Category: GOD and the Republic

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

The above is from the King James. The World English Bible (WEB) renders it a bit differently.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Why quote both versions? To begin with, I understand lots of people don’t much like the KJV. I’m partial to it because I’ve been reading it for so long. Even so, I like to get a different perspective now and then. Too often I find passages I’ve either missed for years or lacked a fuller understanding. The above verse is a good example.

The word “particular” can mean many things in English. Individual is one synonym. Distinct is another. When dealing with the concept of the Body of Christ, it seems quite relevant to take in the parts as well as the whole. You and I are the parts. Christ Jesus, as the head, is also a part. This passage in Corinthians goes to great lengths to emphasize each of us is not just “a” part but an important part of the whole. Surely we would be lost without the head, Christ, but that doesn’t mean your part is not important. Consider another reference to members.

James 3:5 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest! (WEB)

In one verse, James gets to the heart of how one little member can affect much. What is the tongue? Apart from the taste function, is it not mere skin and muscle? Yet how much trouble can it cause? How much havoc can it wreak?

James 3:1 Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.

2 For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn’t stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.

3 Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body.

4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.

5 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!

6 And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.

7 For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind.

8 But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God.

10 Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Taking verse one into account, one may ascertain James is speaking directly to teachers. If this is so, does the mean those who are not teachers are excluded? Without a doubt James indicates teachers will receive a “heavier judgment”. The qualifying word “heavier” (rendered more severe and greater in other versions) in no way suggests those who are NOT teachers will not receive judgment. Indeed, we know from other scriptures we will all give an account. So, no, even those who do not teach can take these words lightly.

That said, I am not pointing this passage out to expound on the tongue, as marvelous and terrifying as it can be. While physiologically there isn’t much to it, few can argue about the importance of having one. The same can be said about any part of our physical bodies. Why, then should any member of the body of Christ be considered unimportant or even expendable? (God help us!)

This passage in 1 Corinthians 12 goes to great lengths to make this point.

1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.

13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

15 If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body.

16 If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?

18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired.

19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?

20 But now they are many members, but one body.

21 The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.”

22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.

23 Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant propriety;

24 whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part,

25 that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

26 When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or when one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Consider the above in light of Ephesians 1:4

Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love;

We are not simply members of the body of Christ but we were chosen before the foundation of the world to be part of the body! How incredible is that?! It doesn’t matter whether you are a sweeper in some obscure factory or a world leader – GOD ALMIGHTY chose you and put you where you are because only you could live your life. Recently, something Lance Wallnau said made this crystal clear to me.

Lance was talking about an interview he did with Georgia State Senator Mike Crotts who said he died, met Jesus and came back at the command of his wife Phyllis. As I heard the story, Mike says Jesus told him he still had work to do in government as a politician.

Now when I first heard this, one of my first thoughts was, “Senator? I never heard of this guy before. Must be he wasn’t much of one.” Of course I was thinking of a U.S. Senator as I’d expect one who was brought back from the dead to be more prominent. At this point, most of what I really know about the man is stated above. I cannot point to his record as a politician. His world and mine never intersected before Lance Wallnau brought him up. In fact, I do not believe we go directly to heaven when we die. I won’t go into all the scriptures I base my understanding on but they are extensive and far more plainly stated than those suggesting otherwise. So what gives?

First, allow me to give Senator Crotts’ testimony the benefit of the doubt. While scripture does indicate those who are “asleep” in Christ will rise upon his return, nothing in scripture says Senator Crotts couldn’t have seen Jesus when he died. There are others who’ve made similar, credible claims. They all have one thing in common, they lived to tell about their experiences. So even if my understanding is accurate, that does not preclude the possibilities of someone getting a peek at heaven.

So let’s say Crotts did die, he saw Jesus, and was sent back to live out his life as a politician. Okay, fine. Does that make his life any more or less important that yours or mine? Absolutely not! Whatever Senator Crotts did, it was stuff I’d never do. And he could never do what I’ve done in my life. Neither of us can do what you do. The bottom line here is, the events of the world does not, can not hinge on the actions of one person. In light of this…

Have you ever heard of the “butterfly effect”? Simply put, the theory states that the motions of a butterfly flapping its wings in, say, Japan puts into motion a series of events that have a significant impact on us here in America. At least that’s my take on the idea. While we may never know or understand all the nuances of this concept – there are a lot of butterflies out there – we can all nod to the idea that one tiny action we take now can reap some astounding (or horrifying) results.

