Month: December 2016

The World, the Devil, and my own Sinful Flesh

Sin, Death and the Devil are the enemies of life. World, Demons and Flesh are the temptations that the enemies use to steal, kill and destroy.

The World: temptations that come at us from the outside. Distinguish the Biblical uses of the word world: on the one hand Jesus says, “God so loved the world;” that means the people in it. On the other hand 1 John says “Love not the world;” that means the world system. The world’s way of thinking is outside of God and hostile to God; it is not inherently evil, but it is thoroughly corrupted by the Enemy that we must be redeemed from it.

The Flesh: temptations that come at us from the inside. The Biblical definition of the word flesh is very slippery: simplistically it means the soul (the mind, will and emotions that make up the self), which is at enmity with God; it fights with God at every turn. The soul is not created evil (God loves it and so must we), but it is so thoroughly corrupted by the Enemy in the Fall that it must be crucified.

The Demons: temptations that come at us from inside and out; they mix with the world and the flesh to tempt, scare and afflict. They are sent and empowered by the Evil One, the Enemy of Souls; they are inherently evil and unredeemable.

This unholy triad of temptation must be overcome, yes, but it is better to overcome the Source, the trifold Enemy (sin, death, devil). Conquer by focusing on My Overcomer, Jesus.

 

Jesus Christ is My Overcomer

Jesus Christ is my overcomer. By faith I identify with Christ and I become an overcomer. We are “more than conquerors” through him who loved us. Our victorious Lord leads us from victory unto victory. Jesus has already purchased and won the overcoming victory and by grace through faith has given it to us. Therefore, we overcome our Enemies and victory belongs to us. Daily we repent and believe the Gospel.

Sin, Death and the Devil are the only three enemies that seek to harm us and diminish life. Their relentless and singular purpose is to steal, kill and destroy; but Jesus has come that we may have life and have it abundantly. Jesus restores the life that these enemies take away.

When Jesus says,”Love your enemies,” he is referring to human beings who are used as instruments by the real enemy (sin, death, devil). We must love, forgive, and pray for the people; but we must abhor, and not tolerate, sin and death and devil. Distinguish the source and the instrument and treat each according to God’s Word: loving and winning the people versus hating and overcoming the enemies.

Every one of the 150 Psalms refers to enemies and to the overcoming of the same. The purpose of this blog is to edify the reader by understanding how every Psalm shows Christ as my overcomer over every enemy of life.