Home
>
Spirituality
>
The Great Battleground

The Great Battleground

Being a Christian does not exempt us from having to fight daily with the problem of sin in our lives. We know that being saved does not mean we are perfect. We know that we all have personal deficits that we must persistently work toward controlling; temper, impatience, unkind thoughts, self centeredness, and a host of other possibilities. We know that we all have some skeletons and they do not always stay hidden in the closet.

Sometimes it seems as though we have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality and like Paul, we find ourselves fighting the war within. The characteristic of our human experience is the tension set up within a nature divided against itself. We belong to a physical world, yet we also believe ourselves to be citizens of a heavenly city. But our carnal impulses are all too often at variance with our spiritual longings. We all experience the frustration of knowing what is right, but failing to do it. Our knowledge of right is invariably greater than our power to always perform it. We know what is right and we really want to act accordingly, but with monotonous regularity, we fail.

The inescapable fact of the matter is that by ourselves, we cannot do what is right. We just do not make the grade. Knowing the rules whether they are golden or silver, do not make us able to obey them. We keep on falling into a trap called sin. You see, there's an inner struggle going on-a war within between contending forces, the spirit and the self-and on our own, we lack sufficient power to overcome.

Think of the times in your life when the day started off bright and you were feeling really good. You rejoiced in the spirit and felt like going on for the Lord; felt like holding up the blood stained banner, felt like your mind was made up and you were on your way up and then, all of a sudden, all hell broke loose.

Unexpectedly, a situation evolves that we cannot handle; hell hounds get on our trail, death comes knocking at our door, stumbling blocks get in our way. We know we should not allow these things to get to us, but seemingly no matter how hard we try, no matter which way we turn, no matter what strategy we use, we wind up defeated; twisted in knots, a slave to sin. And if your experiences have been anything like mine, you will agree that sometimes it seem as though the more we squirm to get out of the mess, the deeper we sink in. The new life in Christ in not an easy life by any stretch of the imagination for we are still sinners even after we believe.

The battle within resembles in nature that between Jacob and Esau in Rebecca's wound; between the Canaanites and Israelites in the land of promise, between the house of Saul and the house of David. It's a difficult war, because Satan's army is always after us; they stay on our heels.

Well, the question is, how do we win this war? We fight this war by walking in the spirit. We do not have to be controlled by our lower nature because we have the Holy Spirit. Paul said, "The power of the life giving Spirit has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death."

We need the power of the life-giving Spirit. The only way to triumph over evil is to walk in the Spirit of God. Walking in the spirit means living life to please God rather than to please yourself or others. It means obedience to God rather than obeying your own needs and desires, or the needs and desires of others. We start out each day with a definite decision that by faith, I will walk in the Spirit of my God.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport car

In The News:

Getting virus alerts on your iPhone? Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you learn how to handle fake scam alerts and boost security.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says opening emails is safe, but risks arise from interacting with links, attachments or HTML content.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals four signs of compromised Social Security numbers and offers five steps to protect yourself.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how MAB Robotics' Honey Badger 4.0, a versatile robot, now walks underwater with amphibious skills.

An updated Android trojan called FakeCall hijacks bank calls. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says Android phone manufacturers and Google need to step up their game on security.

The Massimo Modular E9 is a sleek, smart and comfy tiny home in 409 square feet. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson takes a closer look at what the future of housing might look like.

Every stock trader should consider a virtual private network to safeguard their trading, according to tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson.

Apple recently announced its new lineup of Macs and rolled out Apple Intelligence, its latest artificial intelligence-powered feature for its products.

A Swiss-engineered robot can climb ladders, showing why it's at the cutting edge of autonomous robotic solutions for harsh industrial settings.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson presents the cities targeted most by robocalls, why this is happening and what you can do about it to protect your privacy.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares tips and suggestions for how to get the best use out of the updated Calendar app available with the latest iOS update.

Your Social Security number, your unique identifier used for many purposes, has likely been leaked on the Dark Web; here are some steps you can take to protect yourself.

Researchers have developed a new technology that creates strong, sticky fibers capable of lifting objects and capturing things from a distance.

Smart rings track the same things that smartwatches do, including steps, sleep and a general overview of your overall health, and they tend have more battery life than smartwatches.

Researchers have developed a robotic finger that can perform routine medical exams like those conducted by doctors, helping to address the growing shortage of trained professionals.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Insurance administrative services company Landmark Admin reported that a data breach from a May cyberattack affected over 800,000 people.

Sotheby's will auction the first artwork created by Ai-Da, the world's first robot artist created in 2019 by British gallerist Aidan Meller.

More than 250 million users of the Verizon Messages app will have to switch to another app. Verizon is shutting down Messages in the next month.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides a list of 10 celebrities who are the most targeted by deepfake scams, including Tom Hanks.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how Vast's Haven-1, launching in 2025, transforms space living with human-centric design.

UnitedHealth confirms over 100 million Change Healthcare users had their data stolen. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals what happened and what caused the breach.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how iOS 18 brings new text formatting and animated effects to the Messages app.

Whether you're a social media veteran or novice, Facebook friend request scams are common. Kurt the CyberGuy provides tips to keep your account safe.

The Great Battleground

Spirituality