My day to day walk with Christ boils down to one simple
fact: my flesh battles my spirit. Depending on which one wins in this daily
battle results in how my day and my life over time, turns out.
If I look at the ministry of Jesus one theme is thread
through everything he taught and conveyed through his example—the flesh vs. the
spirit. He battled life in the exact same way that I do; he was tempted by
Lucifer to follow the needs of his flesh, and yet, he remained faithful to the
Father, his ministry, and his purpose.
Jesus never ventured out on his own spiritually speaking; he
always stayed next to his Father in heaven through prayer and meditation. He
quoted scripture to Lucifer and his worldly enemies, and when his flesh cried
out in anguish, he cried out to his Father.
I was praying yesterday as I sat in worship service asking
God to speak to me…to give me a scripture that would guide me…and he answered. I
remembered that Jesus said:
“Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Mathew 7:9-11, NASB).
I thought of this scripture as I asked the Father to guide
me and lead me. I grabbed my Bible and opened it randomly and it opened to Ecclesiastes
chapter one. I sat and stared for a moment. I then began to read. I never want
to sound cliché in my attempt to write or convey a thought to my readers;
however, it soon became crystal clear that the well-known message of “the vanity
of life on Earth,” which is the overwhelming theme of Ecclesiastes, was exactly
what God wanted to remind me of in this reading.
Yes, life is all in vain. Most people don`t like to read
Ecclesiastes because it seems so depressing and empty—yet—it carries the very
powerful message of the reality of the battle between the flesh and the spirit.
King Solomon tells us how he indulged in all that life had to offer in terms of
the flesh, and in the end, it was his relationship with God the father that
gave him his only sense of satisfaction.
I remember a quote from my favorite Christian Apologist Ravi
Zacharias. I don`t remember the man`s name that he quoted and I don`t remember
the exact wording of the quote; however, I do remember the very powerful and
sad reality of the quote. I will try to summarize it. He said that there was no
greater pain in life than the pain of a gradual dullness in our sense of
pleasure due to overindulgence. In short, your tenth bowl of ice-cream is never
as good as your first. There is an emptiness within all of us that cannot be
filled by anything in this world. No matter how many trips we take, no matter
how much sex, drugs, food, or whatever other pleasure we indulge in—we cannot
find peace of mind and soul. Loneliness is not a result of being human or of
not reaching some pinnacle of success—it is a fact of the human condition
without the presence of Jesus Christ. When we seek the desires of our flesh, we
will always find darkness, loneliness, fear, regret, and sheer madness in the
end.
I have spent 47 years following the whims of my flesh. In
May of 2012 my Lord Jesus saved me. I have found a new and unexplainable peace
in his words and in my relationship with him. The enemy comes to steal, kill,
and destroy. His lies are always about fulfilling the flesh. Sometimes I slip.
Sometimes I fall backwards into the trappings of the enemies ways. Satan will
send familiar spirits to entice us a Christians into our old behavior, and
sometimes we fall; nevertheless, I will continue to fall on my face at these
times with a broken heart—before my Father in Heaven—and find my way back home.
Maybe you can relate. I hope my words help someone out there who needs to hear
a transparent story of one Christians daily battle with the flesh. God Bless.
WP
