I grew up in a peaceful home. Fighting was a rare occurrence, that usually involved doing after dinner dishes.  The fight invariably ended with some snapping of a dish towel and tears.  But if you and I are Christ-followers, we do have some fighting to do in the here and now, because, we’ve got enemies.

Your first enemy is your flesh. Your very own fleshly sin nature seeks to dominate you and produce in you everything but the fruit of God’s Spirit. The Bible says “let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. (Galatians 5:16) This requires making a daily decision to say no to self.

And then, there’s Satan, who’s out to sabotage your thinking. Paul wrote, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3 ESV). Jesus rebuffed Satan with scripture; our daily renewal through scripture is non-negotiable.

Finally, the world seeks to distract you. Its distractions are constant, instantly available, and more glitteringly enticing than ever before—they’re as close as the cellphone in your pocket. In 1 John 2:15a (NLT) we’re warned, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you.” Purposeful habits, perhaps like reading your Bible before checking your email, will have to be your strategy here.

Spiritual growth is a day-by-day battle that’s won with the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.

 

Resource reading: Galatians 5:13-25