If just one thing you do today can turn a ripple into a tidal wave, what about everything you do? Surely some actions will cause a greater affect than others, but which ones? On the negative side I can tell you from experience, I’ve seen more grief rain down on me for a single misspoken sentence or word even, than I ever bargained for. And, yes, I have seen some heartwarming results from a well-placed word also. If our lives tallied up to a sum total with the positives on one side and the negatives on the other, what would you want your balance to reflect?

As I indicated previously, these factors tend to be weighted so our lives are not just some game of sums. Every action you take produces fruit. That fruit can either be good fruit or bad fruit. In other words, you reap what you sow. How does all this relate to the body of Christ?

Imagine the impact the body of Christ would have if every member only yielded good fruit. Is this even possible?

Mark 10:27 Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”

Now I cannot say whether this will ever happen. Nor can I say in will not ever happen. This is not for me or you to say. All I can do is sow actions that produce good fruit. I am only responsible for myself. Consequently, you are only responsible for yourself. You do your part and let God be God.

We are all part of the body of Christ, and members individually (or in particular). All of us were chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before God in love. Why?

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

We were created in Christ to do good works. Where? Well, HERE – wherever “here” is for you. When? Whenever possible, in other words, all the time. What is the end goal? What does God have in mind for us? Well… eventually I’m expecting some sort of party in eternity, each of us still has work to do here on this earth. As members of the body of Christ who desire to serve our Lord Jesus and serve God, what should our goal be?

Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Notice the first word “until”. Oh-oh, yeah, I did that – posted just that one verse, even though it seems to be missing context. There is more to all this than what you see above. In fact, God has a whole structure in place to get us all to that point. That said, this is the goal – one fully developed “person” (my rendering) with Jesus Christ as the head and us members as the body.

Already I’ve gone long in this post. Between this post and the previous, I’ve shown where we are the body of Christ and members individually. This was God’s plan from the beginning. As members, we are responsible for our own actions (what we sow) and the fruit we produce. Yet there seems to be something missing. WE are missing something. Let me ask you… ARE we coming to a “unity of the faith of the knowledge of the Son of God”? HAVE we “grown up”? What is the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”?

If you are seeing what I am seeing, we not only are not there, rather, we seem to be drifting further and further apart. WHY? What I’m seeing is this is because we are taking our focus off Christ and turning onto each other.

2 Corinthians 10:1 Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you.

2 Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh;

4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

5 throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;

6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.

7 Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also we are Christ’s.

Consider this passage in light of our topic. In the broader context, Paul is specifically speaking of his ministry. Let’s face it, life was not always easy for the apostle Paul. It seems everywhere he went, trouble, i.e. tribulation, followed. He was constantly attacked, beaten, and thrown out of town. Here, he writes of those saying Paul was “walking in the flesh”. He didn’t deny it but he did immediately turn the focus to God.

2 Corinthians 10:3b …“we don’t wage war according to the flesh;

4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

5 throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;”

This is the essence of our spiritual battle. While I contend our individual battles must first begin with our own minds, drawing closer to our Heavenly Father and our Lord Christ Jesus in our hearts, we cannot simply ignore those “imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God”. Sure we can limit our exposure to such things but we “must needs go out into the world” (1 Corinthians 5:10 d)

Our goal, however, should be to get those beams out of our own eyes before we try to take the speck out of the eye of our brethren. Let me ask you… what would the world look like if each of us brought “thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”? Personally, I think we would have no need to “police” our brothers and sisters in Christ because we would all be walking in the spirit, in love.

