Pacifying the Old Nature or Maturing in Christ

Aside from being under the weather, I've had a rough go of it lately.  Nothing external, all internal.  I will not go into the details, but it is no different than any other Christian.  True our weak points may differ, however the intensity of the battle is no less the same.  We all struggle with the 'old man' within as we strive to run our race for Christ (Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9).  It is easy to forget this life for Jesus is a battleground.  With so many distractions, and our own propensity to please self, we neglect putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20).  Scripture would not refer to armor, if were not true there were a battle raging about us.  Satan and his minions attack us on every level.  If there is a gap in the defensive wall, our city will fall.

"Like a city that is broken down, without walls, Is a man whose spirit is without restraint." (Proverbs 25:28)

"City" symbolizes our heart, our relationship with Christ.  True, absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of our Father (Romans 8:31-39), but let's be honest with one another--at times we choose to ignore His love in favor of our own inclinations.  If our "walls" are weak, crumbling, or non-existent, then the enemy can trounce right into the center of the city and crush it with ease.  "Restraint" is the mortar holding the "wall" together.  It is our intestinal fortitude to remain loyal to Jesus, to represent Him faithfully on the battleground of life. Now, this doesn't come with our transformation into God's children.  It is not handed to us in a neat package when we accept Christ.  Just as walls are built, one brick at a time, we increase strength of control in victories against the destroyer of souls. 

But, the same can apply to defeats.  The words "broken down" imply a continual process over time.  Walls aren't simply cast aside in one defeat.  They can be seriously damaged from a blow in one specific spot, but for the city walls to be "broken down" entails a siege and a series of defeats.  Time is deceptive.  It only exists in our dimension.  The spiritual world has no time.  It is one of man's many bright ideas.  We have placed importance on the now, and how fast or slowly it expires, to the point of where we count it's passing on the face of a dial.  With each decision in the 'moment of now' we either choose loyalty or disloyalty.  Both affect the effect of our self-control.

On the field of battle, Satan's arrows fly mercilessly (Ephesians 6:16).  Do not be coy in thinking they fly haphazardly.  He has targets and they strike with accuracy.  If we are not prepared for the battle, if we neglect ensuring our walls of defense with learning Scripture, we will have allowed Satan to gain the upper hand.  Sure, we will suffer defeats in our lives.  But to allow those losses to remain in our hearts is immature.  We must repair those breaches in our defense by kneeling before our King in prayer, continuously and persistently.  We cannot allow gaping holes to remain for any ole enemy to enter with sinister intentions against our faith.  We must raise ourselves up.  This is not possible without being yoked to Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29). The raising up ourselves implies our willingness to allow Him to pick us up.  He does not force Himself upon our will, He waits patiently for us to call on Him, and then, we rise up in Christ.  We must not doubt this or we will not receive anything.

"But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for he who doubts is like the surge of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed about.  For that man must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; He is a double-souled man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:6-8).

Faith is being certain of the unseen (Hebrews 11:1). Our faith is believing the Spirit of God is afoot and ready to take up our cause.  The Lord is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17), so being yoked to Him is essential in keeping our walls secure.  Self-control lies in the decisions we make over time.  Time escapes us quickly, so as 'they' say, we must keep short accounts.  Refusing to reckon with one sin, no matter the degree,  leads to another sin.  Such a pattern of thought is sightless to accumulation.  We commit one sin, we do not deal with it, and then we look up from sinful inclinations  and months have passed.  We have snowballed out of control.  Our walls are down and the enemy has overpowered our spiritual dignity.

The answer to overcoming such defeats is repenting of our sins.  To make an about face and begin rebuilding our fortification against darkness.  Brick by brick, decision by decision, returning to the Lord in the small things of life and loyalty in the large areas is the key.  This will entail blood, sweat, and tears.  It is not easy.  Restraint is often a fight against pride--"I want it though, Lord."  And Satan's arrows are aimed directly at your pride/self-centeredness over whatever begetting sins you suffer.  God's love and grace are prime aspects to cheer us on, knowing we have righteousness in Christ no matter our failings.  However, to succeed and mature in Christ, we must push past our beginning in Christ, past the foundational level of learning about love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness (Hebrews 6:1-3).  We must live these attributes of Christ out, to be conformed into His likeness to the glory of our heavenly Father (Romans 8:28-30).  We must walk in the Spirit.

"But I say, Walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lust against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these oppose each other that you would not do the things that you desire.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law...But they who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and its lusts.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16-26).

The Apostle Paul gives excellent advice on re-securing protective barriers against the onslaught of Satan's assaults. It is found in Philippians 3:13-16,

"Brothers, I do not account of myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called me upward.  Let us therefore, as many as are full grown, have this in mind; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, this also God will reveal to you.  Nevertheless whereunto we have attained, by the same rule let us walk."

All these things come in time.  I cannot speak for you, but the 'me in me', the selfish child within wants them now.  I often run ahead of the Spirit, rather than keeping in step with Him.  I end up making wrong decisions or saying/doing the wrong things, then having to back step over the mistakes.  I expend far too much energy in zeal without knowledge.  In my haste, not only do I burn myself out--I sin against God by not following His Spirit (Proverbs 19:2).  Then at other times, I sin by not keeping up because I'm too busy pacifying the 'old man.'  Thank the Lord for His grace, patience, and long-suffering over His children.  With each phase of life, clothing myself with Christ and arming myself with weapons of light will become first nature, if I remain faithful at tending the walls around my city (Romans 13:11-14).  Then I will be mature and conformed into the image of God the Father's Son. 

Eternity is in our hearts, new life with Jesus Christ stipulates a Father-child relationship with God.  It starts at spiritual rebirth and continues on forever.  In death, our mortality is swallowed up by life and we will be made permanently like our Savior (2 Corinthians 5:4).  What a day that will be!