I know the title of this post probably caught the eye of some who are engrossed with the political scene, in relation to radical and extreme muslim terrorists. As important as that topic is to discuss, I believe to Christians the true terrorist is our ‘FLESH’. What else in our life here on earth has assisted more in attacking our relationship with God, attempted to destroy our aspirations to fulfill the Lord’s will for our lives and relentlessly tries to drag us back to a life of sin. Don’t believe me? Then read the following verses from the bible;
Apostle Paul said in (Romans Chp:7 Verse:15)
For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
And (Galatians Chp:5 Verse:17)
For the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Our flesh and its emotions are a gateway for the devil to launch terrorizing attacks on a Christians soul. If truth be told our spirit is in constant war with our flesh, even more so now, as it was in the days of Babylon and Sodom and Gamorrah. Today flesh is worshipped, all its desires no matter how cruel and evil are satisfied. Pornography is considered a million dollar industry and accepted as normal entertainment. Society itself has been so demoralized, it is easy for Christians to experience terrorism daily. Watching TV, consorting with co-workers, listening to music, etc. all provide opportunities. As a Christian we unfortunately are tied to one of our greatest assets or our own home grown terrorist. Still think the use of the word terrorist is too strong. What does it mean to terroize? Terrorism is defined as the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of polictical aims. What does terrorize mean? To Create and maintain a state of extreme fear and distress in someone, to fill with terror. The bible says in John Chp.17 Verse. 15:17
15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
The “they” referred to in the scripture above is us, Christians. We are in this world and not of it, so we are prime targets for terrorism in the attempt to conform us to our surroundings rather than allow us to change theirs. The truth is since the fall of Adam and Eve sin entered into our flesh and the devil has been using our flesh to terrorize us, sowing doubt in our beliefs, causing us to look at our sinfulness and not at God’s salvation. He has an agenda and a purpose and that is separation from God.
How do we counter attack?
It begins with understanding. Why would the devil want to tempt us to sin? What is in it for him if we live a life of sin, satisfying our fleshly desires? He is keenly aware that the Holy Spirit cannot live in a vessel that has given itself over to sin and lust. Challenging our identity in Christ as a Child of God and slowly destroying it by tempting us to sin through the very desires of our flesh is his end game. How can we be a child of God and be still be full of sin? This is the question he poses to us when we’ve failed or have been defeated by his lies. He desires separation from God for us remember. In Matthew Chaper four, Jesus was attacked with the same strategy as described above. Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to encounter Satan. This was just after he was baptized by John and validated as the Son of God by God himself in his own voice. Therefore knowing the devils strategy, the spirit leads Jesus to the challenge of identity that the devil is so fond of using against us.
Being born again, declaring Jesus as your Lord and Savior, makes you a target. Its what first draws the devil to challenge your sonship, your adoption into the family of God. The very same family he and a third of the angels were banished from, after revolting against God. He sows doubt by tempting your flesh to sin, then weakening your faith in Christ through condemnation. He will use anyone and anything to achieve this goal. When you have fallen for his trap then come the questions. Have I really changed? Am I ever going to change? He redirects our focus from Christ’s saving grace to our attempts at holiness and subsequent failures. His goal is to destroy the faith that is at the core of being a Christian, the belief in Jesus Chirst as our savior and the fact that his death and shedding of blood has washed all our sins away, past, present and future. The truth is many Christians surcumb to this type of attack more than we think, if truth be told I am still fighting that battle how many years later, on days when things are really tuff. He picks us off one by one, isolating us in sin(through temptation), shame and condemnation, then goes in for the kill trying to get us to give up on God and our beliefs in Jesus Christ.
Now that we know his goal is to steal our faith, kill our hope of salvation and destroy our relationship with God through Christ Jesus. We can examine the way Chirst fought the devil on his turf and won. When you look at Matthew Chapter 4 we see that Christ took time to prepare for this battle in the desert. He fasted for 40 days and nights, why? He starved his flesh while strengthening his spirit, ensuring the power lied with his spirit and not his flesh. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit our flesh should not be allowed to over power the will of the spirit of God within us.