And THAT would evoke the vision of Ephesians 4:15-16

Ephesians 4:15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;

16 from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

WE are the body of Christ – with our risen Lord and Savior Christ Jesus at the head, and those of us to confess Jesus as Lord as members individually. Together we make the whole, however the only true head is Christ. To this end, each of us should be “bringing every thought in captivity to the obedience of Christ”. To this end he gave us apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors), and teachers to bring us all together.

While I can envision how rank and file believers like myself can join with those gifted in ministries such as above to attain the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”, I find it difficult to reconcile that vision with what my own eyes see in today’s world – division, bickering, and so forth. Only God can accomplish this through His only-begotten Son Jesus the Christ. I don’t see God herding cats, thus WE must individually seek out and accept God’s Will in our lives. His Will is plainly stated in scriptures, particularly in the epistles to the church – the body of Christ. If we do those things, we shall surely see amazing things come to pass.

Maybe you can tell me how many times I’ve posted WE are the government. If I’d bothered to try, I’d have lost count long ago. Newsflash: WE are also the body of Christ – at least those of us who have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. (Romans 10:9-10) The difference between the two statements is one only needs to be a US Citizen to be included in the first group. One must consciously accept Christ to be born again of God’s spirit and become part of the body. So this post is directed at my brethren in Christ in particular.

Romans 12:4 For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function,

5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Ephesians 5:23 for a husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ is head of the assembly. He is Saviour of the body. [“assembly” is the Greek word ekklēsía often rendered “church”]

(For the sake of consistency, I’ll quote from the World English Bible (WEB) today unless otherwise noted.)

Today, “diversity” seems to be all the rage everywhere. Oddly enough there is no one group more diverse than today’s Christians. There is nothing at all wrong with this, in fact, there is everything right about it. “For God so loved the WORLD, He gave his only-begotten Son.” While diversity is fine, there is another aspect that is not at all desirable… division. No scripture advocates division, quite the opposite is true. The verses quoted above stating we are “one body” only scratch the surface.

In Ephesians especially, the apostle Paul revealed the mystery “which in other generations has not been made known to the sons of men” (Ephasians 3:5). What is this “mystery”?

Ephesians 3:6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel,

Gentiles were and are anyone who was not of the nation of Israel. Israel was a chosen people. Why were they chosen and not some other group? (Using my best, indignantly snotty tone) Well, somebody had to draw the short straw. It was them. There were two primary reasons for a chosen group. First, the Messiah had to be able to trace his lineage back. Second, somebody had to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that no one else could possibly fulfill the law. While the Jews performed admirably in this respect, any group could have done the job. Only one man, the only begotten Son of God, born of sinless blood, could perfectly fulfill the law. Now about that “joint heirs” bit.

Once again, we need to look at Israel. They were chosen and they were also promised to be heirs of God. That mystery comes into play because what God did not reveal to them is the rest of the nations, the gentiles would get equal footing in the Kingdom of God by accepting Christ Jesus as Savior. Now, if the Jews had been paying attention, they might have caught on. Jesus told them as much.

Matthew 20:1 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

4 To them he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way.

5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

6 About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’

7 “They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’

8 When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’

9 “When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.

10 When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.

11 When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,

12 saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.

15 Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’

16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The key factor to note above is everyone got the same pay. In essence, they were “joint heirs”. Just as those who labored the entire day for the same pay as those “eleventh hour” workers got disgruntled, many Jews who accepted Christ after he died as was raised from the dead were put off.

Acts 15:1 Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”

Acts 21:20 They, when they heard it, glorified God. They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.

This conflict is arguably the first recorded major division in the new church. With centuries of tradition behind them, many of the new believing Jews decided if Gentiles were to be included, they would have to be circumcised. This didn’t just refer to the act of circumcision itself but adherence to all of Judean law. They simply could not wrap their heads around how Jesus paid for our sins!

Paul understood it and he taught it.

Ephesians 3:3 that by revelation the mystery has been made known to me, (according as I have written before briefly,

4 by which, in reading it, ye can understand my intelligence in the mystery of the Christ,)

5 which in other generations has not been made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the power of the Spirit,

6 that they who are of the nations should be joint heirs, and a joint body, and joint partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus by the glad tidings;

7 of which I am become minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me, according to the working of his power.

