The World's Greatest Conflict
This chapter I would prefer to leave out, but I must include it for the sake of completeness and candor.
If you have responded to the One Minute Procedure, you have entered a war, a literal war. It's every bit as real as an actual military war, and more difficult:
He who rules his spirit (is mightier) than he who takes a city.1
Ruling our own spirit is really "the world's greatest conflict." It is a two-dimensional conflict.
Conflict with Our "Flesh"
First, our new spirit life, joined with the Holy Spirit, comes in conflict with the fleshly, or human nature side of ourselves. Peter spoke about:
"The passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul."2
These passions are not limited to sexual desires. If expressed according to God's plan, sexual desires are not evil in themselves; they were given by God to propagate humanity. The word "passions" has a broader meaning. The "flesh" represents our whole sensory being and the physical world's constant pull against us: things we see, hear, feel or otherwise experience in the world of appearances that may be contrary to spirit-reality and God's will. It includes the constant temptation toward selfish actions instead of selfless actions in accordance with the law of love. Paul said:
"The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would."3
Paul even confessed his own struggle in this area, but he also gave us the solution. He told us that even though our old human nature may appear to be alive and may try to assert itself, in God's eternal perspective the old nature is, in fact, dead, having been buried with Christ. Our practical application of this spirit-truth is, by faith, to "consider" it so, and then act like it. Actually, that's how all spirit-reality is made to penetrate the sensory world-by faith inspired action.
So you must also consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.4
At one point, Paul described his personal battle. He cried out in desperation, then followed with the solution:
"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"5
Conflict with Evil Spirits
The conflict above is primarily an internal one. The second conflict is from external sources, although the battle is still fought internally. This is the conflict with the devil and his angels, called demons. They are invisible, but very real spirit-beings. They are not omnipotent as God is and have been given only limited domain, primarily through the wills of people who "allow" them, although perhaps unknowingly.
We will not explore the full scope of the operation of these rebellious angels who were banished from heaven except to mention that they are a source of part of our battle. On this Paul said:
"For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but... against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."6
What are the symptoms of a life that is in the heat of spiritual warfare and under attack by Satan? They can be many and varied. Satan usually plays upon our weak points, which will vary with individuals. He operates in the realm of the mind, suggesting and tempting, but where it seems like our own thoughts.
Satan need never be successful in his attacks, but where he is experiencing success symptoms might include coldness toward things of God and an unusual attraction toward things contrary to spiritual health. They may include obsessive and detrimental behavior. Symptoms often include a great sense of discouragement, anxiety, hopelessness, fear about the future, or depression (fear is the opposite of faith; depression the opposite of hope). It should be remembered, however, that demonic influence or attack does not necessarily mean "possession" in the sense of ownership. Satan can only claim and possess those who have rejected God. In fact, a possessed person really has no interest in pleasing God. If you are concerned about yourself and you want to please God, you cannot be possessed. You only need to appropriate your victory in the present battle.
Prescription for Victory
Paul then prescribes the solution to the warfare, a spiritual "armor" that will allow us to win in this inevitable struggle. He tells us to be "strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might," clothing ourselves with God's provisions for victory, such as truth, peace and faith (see Ephesians 6:10-18).
Such a struggle may seem like bad news. One might say, "Why bother? Who needs all of that?" Well, it's really good news. You see, if you do not enter the battle, you actually surrender without a fight. You have already lost and are captive to both your sensory self and the spiritual forces of darkness in the universe. That is not a viable alternative. Also, it is only through a "battle" that a "victory" can be obtained. We have been called to battle, and most importantly, to victory.
In the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, Jesus gives some wonderful promises to those who "overcome" and who obtain victory. He knows how tough it is. Remember, He walked this way. And He has purposed to help us. There is a simple remedy, described by the apostle John:
"This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith."7
The faith referred to is faith in God and His blood sacrifice which, through our confession, mysteriously renders Satan powerless and defeated. This idea is repeated in another verse which speaks of the believers' victory over Satan:
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.8
In his majestic and beautiful hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," written over 400 years ago, Martin Luther translates this remedy into a simple method of defeating Satan:
"The prince of darkness grim
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him."
Our inner faith, which itself is a gift from God, and our words and actions that spring forth from that faith, give us sure victory over self and Satan in the greatest of all conflicts.
One Minute Summary
The World's Greatest Conflict
Each individual, who through a spiritual rebirth has been joined to Christ, is now engaged in a war. It is a war against (1) the natural, human nature that is subject to the passions of the material and sensory world pulling one toward self-gratification and away from serving God and others, and (2) actual spirit-beings who inhabit the world of darkness and who, while perhaps giving up on capturing our souls for eternity, try to discourage us and nullify our effectiveness for God.
There is no avoidance of this conflict. Those who reject God's great sacrifice have capitulated and, whether they realize it or not, are already captives of their natural self and the spiritual forces in conflict with God.
Believers in Christ have the privilege of battle-and victory!
God has many wonderful promises for those who overcome. Plus, he has given us the means: His presence and help, and the gift of faith.
This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.
And remember all of our previous discussion about the Passover Lamb and His blood? The last book of the Bible speaks of our overcoming and, apparently in retrospect, speaks of how we secured victory over Satan and the things that would otherwise destroy us:
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.