Are Your Battles Spiritual or Temporal?

'Because this is a sinful world and it is full of sinners and if you did not know, this let me break it down to you - sinners have a tendency to sin. That is what they do. Should I be shocked when a dog barks, a cock crows or a sinner sins? Brothers, these things are about as shocking to me as turning another page on the calendar at sunrise. It's expected.'

'This is where our power comes from. It comes from the spiritual world and the spiritual battle going on behind the scenes of which we are only vaguely aware. This is where so many Christians miss the point. This is a spiritual battle that will only be won with spiritual weapons. The devil is real good at getting us to misdirect our energies into temporal battles. He does this for a reason. He is genuinely afraid (terrified may be a better word) of the effectual prayer of a righteous man (Jam 5:16). He knows that when old man Jones or grandma Smith gets on their knee's and starts praying, the Kingdom of hell starts to shake and shudder under the weight of their supplications.'

Mark Watson

I read the above today from an article written by Mark Watson of Watson's Web https://markswatson.com/ .   I don't agree with everything that Mark Watson writes on his own belief system, etc, but from time to time he writes articles that just hit home.  This time when I read his article - Soiled, Defiled And Rejected (Published on his site Oct. 16th) a few things hit home for me and I'm going to tell you why.

Recently I've been engaged in a very long spiritual battle that began back in May of this year, so five months ago, yes that's a long time to be caught up in a spiritual battle on a very specific thing. Usually I can pray about something troubling me and by the grace of God it is resolved to the point it's not overly bothering me to the obsessive point, I've given it to God and trust that it will be resolved.  This battle has been different though and while I know you may be expecting details, they won't be forthcoming. Some of our spiritual battles are ones that aren't meant for full disclosure in details (at least that's my opinion this moment).  

Back on point here, this troublesome battle has had me in all out spiritual combat. I'm talking weapons drawn, shields up and the fight is on! Time after time when a particularly gruesome, very spiritually bloody skirmish takes place I believe I'm victorious through Christ, but then comes the next bloody fight. This enemy does not give up! No sooner have a few days gone by with the peace that comes from believing things are understood, and acceptance of the situation has been found- then a striking blow blindsides me all over again and the battle is on, another skirmish unfolds. You'd think I wouldn't be blindsided, seriously, you'd think I'd expect the attack, yet don't we get to a point where we trust that things have been resolved, and the issue won't be an issue any longer? SURPRISE! Satan has so many tricks up his sleeve that he will NOT relent, NOT ever! As long as He is able to, Satan will find ways to grind us to the ground, attacking us and trying to wear us down.

When I read Mark's article a few points jumped out at me, not the entire article, but a few points made in that article. I copied those points and pasted them above.

The first bit was about sinners being sinners and we can't expect them not to be.  It's true, so incredibly true. We… there I go including everyone in my issue, let me rephrase that… I get lulled into not expecting sin from people. So when sin occurs on a semi-grand scale it knocks me for a loop. I'm STUPID, seriously, I'm stupid. We can NEVER ever expect anyone not to sin, why? We are all sinners.  Some of us are sinners who seek not to sin, and feel the weight of accountability for our sins, while others don't even recognize their sins as sins because they don't believe they are accountable to God for their sins. A thief steals and knows it is a crime to do so in the society they live in. They comprehend it's criminal but they may feel no guilt for that crime, they may even justify their stealing to themselves. The fact a crime was committed for which they feel no guilt, no sense of wrong doing fills them, leaves them caught up in the criminal act- guilty, whether or not they comprehend their guilt. If you don't feel you're accountable to God then in your mind you are not a sinner, because sin is a transgression of God's law. You may believe you are a bit morally reprehensible, but justify it by believing it is simply your particular human nature. The world is FILLED with unrepentant sinners who quite happily ignore the fact. As long as they believe they aren't sinners, to them they are not. But to those who do believe in God, to those who do believe we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God, it's a different story. To those who confess their sins and repent of them, to those who strive not to sin, seeking constant help from God, and seeking forgiveness as each known and unknown sin is committed- they know sin is real for EVERYONE.