One should note here that the word “partakers” here means to “take fully”. In other words, everyone in the body of Christ is equal. There is not longer any difference between Jew and Gentile.

Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision,” (in the flesh, made by hands);

12 hat you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition,

15 having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;

16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby.

17 He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near.

Ephesians 2:16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby.

There you have it. No matter where we started from, as a Jew or as a Gentile, we now belong to the body of Christ. What does this mean?

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

Read that again. We both have access by one spirit to the Father!

Access. It’s a big thing. Really. Here it is again:

Ephesians 3:12 in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.

Who is “whom”? Christ Jesus of course. Here it is declared we not only have access but boldness as well. God’s plan all along was to restore man to the original sinless state. In fact, since we were chosen “in him before the world’s foundation, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love”, God had designs on us even before Adam sinned! Furthermore, His intention was never for us to grovel before Him, pleading only after a blood sacrifice. He didn’t “lay down the law” in order to keep us in line and fearful.

Galatians 3:19 What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Galatians 4:7 So you are no longer a bondservant [i.e. under the law], but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

There it is again! We are sons and therefore heirs. The law has served it’s purpose and now, since Christ, is no longer needed.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And again there is that concept of “one”. What’s that all about?

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love;

3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling;

5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.

Let this sink in… we were both chosen and called. Remember Matthew 20:16

Matthew 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen

Ephesians tells us we were chosen in 1:4 and called in 4:1. How do I know this? Look at whom this letter is addressed to:

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Summing it all up, we were chosen and called to be joint heirs in one body with Christ as the head. This was no accident but was God’s plan for us all along and this is just the beginning. We are also members. What does that mean? How does this relate to our Christian walk?

I’ll discuss this in my next post.

GOD

World War III: Life in the War Zone

The three-part Battlefield Earth series of posts set the stage for World War III. If you missed these you can find part 1 here. While all of these posts are directed at Christians, the fact is, there are not any “conscientious objectors”, no neutral parties. No one is sitting this one out. No one. It’s not that participation is mandatory, but rather inescapable. You can no more refrain from taking part than you can stop breathing. So you might as well face facts and suck it up.

Of course you can ignore the truth. Many of you are well-practiced at that. Non-Christian, Christian, it doesn’t matter. You’ve bummed along, lived your life in the midst of chaos, paying no attention to all of what goes around you. Nobody will stop you from continuing on until the day you die, if you so choose. Somebody may put a gun to your head, literally or figuratively, but not me, nor will anyone who submits to God.

As for my Christian brethren, specifically, the same goes for you. If you’re thinking I have no idea about your walk with God, you are right. Nor will I presuppose I do. What I can put forth is my observations, both of my own life and the lives of those Christians I’ve known through the years. I’ll start with the beams in my own eyes.

God has blessed my life in many, many ways. This is not to say I haven’t see troubles. Of course I have but, overall, I have little, if anything, to complain about so I won’t. I know of many brothers and sisters who’ve had far more to deal with than myself. Looking back, I can easily see how many of those troubles I’ve had are a direct result of my own walk – typically those times when I strayed away from God. And, yes, I can see at least one period where, had I chose to be more diligent in my obedience to my Heavenly Father and stuck with that decision, I might have lived an entirely different life. Might making such a different choice resulted in fewer troubles? I doubt it. All I need do is look at the apostle Paul’s life. He was far more dedicated to living God’s Will than I could ever think of being and he had plenty of problems.

Day to day, in my own walk, I’ve not been such a great Christian. Sometimes I’ve been downright awful. Sure, I’m a work in progress, but there’s a lot of work to be done. Worse, I am in just as much danger of wandering off than I’ve ever been. It doesn’t take much. That said, I’m moving forward and making every effort to practice what I’m preaching. I don’t see myself as all that far ahead of anyone. It wouldn’t take much for anybody behind me to catch up and zoom ahead. Imagining our walk as a race, the front runner is way beyond where I can see.

Now that I’ve ventured into this walk/race analogy, I’ll continue on for a bit. We’ve all heard the “many paths” to God concept. Let’s go with that. Most say that to justify their own wanderings. What did Jesus say?

Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The problem with the “many paths” is countless of them are dead ends – in more ways than one. If one wanted make that statement more accurate, it would state: “there are many paths to gods”. The problem being there is only one God.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

If this post were widely read, I’d expect to hear a bunch of “weeping and gnashing of teeth”, first from those who reject Jesus and second from those who reject the One True God. You know who you are.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

You can either believe what Jesus said or not. I believe him. That settles it. Some of you who confess Christ as Lord and Savior try to hedge a bit and make excuses for those who steadfastly refuse accept Christ. Why? Some gloss over blatant wrong teaching. Why? Let me be clear: either you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and believe God raised him from the dead or you do not. This is the starting point for being born again of God’s spirit.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The apostle Paul did not stop there. This was not the end-all, be-all of living a godly Christian life. From there we are instructed to put off the “old man” and put on the “new man”.

Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Too many struggle with this. There is no reason for struggle. In any given situation, you know what the right thing to do is. Your struggle is not because you do not know. Your struggle is because the “right thing” is often not the “socially acceptable” thing. Rather than speak the truth, you tell a “little white lie” or worse. You justify your sins instead of facing them.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

When you know the right thing to do and you do something else, you sin. It’s that simple. You are putting on the old man rather than putting off the new man. Doing the right thing is putting on the new man.

So many agonize, sometimes for days, weeks and months begging God to reveal His Will for them. He has already revealed His Will. It is right in front of you. Put on the new man. Does He have more in store for you? Of course.

Matthew 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

One thing I wish I’d taken to heart early on is summed up in the cliché “grow where you’re planted”. I cannot count the number of times I found myself praying to get out of a situation God had put me in. At other times, I more likely assumed God’s Will rather than seeking it. Who knows (other than God Himself) where I might be today had I heeded that sage advice? So now, I strongly suggest giving it a shot. Grow where your planted. How can you do this?

Focus on putting off the old man and putting on that new man.

Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [Light, the Greek word “phos”, translated “light, not pneuma, the Greek word for spirit.] is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Notice there is a lot more “putting off” than “putting” on in the above verses. They may seem to focus too much on the negative but what it really comes down to is treating others and yourself well.

Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

If you just did those things in the above two things diligently – speaking godly things to yourself and giving thanks – you wouldn’t recognize yourself in a week’s time. When you win this crucial territory for God, you’ve gained important ground in this spiritual battle. What then?

Be forewarned – your efforts will not go unnoticed. You should be prepared for the other side to fight back. Expect them to attack with a vengeance. How? They will throw everything at you they possibly can – at home, at work, on the road and so on. They will prod and probe and use any person, any tool they can possibly utilize to throw you off track, to distract you, to convince you to turn away from anything godly. This is life in the war zone.

Let’s face it, if you already spend most or all of your time working for the other side, or even simply being neutral (and how many of us are really “neutral”?) no doubt things are a lot smoother or rather, you’re already distracted enough with the messes you face every day. For most of us, life is one bothersome thing after another. It’s all we can do to trudge through each day. Add to that the problems others bring to you on a daily basis – your political co-worker, your sullen teenager, even those issues your best friend loves to share. No matter what life serves up day to day, good and bad, those things will not go away when you see them from a godly perspective.

Your car may still break down but instead of swearing at that piece of junk, maybe you’ll thank God it didn’t happen in the middle of nowhere. Or you can be thankful your auto insurance covers towing and you can afford to have it fixed. No matter how bad thinks look now, at some point, your situation will improve to where you can look back and be thankful. Why wait? Be thankful now. Worse case, you’ll end up in the same place at that future date but without the stress of all that angry cursing. Meanwhile, you’ll have gained ground on the adversary.

You don’t need to be drafted. You need no further commission. You are already in the war zone. Whether you recognize it or not, God has placed you right where He wants you to be. Your choice, your real choice is either you can put on that new man and gain valuable ground or you can continue on with the old man. Grow where your planted.

Summing up Parts 1 & 2 – there is a world-wide spiritual war going on right now, today. Nobody, but NOBODY can escape it. As a Christian, you are not only part of the battle but you are on the winning side and you are already equipped to do battle yourself. It’s up to you to as to what you do now.

