We have met the enemy, and he is us. ~ Walt Kelly, Pogo
Christians are expected (by God, by the World) to live differently. The Holy Spirit enables this by making us aware of our sinful habits, giving us the desire to replace them with Something Better, and the ability to do so. That last bit is where it gets interesting.
Each propensity toward sin is an evil Mini-Me, encamped inside. There are tons of them; they form a vicious, insidious army. Mini-Me soldiers don't fight fair. They show no mercy. In short, they are most unpleasant. Daily, I am forced to ward off their attacks. Protected by God's armor, like the rest of you, I've been given one weapon: the Sword of the Spirit; the Word of God. (Yes, it's a sword, but I like to imagine a bayonette.)
Die, Pride! Take that, Coveting! Sorry, Judgmental, but you have to go. Make way for God's army: Humility, Contentment, Grace. (Ammo: Proverbs 18:12, 1 Tim 6:6, Romans 14:4, respectively.)
If I fail to put up a fight, I make myself and everyone around me miserable; therefore, passivity is not an option. Keep your guard up, Girl, and wield your sword. Or, your bayonette.
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. ~ Romans 6:6
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That is so true. I have experienced this in my life. I became passive to the evil "mini-me"s and my life became a living hell. And everyone near me, my loved ones, friends and all suffered because of this. I started to fight them with Gods grace and "observed" them die.
ReplyDeleteI have now learned this wonderful thing in my life called observation. The moment a Mini-Me appears in my minds battlefield ( like i become judgmental at times), I observe it . I observe myself from a third persons view and politely let that thought pass through my mind. And My mind again clears up.
I am grateful to you Cathy for sharing such a wonderful thought with us. Thanks and have a Great Day :)
Navjot - CoolwoodyBlue from twitter.
So true, Navjot. Something else I notice is that, these evil little soldiers never really die. Sometimes they rest for a while (even a LONG while), but then, there they are again. They pop back up, like moles in the yard. So annoying. Perfection exists, only in heaven. Grateful for your friendship, and your comment!!
ReplyDeleteblessings,
~ c
Thanks for following me on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteLooking into the mirror about ourselves reminds of the Ten Commandments which is really a mirror of how we can so easily fall short of the glory of God.
But praise be to God that He sent Christ to atone for our sinful nature.
I like to share one of my testimony with you at http://CertaintyofGodslove.blogspot.com and read about Proof of Payment -- a Testimony.
Blessings,
Paul