The Fight

Winter is officially here...I went to unlock my car today and the doors were frozen shut! If any of you know me personally, I HATE the winter. I really don't think i would mind it too much if it wasn't for the constant 20 m.p.h. freezing wind blowing in my face. You know the kind of wind that makes it impossible to breath?! Yea, i dislike it with a passion.

Lately, I have been thinking (weird,right?) a lot about the dualistic nature of man. This really is not very complex. Basically, there seems to be a good side and a bad side to all human beings. It is as simple as that, but to understand the fact and master it are two totally different things. I preached about this to my home youth group in Topeka, Kansas. Unfortunately, i feel that i might have been talking over their heads. I wrote a paper about Christianity and dualism for philosophy. And the struggles in my own life have really heightened my sense about the dichotomy within my own life.

There are two entities that have control of my body and will. The first is the flesh or the "Self." This part of us is the seat of our passions and desires. The second part is the "Spirit." This is the seat of our willingness to do good or the part of us that is spiritual. This idea is best illustrated in the old looney tune cartoons that have bugs bunny or some other character on screen. This person is at a cross-roads...and has to choose between doing right or wrong (like eating poor tweety bird). All of a sudden an angel and a devil appear on the person's shoulders. The angel tries to convince the person to do the good, and the devil urges him to do the wrong. This is what happens to us when we come to a temptation; unfortunately, we aren't blessed with two small "mini me's" that pop up on our shoulders at the exact moment.

Lately, I have really seen this fight between the self and spirit in my life. My flesh wants to do whatever it can in order to please my sinful nature while the Spirit wants to please God and do what is right. I really hate this struggle, because when I use to believe that when I became a Christian, these temptations would stop coming and everything would be perfect. Sadly, this isn't the case at all! I struggle with giving into temptation has much as the next person. Even the Apostle Paul struggled with the same thing

Romans 7:15 says, "I do not understand what I do. For what i want to do i do not do, but what i hate i do."

Paul knows exactly what all of us are going through, because he often gives into the self's passions and desires. So what hope is there for us? YES! The very next chapter, Paul says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." And he goes on to explain that through Jesus the law of the "self" has been destroyed and and the law of the "spirit" has set us free! This is great news people...Jesus has fought the battle for us once and for all eschatologically. However,until his 2nd coming we still have to engage in this fight between the "self" and the "spirit" on a daily basis. Its our choice whether or not to fall into sin.

Paul writes in Galatians 5:24-25, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Christians need to kill the "self," and we need to live by the "spirit." We partner with Christ in this battle to defeat our selfish sinful nature. So my question for all of us is, "Who are we letting win the fight for control of our lives...the self or the Spirit?"

Oh, and if any of you want to buy me a Christmas present. Write to Santa, and I'm sure the big fellow will forward you a copy of my wish list. Thanks!