James 4:1-3 (NLT) --- What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
Have you ever felt like there is a war going on inside of you? It is kind of like the old cartoon with the little red demon with a pitch fork sitting on one shoulder talking in one ear while on your other shoulder is a little white angel talking in your other ear. There always seems to be a battle. And there is. Why does that battle take place?
Before we go to that question, I have to remind myself and you of a truth. What ever you feed the most is going to win. If we feed our Spirit, we will see spiritual victories. If we feed the flesh, we will see spiritual defeats and more struggle. Does that make sense?
I always read the passage I quoted thinking about the arguments we get into with people. But this week another though, and maybe the right interpretation, has come my way. There is a battle inside of each of us. It is a battle for pleasure. Who are we going to please? Who are we going to feed inside of us?
What are we willing to do to get what we want? Are we willing to push God to the side and sacrifice the stuff that lasts for the stuff that doesn't? Are we seeking to do things that helps others or that helps ourselves?
That last verses sets the scene for me. My motives will tell the entire story. One of the reasons I don't have more victories is because I want the wrong person to have pleasure. We can even pray and seek God for the wrong reasons. Did you read that in those verses like I did? That war inside of us continues.
Ephesians 6:12-14 (NLT) --- For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness.
The choice is ours when we deal with the war inside us. Who is going to win? Who am I going to feed? How long do I want to be happy?
God made us to win and not to loose. Here is the challenge I offer and the challenge I am taking (are you with me):
2 Corinthians 10:5 (NASB) --- We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
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