11 says to put on the full armor of God. Not some of it. Not just this piece or that one. All of it. When the devil attacks, I’m going to pray harder. I’m going to give freely. I’m going to worship with intensity. I’m going to love deeply. I want to be so interconnected with God that it would burn the devil to even touch me. I’m putting on my armor. What about you?