Jan
27
Written by:
Bob Flynn
1/27/2010 10:12 AM
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. (Colossians 2:6 NLT)
And to receive “Christ Jesus the Lord” (Colossians 2:6) necessarily involves the renouncing of our own sinful lordship, the throwing down of the weapons of our own warfare against Him, and the submitting to His yoke and rule. And before any human rebel is brought to do that, a miracle of Divine grace has to be wrought within him. And this brings us more immediately to the present aspect of our theme. Saving faith is not a native product of the human heart, but is a spiritual grace communicated from on High. “It is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). It is “of the operation of God” (Colossians 2:12). It is by “the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5). (Arthur W. Pink, Studies on Saving Faith)
God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8 NLT)
For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. (Colossians 2:12 NLT)
I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:5 NLT)
When we use the term "spiritual warfare" our minds eye sees a battle waged in the heavenlies. But what about the battle within? Is it not spiritual? Of course it is! Victory must be found within before it can ever be found without! In ancient times, when I was a Sea Explorer, our Skipper, CWO4 "Whitey" Chalman, USN, used to admonish us to remember "who we are, and to whom we belong." It has served me well my whole life! For as a Christian, I must always remember who I am and to whom I belong! If we are to win in spiritual warfare, we must first remember that our warfare in the flesh is against God Himself! Becoming a bond slave by choice presupposes that the Lord is my authority! Our human wisdom is ever trying to depose Christ from the thrown of our life until that day when every thought is held captive by Him. Every time we assert self we have lost the battle within and open the door wide to the battle without. It is the ever-present reprobate mind of the flesh, that Paul share with us in Romans 7, that sins in trying to obey the Law of God. Not only so, but does the very things we hate.
We spend a great deal of time talking about submitting to one another (Ephesians 5:21) without remembering that we must first be submitted to Christ! It is His Lordship and Headship that gives us victory. Not some enlightenment in human wisdom! We are not possessors of renewed minds (silk purse vs. sows ear) but "renewing" minds. It is the "Mind of Christ" with in us that brings the victory. Yes, to win the war within is an act of "absolute surrender" (also a book by Pastor Andrew Murray).
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5 KJV)
Copyright ©2010 Robert Flynn