For the sake of argument, let’s say you’ve accepted your part in all this. Now what? This is the question I’ll answer in this post. Fair warning: expect your life to change.

Your Battlefields

This spiritual war has two major battlefields – the mind and the environment. He uses your environment to attack your mind. Look around you. What around you cannot be influenced in some way by our adversary, the devil? Even most foods we eat are polluted to affect our health either directly or indirectly.

The devil’s primary weapon is the lie. Not only is he adept at utilizing this weapon but he has used his time on this earth to build mountains of lies spanning the globe. Upon these mountains, he piles lies upon more lies, using every available tool he can, from ancient parchments, to satellite television and the internet.

Consider how he uses lies to influence your mind. From the time you were born you’ve been inundated with information. While much of what you’ve learned over the years is true, a great deal of false information is seeded in to all of man’s knowledge.

Even God’s word has been corrupted. Consider the church you attend. (or any you’ve attended in the past) Can you say for certain this church stands on God’s Truth above all others? Is every doctrine, every teaching beyond question? If not, why not? If so, then why doesn’t every other church fall in line with what your church teaches?

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (KJV)

The above verse is from the King James Version. Here is what another version, Young’s Literal Translation says:

1 Corinthians 14:33 for God is not a God of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints. (YLT)

Is one of these more accurate or correct than the other? Which? What about other versions? How does this read in the Greek? Is the Greek the original Greek? (It is not, we have no originals.) Was Corinthians originally written in Greek? We cannot know for sure. So many questions, and yet we have so few answers.

This is just ONE verse of scripture! Is it any wonder the devil is having a field day with us? My point here is we all need to be aware of how the devil endeavors to manipulate every human on the planet from the day they are born into this world. It is only by the grace of God we are not all stark raving mad. Even as we are inundated with conflicting and confusing lies, God is able to push through all the static so His truth reaches us. Obviously we are not immune but we can trust God that we are where He needs us to be in this life.

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

I don’t know where you were spiritually and/or mentally before you accepted Jesus as Lord but I was an avowed atheist. I’d bought into evolution hook, line, and sinker. I rejected the existence of any god, gods, or spirits. In other words, I was about as far from God as I could get. Yet, looking back, I can see where God protected me even in my unbelief. He sheltered me as I rejected Him. Since that day when I accepted Christ, nearly 50 years ago, I’ve had good days and not-so-good days. Bluntly put, I’ve had downright awful days, even weeks. Just like anyone else, I wasn’t instantly transformed into some perfect, all-knowing saint. Today, I’m still far from any semblance of perfection. I doubt if that mark will even be in sight on the day I die (or Christ returns).

In short, the devil remains relentless in his attacks and I am still vulnerable to at least some of them. We can all expect to experience some vulnerability for as long as we draw breath. My goal here is to help you get to a better place than you are right now and continue on, possibly taking those things I show you and soar. Surely this passage is familiar to all of us:

Mark 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

One thing that struck me recently is the above is true every time we hear God’s Word! Maybe you realized this long ago. No one can accuse me of catching on quick. Look again at Jesus’ explanation of the above parable in light of the devil’s constant efforts to keep us from God’s Truth.

Mark 4:14 The sower soweth the word.

15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Look at all the ways the wicked one attempts to prevent us from hearing God’s Word and producing fruit. He steals it away when he can. If that fails, he brings affliction (trouble) or persecution. Barring that, he distracts us with worldly cares, lusts (desires), and even riches. Look again at the world around you. Can you see how much trouble the devil goes to in order to prevent you from pursuing God? What can anyone do?

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

In one verse we are told three things right off the bat –

do not be conformed to this world.

be transformed

renew your mind

So we can prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Wow. That’s a lot, don’t you think? I can tell you from nearly 50 years of trying, it’s not all that easy! What, exactly are we supposed to “renew our minds” to? God’s Word, of course. Let’s consider another passage where we are exhorted to renew our minds.

Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

The term “new man” may seem to be another figure of speech (and it may be), however in this case it can be taken as literally true because we are born again of God’s spirit and thus we truly are a “new creature in Christ”. Verse 24 says this new man which after [according to] God, is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Our first assignment as Christians is to renew our minds to God’s Word. Imagine yourself being part of this Roman church in the first century. Imagine all you had was this letter from the Apostle Paul. Certainly this epistle to the Romans contains enough truth to renew your mind, however we have far more than this. We have the seven church epistles and then some. If you look, really look at them, it soon become obvious God’s instructions aren’t all that mysterious. Do good things. Think good things. Be good to others. Okay I’m simplifying a lot but in the end it’s not rocket science either. Sure you can dig out lots of details but, deep down, you know how to do what’s right. After all, God created holy spirit within you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Speaking of sin… we need to get right with God. The subject of sin is probably the most debated and agonized topic we Christians face. It is well worthy of a deep study and far beyond the scope of this article. For now, understand while we cannot escape from sin, God does forgive us when we ask.

1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

This is not only crucial for our own well-being but also when we take the next step – dealing with the outside world.

Luke 6:39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect [fully trained WEB] shall be as his master.

41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Notice in verse 40 above I inserted the World English Bible (WEB) rendering for “perfect” in brackets. While I want to be consistent in my use of the KJV in this article, I felt the WEB rendering was more clear, especially in the verse noted above.

Let’s again consider our lives before and after we accept Christ. I’m sure you’ve been taught we were all “born in sin”. We are sinful creatures from day one, thanks to Adam’s original sin. This is certainly true. Beyond that truth of being born in sin, we are also immersed in sin from the day we are born. Sure some of us were born in Christian families so we’ve been spared at least some of the devil’s influence. I’m sure you can see where the devil has invaded just about everywhere. Nobody lives in a sealed, godly environment.

Once we are born again, we are given a clean slate, spiritually and we become a new creature, a spiritual creature. As wondrous as this is, we must still deal with the mental baggage we’ve collected over the years along with the same, devil-polluted environment we grew up in. This is where our battle begins. While most of us cannot withdraw from the world entirely, we can limit our exposure to the toxicity and mitigate what we cannot escape. In other words, we need not watch MSNBC. (or any “news” channel for that matter.) We can certainly avoid those things we know are ungodly at the core. And we can feed our minds on godly things instead. In other words, we can renew our minds.

Now maybe you caught this principle already when it was stated before. It could be you are way ahead of me on this. No matter what the devil inundates us with – we can remain undefiled.

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Mark 7:18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

How can we remain undefiled? By renewing our minds to God’s Word and thereby pushing out those evil things. Do not expect this to happen overnight. Nobody said it would be would be easy, but it can be accomplished. Every godly thought displaces an evil one. Every victory, no matter how small, gains territory for God. Now we are ready to gain even more ground.

Winning the Battles of Our Environment

Up until now, I’ve focused on renewing your own mind. This is crucial to entering the battles raging all around us. Most of us cannot fight on a large scale. That’s okay because every single one of us have plenty of skirmishes to fight on our “home fronts”. In fact, most of the challenges we face are right in front of us.

If you haven’t noticed by now, take a good look at some of the verses dealing with evil, sin and so forth.

Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

All of the above encompasses our dealings with each other. Surely an alcoholic an drown himself alone. Many do. This same goes for many ungodly behaviors. That said, nearly every ungodly behavior involves human contact on some level and many would not be possible without being involved with at least one other person. Does that make sense?

If godly behavior gains ground for God, then who benefits from ungodly behavior? If every action you take, everything you say, can be deemed either godly or ungodly, then you can either gain ground for God, gain ground for the god of this earth, or perfectly balance your actions so neither side gains anything. I contend either you are working for God or against Him.

While the devil puts every effort into affecting your environment, simply living a godly life, ensuring every action you take, every word you speak, as much as you possibly can, strikes a blow for God. Even the smallest gain puts another mark in the win column. Everything you do goes in one column or the other.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [Gr. phos = light] is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

The battle lines are clearly drawn. Every moment you draw breath you have a choice. What will your next choice be?