THE BATTLE IS ON

      The other day I received a email from a Christian describing a great spiritual battle and how it was relieved by attending a movie featuring a character who gallantly overcame life's adversity's, a triumph of the will. This is perhaps well and good for ones ego and certainly can bring fruit in this world for success over daily troubles. But never the less I just cannot get this kind of so very un- biblical  thinking which currently is so popular and pervades in so many Christians today from my mind. A truly heartbreaking condition we have fallen victim to. We now place our emotions and self first, by substituting a worldly portrait for the Holy Spirit. Assigning entertainment as a stimulative to God's Spirit, when we have the actual Word of God so readily available, but mostly gathering dust.

      Yes we are in a spiritual battle, the bible says that it is "in the heavenly". We [all Christians] are being accused there of being weak worldly sinners, by Satan. This is a battle for our minds. It is a deception. The victory is indeed already ours, Christ has crushed this enemy. But just as we are left here with Adam's curse, our old mans personality or sin nature in our bodies, "sin is in the flesh"; we are left also with the necessary need to overcome the enemies accusations by renewing our own minds. It is not done for us by God automatically when we first believe. We must do it by allowing it to be done by His Spirit, "being conformed to His image". How then will we conduct this true spiritual battle?

      First we simply must come to know the difference between the self life of emotions and the spiritual life of Christ. We have two natures, the first is the natural or first Adam, who lives in and as our natural man on earth. The second is the spiritual or Last Adam, Christ in heaven, who represents us there and lives out His life in our spirit and is our Christian life; discovered by His Word and lived only by faith imparted by the Holy Spirit.

     This is by God's plan. Our daily self or first Adam life is filled with normal ups and downs and some downright horrible circumstances; that we might remain weak in the flesh and in need of Him. But also in God's plan this is not the life we need concerns ourselves with, we have a greater hope, as this is the life Christ died unto on the Cross. It is a dead life for any eternal purpose, it will not remain , cannot be passed on, and is not even considered of any value by the Father. Which is all that matters!

      The true overcoming is gaining a spiritual/mental knowledge of just who we are in the second Man who is alive forever and in whom we exist forever. I fear many Christians spend the greater of their efforts on the first because the perfect existence we have in Jesus Christ requires a daily putting to death of the old man in a conscious effort, by a life of active daily renewed faith in the New. Which is the spiritual/mental battle to overcome what we actually are in the flesh. And then allow the replacement of that old vision or self introspection with a all new one who is Jesus Christ the New Man as our new identity.

      This requires a constant reminder, by a faith that encompasses Jesus Christ as our complete identity. To know by the Word that all things in us for eternal purpose are fashioned in a view of Him [Jesus Christ] in God's mind. However many will not fight the committed battle they must to receive it. Their eye's are too much on Satan's world and themselves.

      This second Man we have, who is alive forever, is available for life now. He has for our eternal purposes overcome the life of the first by Spiritually positioning us in Himself, identifying us in Himself. But for present circumstances dealings we must step up to the plate. We must develop a mental/spiritual soul penetrating faith which opens a experiential Christ life. This is done by the Word of God, which then imparts that kind of faith by the Holy Spirit..

      From this point a obedience is required, not to laws and rules or a certain morality of life style. But obedience to a faith in a living heavenly spiritual reality that has fulfilled the law and God's perfect demand of righteousness. "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" He is our life by faith, requiring knowledge of it by His Word.

     We must study the scriptures daily. No man could expect to become a scientist without study and research. So even more important the Word. All else must be set aside as priority. How else then can we expect to overcome the accusations of the devil without a deep thorough knowledge of God's Word. On our own in the quietness of our room we can by the Holy Spirit receive a direct revelation from the Creator of all things. Knowing Him must become our greatest desire. Few will go there I know, for the world calls; the old Adam listens. Satan's illusionist victory holds sway. "Even so come quickly Lord Jesus".