The devil came to Christ when he was weak and hungry. This says to me that the devil can see our physical condition even our emotional state, but not our spiritual strength. If so he would have seen that the longer he waited as Christ fasted the stronger Christ’s spiritual resolve and the smaller the opportunity for him to use his flesh as a weapon. This is our first clue, the devil cannot determine our spiritual condition unless we show him by our reactions to his temptation. This is why Christ’s response to the attacks of Satan are so crucial.
- Satan’s first attack was to Christ’s flesh – “Lust of the flesh”
- Satan’s second attack was to Christ’s eyes – “Lust of the eyes”
- Satan’s third attach was to Christ’s pride – “Pride in oneself”
1 John Chp. 2 Verse16 states;
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The above attacks are all worldly attributes and they are also all rooted in our flesh, weapons of destruction used by our home grown terrorist (our flesh). I say home grown because in life, some of us have pursued our fleshly desires, developing appeties in our flesh for sin, which have now become thorns in our side. We live and breath in our flesh so how do we get around these handicaps? Well how did Christ in his encounter with Satan?
- He responded to satan’s temptations using the word of God.
- He refrained from long lasting conversations and debates with satan. He was straight to the point and decisive.
- The word he used was directly related to the sin or temptation Satan was using.
As christians we are not just obligated to know the word to share with unbelievers, but also know how to use the word as a weapon to counter the attacks of satan on our flesh. This is why the word is referenced in some instances in the bible as a sword. It will cut through the attacks of the devil and nullify its intended effects. Find the verse that speaks to the sin that you may be weak in and repeat it to the devil when he sends temptation your way. Know the scripture word for word so you can deploy it anywhere anytime. The bible is not just a love letter, but also a sword for defense and offense. Who goes into battle without knowing how to use their weapons.
No conversations and debates with your flesh or the devil are required to defeat them. Eve in the garden of Eden is a perfect example of what happens when we try to debate our flesh or the devil. Satan is not called the father of lies for nothing. Chirst spoke the word in faith and let the power of it overcome the devil’s temptation. In your momments of weakness a debate with the devil or your flesh will always result in you doing the very thing you were fighting not to do, because the very fact you chose to debate, exposes your lack of faith in the word you have spoken. The word of God does not need your help, it just needs to be spoken in faith and the power of it is released. Speak it over and over again until the pressure of temptation is gone. Then thank God for his deliverance through his truth the word.
The word of God has a double purpose, to teach, build up and encourage, but also to be weaponized against sin and temptation. Know the word of God, become proficient in applying the right scriptures at the right time daily. Victory over temptation is truly ours, but we allow defeat a foot hold because of our lack of persistence and determination in studying the word of God. If we were in a war setting as a soldier in an army and daily we could be faced with terror attacks from the enemy right in our back yard, wouldn’t we have our weapon primed, loaded and ready to go at all times? Why do we feel as Christians in the army of God, living in a world run by satan (the enemy), that we can walk around with a weapon we are not familiar using, that may not be loaded, or has not been serviced and still achieve victory?
Below are some of the verses that can be used as weapons of war in counter terrorism against our flesh;
ROMANS 8:1 (Against Guilt)
Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
ROMANS 8:13 (Against Fleshly Sin)
If you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
GALATIANS 5:24 (Against Fleshly Sin)
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
GALATIANS 6:8 (Against Fleshly Sin)
For the one who says to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life.
GALATIANS 5:16-17 (Against Fleshly Sin)
16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
PSALMS 34:13 (Against Gossip)
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking decent.
PROVERBS 11:13 (Against Gossip)
He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.
PSALMS 141:3 (Against Gossip)
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
EPHESIANS 4:29 (Against Gossip)
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the momment so that it will give grace to those who hear.
PROVERBS 26:20
For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisper, contention quiets down.
PROVERBS 10:19
When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
PROVERBS 17:19
He who cancels a transgression seeks love but he who repeats a matter separates intimit friends.