If I encounter a person who blatantly claims no belief in accountability to God, I have to comprehend that person is a sinner, prone to willful sin, and any sin committed by that person should NOT be a surprise to me, right? And truthfully, even those who claim to be accountable to God and are striving to enter that narrow way, they are ultimately prone to sin as well. I shouldn't be shocked by ANYONE sinning, not a single person. I AM A SINNER TOO!

So the shock factor of ANYONE sinning should not be, it just shouldn't!

Sinners sin.

Some people who do not claim accountability to God, we should expect more sinning from, yes? Is that logical? It probably is logical. When someone we know believes they are accountable to God, sins, we expect them to be filled with remorse and in active repentance- a NOT desiring to continue in sin. From a non-accountable, unbeliever we don't expect that desire for repentance to fill them, they aren't going to have the remorse that someone who recognizes their sin is going to have, or should have. There should be a degree of expectation, so why then are we, or am I, shocked when my degree of expectation should be towards sin occurring, not a keeping from sinning?

Mark's words above about expecting sinners to sin hit home and made me face up to the fact I've been expecting sinners not to sin. The truth is as I mentioned already more than once, we are all sinners, sinning sinners should not shock us and if we expect different we are the ones caught up in a deception that Satan has laid down perfectly just to entrap us at his will.

The second part of what Mark wrote in that article which caught my attention was the reality of the spiritual warfare we are in as Christians. Satan wants our attention on the TEMPORAL stuff because as long as it is there on the temporary to eternity stuff it is NOT on the eternity stuff where it belongs.

Read this again…

'This is where our power comes from. It comes from the spiritual world and the spiritual battle going on behind the scenes of which we are only vaguely aware. This is where so many Christians miss the point. This is a spiritual battle that will only be won with spiritual weapons. The devil is real good at getting us to misdirect our energies into temporal battles. He does this for a reason. He is genuinely afraid (terrified may be a better word) of the effectual prayer of a righteous man (Jam 5:16). He knows that when old man Jones or grandma Smith gets on their knee's and starts praying, the Kingdom of hell starts to shake and shudder under the weight of their supplications.'

'The devil is REAL good at getting us to MISDIRECT our ENERGIES into temporal battles'!

We have to ask ourselves as we fight the good fight, striving to belong to Christ  and be known of Him, whether or not the angst in our lives is being caused by temporal things- things that will NOT matter in eternity. 

My personal spiritual chaos of the last five months or so is first of all- not expecting sinners to sin, secondly focusing on the temporary, focusing on my earthly temporary home, my earthly temporary existence.

Satan would have us all caught up in the here and now in any way he possibly can.

Where is my home supposed to be? Not here.

Where is my home going to be? In heaven.

Jesus said--

Joh_8:23  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

Joh_17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Joh_18:36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Heb_11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

1Pe_2:11  Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul

Strangers, pilgrims, temporarily homeless- this is us- as followers of Christ.

In all our relationships with - friendships, family, strangers, and enemies- we must comprehend our true place in the grand scheme of things. God first, others after God, self last.

God first- we do nothing we know to be offensive to God. How do we know what is offensive to God. He has given us His Holy Spirit inspired word AND before people jump on the bandwagon labeled Interpretation Is Subjective, He has given us each individually the HOLY SPIRIT to guide us to all truth. God lets us know what is offensive to Him and should we choose to follow the offensive things we are deliberately choosing NOT to put God first in our lives.

God first.

Others second to God.

If we do NOT have God first, then any attempt to put others second will fail. If we put others first before God, we fail them and us.

God FIRST, the spiritual FIRST, the heavenly FIRST. In EVERY and in ALL situations GOD NEEDS TO BE FIRST. 

When God is first, then others will be second, and we will be last.

God first is eternity all else is temporal.

Is it any wonder at all that Satan would have us focused on the temporal things in life?

I'd love to be able to say my spiritual upset and this particular five month long battle is over,  but I know better. I can say, by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit has reinforced my armor and prayerfully this battle will be solely focused upon the spiritual, not the temporal.

May God bless us all and keep us IN HIM first and foremost!

All through His amazing and perfect LOVE.