Overcoming the World

Since moving to Australia years ago I have kept an eye on local baseball and football teams I supported from a young age.  The San Diego Padres have advanced in the playoffs through formidable opposition, some comparing their improbable victories to David over Goliath.  It is a common analogy employed when a big underdog beats a heavily-favoured opponent in sports, but it isn't a biblically accurate one.  

David was not an underdog:  he had no business being on the same battlefield.  The Padres and the teams they faced are all professional teams with players who honed their skills over a lifetime--and are paid handsomely for it.  Goliath was the giant champion of Gath and David was a teenage shepherd.  From a human vantage point, a true David and Goliath would be the Superbowl champion football team in a game of gridiron facing a team comprised of cheerleaders without any opportunity to prepare.  One combatant had state-of-the-art weaponry and protective equipment (with an assistant) while the other had 5 smooth stones and a sling.

The primary difference between David and Goliath was not their skill for battle, equipment or physical size.  What swung the odds of Goliath's victory to nil was his gods were powerless to help him and David fought by faith in the living God Who is mighty to save.  God had previously delivered David from the paw of the lion and bear, and David was convinced God would deliver him from the cursing Philistine before whom all Israel cowered from in fear.  David was not like a "Cinderella" team who had no business being at the Ball but was enabled to attend through the magical power of a Fairy Godmother who appeared in her time of need:  God had been with David all along.  God guided, protected and strengthened David for battle when he obeyed his dad to carry supplies to the front lines.

After David's brother insulted him in a rage 1 Samuel 17:29 reads, "And David said, "What have I done now? Is there not a cause?"  David was indignant Goliath had been permitted to curse God and his people and no one had done anything to stand up for Him.  David was not moved by national pride, the defense of his king, family or land, but saw a cause and opportunity to honour and glorify God by taking a step of faith to face the giant himself.  He would not be alone, for God was with him to deliver and save him.  David defeating Goliath is not the unexpected triumph of the underdog but a demonstration of how faith in God makes His children overcomers by faith, and this is the victory that overcomes the world.

Iniquity Shall End

In a famous scene in the movie Apocolypse Now before slowly walking out of shot Colonel Kilgore remarked, "Someday this war's gonna end."  For people engaged in that horrific conflict it seemed like it would never end:  the shells kept falling, bullets were flying and the napalm burning.  There is a time of war and a time of peace.  A war or battle may be fierce and long, but all will be brought to an end.  It is a grave tragedy that when one war ends other conflicts can arise.  Even in the midst of the battle and peril we can know someday the war will end, and even if this occurs because we have met our end we have a sure hope in heaven of peace in the presence of the glorious God.

Today I read this encouraging passage in Ezekiel 21:25-27:  "Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end, ²⁶ thus says the Lord GOD: "Remove the turban, and take off the crown; nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted. ²⁷ Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown! It shall be no longer, until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him."  Through the prophet God revealed to king Zedekiah the day of judgment had come and his iniquity had an end.  Many people grieved over the sorry spiritual state of Jerusalem which was brought to ruin by idolatry and rebellion against God.  To those who endured the wicked regimes of many kings of Israel there was comfort in knowing God would bring the iniquity of their rulers to an end.  God would strip them of their rule and remove their symbols of authority.  God emphatically said they would be overthrown, and in doing so God would turn everything right side up.

The proud king of Israel would be humbled, and this passage gives us a glimpse of the coming Messiah God would send:  the Son of David who is also the Son of God, Jesus Christ who will rule in righteousness over all.  All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus the righteous, and He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.  Like king Zedekiah, we deserved to suffer the full force of God's judgment for our sin.  God showed us amazing grace in sending Jesus to atone for our sin on Calvary and clothe us in righteousness.  Jesus has come and we look forward to the day when He will bring an end to wars, murders, lying, greed, hatred and covetousness.  Sin, iniquity and death all will have an end, and Jesus will see to it.  As it is written in Revelation 20:14-15:  "Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

Child of the living God by faith in Jesus, we need not despair and grieve over troubles and conflicts as those without hope.  In the midst of suffering God has abundant consolation for us and all who fear Him.  There is small comfort in knowing a war will someday end when it continues to rage on and untold lives are being lost.  But there is great comfort in knowing God and what He has said, that every tyrant's day will come and every worldly regime will fall before the glorious, conquering KING OF KINGS Jesus who is mighty to deliver, save, heal and comfort.  Nothing will remain the same for Jesus makes all things new.  He has already forgiven our iniquity and brought the condemnation of our sin to an end and given us a living hope.  We are able to experience perfect peace in our Saviour Who loves us though He tarries long, knowing He will make good on His promises.

Do You Get It?

