The Inner Battle

When I am faced with difficult situations, I find many times a resulting conflict within me.  It is often trying times in life which bring the conflict of the flesh and Spirit of a Christian to the surface.  If I could reduce the inner conflict to the lowest denominator, it would be the decision to walk in God's love or not:  will I choose to love the person according to the love I have received through faith in Jesus, or will I do what I think is best?  The love of God provides wisdom and understanding in how to navigate all the decisions of this life (Phil. 1:9-11)

In a delightful discussion this morning a mate of mine commented how the shield of faith goes before us to block fiery darts so they don't find their mark.  This is a rich insight.  When we walk in the Spirit, remaining vigilant to be led by God in our thoughts, words, and deeds, attacks and insults can be easily extinguished by the shield of faith.  But there will always be situations which catch us off guard, and those sharpened darts sting when they hit our sensitive flesh.  It is in this moment of pain where the conflict becomes personal and real, the exact moment where we must abide in the love of God.  This can also be the moment of victory through Jesus, when instead of retaliating according to the flesh we deny ourselves and choose to love and keep loving others - even the ones we feel are responsible for our pain.

The love of God is not like the "love" of the world, a love which is granted based upon the worthiness of others, a fickle love dependent on emotion, a love that gives only when we feel our needs have been adequately met, or expressed through sensuous encounters.  Walking in God's love is sacrificial, considers God and others, and is the ultimate expression of our faith in God.  It does no good to claim victory in the heavenly realm when we do not love our enemies; it is ridiculous to tout our spiritual authority when we walk according to the flesh in our dealings with men.  Show me a man who abides in Christ's love and I will show you a man before the demons flee because the power of God rests upon Him.

Win the inner battle to walk in the love of Jesus as led by the Spirit, and the outer battle will likely not resemble one.  Those conquered and abiding in Christ's love can walk in sure victory.