The Christian Fight

Once baptized, the Christian has a serious and continuous fight on his hands against the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Each of these opponents represents a formidable obstacle to true spiritual growth and overcoming. If personified, they would be strong and crafty enemies determined to bar us from the Kingdom of God by either derailing or stopping entirely any growth in our relationship with God. The most formidable and ever-present obstacle hindering progress toward the Kingdom of God is the flesh; human nature, that remains following baptism. It is the major component of the cross we must bear while following Christ (Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23). In Romans 8:7, Paul plainly states, "The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." It is always with us, yet we must fight it to overcome its constant drag on progress toward conforming to the image of Jesus Christ. Paul describes in vivid terms the attitude in which we must fight it. He tells us that the flesh must be "crucified" and "put to death." Our attitude is to be like that of a soldier under orders to take no prisoners. Did not God order the Israelites to do similarly when invading the Promised Land? They were to rid it completely of its original inhabitants, a command that they, of course, did not obey. Just as God predicted, as the Israelites became comfortable living among the land's original inhabitants, they became attracted to their gods and practices, snares that drew them into sin. We will examine Israel's responsibility to God as the people left Mount Sinai after agreeing to the Old Covenant and subsequent happenings as they proceeded through the wilderness. Their patterns and examples support the idea that God's way of life under the New Covenant involves the struggles of which Paul wrote.