In candid videos that catch amusing or amazing moments it is common to hear the one handling the camera say something like, "I got that on video!"  We've all seen some crazy and bizarre things during our lives, and it is a rare thing to have a camera at the ready and capture the footage well.  Perhaps I'm dating myself a bit, for it seems these days everyone has their phones whipped out and already recording and the thought never crossed my mind.  I also have been guilty of going for the camera to memorialise a hilarious event rather than immediately helping a good friend.  As he pushed the boat from the dock he dunked himself into the freezing water of Lake Cuyamaca and it was the funniest thing.  The intense look on his face peering over the stern of the rowboat on that brisk morning I will never forget--even though I didn't get it on film.

The loving thing to do would have been to do unto others as Jesus has done for me:  to not think about myself or "getting" that footage but to help a struggling friend.  Do you know heeding the "Golden Rule" is not natural to us?  I would appreciate someone casually pointing out the greens in my teeth during a meal or that I have a toilet-paper tail upon exiting the bathroom.  I may not pull out a camera to shame the person, but I have not always taken immediate action to help others when a kind word was called for.  I ask myself:  why do I allow feelings of embarrassment to speak up to help others avoid potential embarrassment?  Why do I prefer ignoring or distancing myself from the situation?  There are many reasons and not one is justifiable or righteous.  As a start it is because I am selfish, proud, disobedient and outright refuse to walk in love demonstrated by Jesus.  In the moment when I choose to follow my feelings I tend to cater to innumerable fears, unwarranted though they be.  Living in love puts God and others in our sights rather than thinking of ourselves, knowing He sees and remembers all.

Praise the LORD He desires we would learn to live life skillfully and wisely as Jesus does.  Paul wrote in Philippians 2:1-4, "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, ² fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. ³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."  Jesus humbled Himself for our salvation, and thus we ought to humble ourselves for the sake of others.  Paul continued in Philippians 2:12-13:  "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

God is faithful to discipline and correct us as a father a son in whom he delights.  God reveals our refusal to love, harshness and ungrace.  Having freely received consolation, love, fellowship of the Spirit, affection and mercy, we are called to lowliness of mind that values all others over self.  We tend to connect with people over shared interests, and if their interests are one of our major concerns our perspective will radically change.  This is what God is calling us to do, and let us be obedient to God like Jesus is to His heavenly Father.  It is God's work to change us "both to will and do for His good pleasure."  Instead of seeking to please ourselves, may we yield to God's will to love one another as He loves us.  It is infinitely more important for us to "get this" than saving funny clips on our phones.

Obedience Fulfilled

David spoke of God giving him skill for war, ability to leap over a wall and defeat his enemies.  The battles he fought were physical as well as an inner war that raged against fear, worry and despair.  While most will never experience warfare in muddy trenches or run across a beach with bullets flying, we each face real conflict where triumph can only be experienced by faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul provides insight concerning one of the primary locations where spiritual battles take place, and it might surprise you:  it takes place within our own hearts and minds.  Paul recognised we live in a body of flesh yet we are not to fight according to the flesh.  There are established strongholds and fortifications of lies, attitudes and habits in our own minds and hearts revealed with the word of God.  To the church Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."  God's word helps us to identify strongholds, arguments and proud thoughts that oppose Jesus in our own minds and He enables us to boldly pull them down by repentance and faith in Him.

When a person suspected of criminal activity is arrested, he is bound and taken into custody.  We are called to wage this war on our own thought life, bringing every thought and vain imagination into captivity to Christ.  Having arrested these sinful thoughts according to God's wisdom, we can put our feet on their necks on what God has condemned and end their reign of terror so we might walk in obedience to Christ.  One purpose of Paul writing to the church in Corinth was to urge and exhort them to return to obedience to Christ, and they needed to ready themselves to embrace church discipline should there be any among them who refused to walk in obedience to Jesus.  Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers that primarily wield their influence inside us.  We cannot do anything about changing the minds and hearts of others, and know God desires ours to be changed more like His.

I am convinced by the truth of the scripture and the resurrection of Jesus Christ in glory the primary battleground in our hearts and minds can be won and held by God's grace.  To ignore this critical battle will mean our ruin, and we will be severely hampered in our Christian witness and fruitfulness.  Despite books annually churned out concerning spiritual warfare this personal continent of conflict can be overlooked and the result is confusion, formulas and even fear.  We miss the mark to more focus on the strength of the foe and what we need to do to win (or obtain our desire) rather than looking to Jesus who has already vanquished the enemy.  Some are so busy fighting an invisible enemy out there somewhere they can drift from abiding in Christ.  We can be so taken with rebuking the devil we neglect the state of our own thoughts, hearts and actions.  Praise the LORD the weapons of our warfare are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, arguments and imaginations within us so our obedience is fulfilled.