2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV) 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
At this point in our discussion of resisting the devil and submitting to God, I want to look at another perspective. As I was teaching these things in Kenya this year, the Lord began to deal with me about the arenas in which we choose to fight our battles. James 4:7 is clear that we are to resist the devil. 1 Peter 5:8-9 tells us that the devil is our adversary. I have already pointed out that we are not called to resist people. Sometimes we will have to deal with people who are being used by the devil and the world system that he controls. However, even under those circumstances we must deal with them in the love of God.
The only people to whom Jesus spoke harshly were the Pharisees. That was because they were supposed to be God’s representatives and instead of revealing the true nature of God to the people, they were putting burdens upon them that God never intended his people to carry. God will judge those who occupy positions of leadership in His name more severely than those who follow. That is something that we who lead must keep in mind.
As I was preparing for one of the seminar sessions I was going to teach, I began to think about spectator sports. I played sports in school and continue to play golf and other things today. I have always enjoyed good competition. That carries over into watching sports. I have followed two teams very closely since I was a child. When I watch their games, I am very invested. This is especially true if the team is good and has a chance to compete for the league championship. I am on the edge of my seat for every play. If the team makes a good play, I cheer just like I was in the stadium. If they make a bad play, I can get very upset. I experience the ups and downs of the game just like the players, and when the game is over, win or lose, I am exhausted. If you are not a fan, you may find that a little silly.
My life does not change no matter how my team does. I do not gamble so I am neither richer nor poorer for the outcome. It is, for me, one of the more enjoyable things in life, nothing more and nothing less. Nevertheless, I know it was the Lord who brought this to my mind. As I was meditating on the idea of resisting the devil, I realized something about my fandom. No matter how hard I cheer for my team, nor how much I may feel the emotional roller-coaster, I cannot affect the outcome of the game. The reason is simple. That is not my arena, it is the players arena.
I do not have access to the ball. I do not have the skills necessary to play the game at that level, not to mention that at a healthy 72, I could never keep up. Not that I am going to stop rooting for my team. I know that I cannot affect the outcome, but I enjoy the process. It makes me feel like I am part of the team even though I am not. Every player knows that without the fans they would not have a job. They appreciate the energy they bring to the stadium when they are there in person. However, they cannot hear my cheers from my recliner. Even so, I feel like I am contributing, but I am not.
What does any of that have to do with resisting the devil? I believe we are often distracted by the things of the world in our resistance. We can focus on the spectator aspects of the problems of life by talking about the things we may need or, even more, the things we disagree with. This is particularly so when it comes to politics. In Kenya, political discussion, complaining and taking sides is one of their favorite things to do. This is also true here in the United States.
I think that this can be a problem in religious life as well. What we believe about theology and doctrine can become more important points of discussion than how much we are walking in the love of God towards people and God himself. However, today the vitriol in our political debate is worse than at any time in my 72 years. People fight about everything. I happen to be on one side of the political aisle, and I believe that there are some very important questions and challenges facing our nation. I believe that there are those who want to change the fabric of our nation and our culture to exclude God from every area of life and, to me that is abhorrent.
Although I think we need to fulfill our civic duty by participating in the political life of our nation, I think we must understand some things if we are Christians. We should certainly vote. We should be aware of the issues and vote intelligently and according to the principles of the Word of God not our political party or preference. I think that there are those that God calls to run for office and become part of the leadership of the nation. Those people are in the minority. The rest of us need to understand that our debating of issues and our political opinions, no matter how deeply held, cannot change the world. That is just not our arena.
It makes us feel important when we back a particular candidate or issue. Public opinion is a powerful thing in today’s political process, however, most of the time our opinion is not recorded in a way that matters. When was the last time that you participated in an impartial poll? I never have. The way our opinions can matter is in our lifestyle. When we live as Christians before our world, we are stating our opinion in a way that will cause someone to listen. I do not feel that personal criticism of people or angry dialog is ever right for a born again, Bible believing Christian.
James 1:20 (NKJV) 20for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
The real problem is that we get so focused on the arena where we really cannot change anything, that we neglect the one arena where we can. The devil is our adversary. That is who James exhorts us to resist. We do not just live in the world we can see. We are just as much a part of the world we cannot see. That is why Paul tells us in today’s scripture that “we do not war after the flesh” even though we currently live in a flesh world.
He goes on to say that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. The things God has given us to fight with are not things that function in the natural world. They are mighty because they are connected to God and the world in which he functions. God is a spirit and he created what we call the natural world. If he created it, it stands to reason that he can change it. If we use the weapons he has provided for us, we will be unstoppable. If we get distracted into being spectators, we simply do not have access nor the ability to really change anything.
The devil is a deceiver. I believe he has deceived too many Christians into doing what I do when I watch sports. We shout, we cheer, we complain and we get together to share our “insights” with others who are like minded. Sometimes we even get into arguments with those who cheer for the other team. Yet none of that makes our team better. None of our opinions make one bit of difference in how team ownership spends its money nor how the coaching staff uses their players. We think we matter, but we do not.
It is the same when we do those things where the world around us is concerned. We cannot change anything with our opinions. That is not our arena. However, God has given us weapons that can make a difference. The devil does not want us to know that. He wants to keep us “feeling” like we are making a difference attacking things we cannot reach with weapons that are weak and ineffective. I am going to take some time to find the weapons he has given us. If we use them, we can make a difference in the world. Not so much in terms of what we want, but in terms of what God wants, and that is always the best thing for all of us.
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