The Enemy Generals

Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and exiles, to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1 Peter 2:11

War – What is your strategy against sin? Before you answer that question, consider this: the Greek word strateuomai is the basis of our English word “strategy”. It’s the word Peter uses to describe the war against us. So, let’s ask the question more insightfully: Are you using the same war-waging methods to overcome sin that sin is using to overcome you? Do you employ the same strateuomai that is being used against you? If you do, how foolish is that? How will you defeat yourself?

Overwhelming desires of the body wage war against you. The enemy within is crafty, powerful and well-informed about your defenses and weaknesses. You have spied on yourself. You are a traitor to yourself. So, if you think you can employ the same tactics and battle plan to rid yourself of that inner enemy, you are in for a big shock. The only human way out of that fight is suicide and even then the enemy wins. The enemy’s object is always the same: to destroy God’s image in you. Since most of us do not choose self-termination, we spend a lot of life either pretending we are not at war or throwing up our hands and giving in to the pressure.

But God has another way.

God wins through weakness.

If you want to fight a battle with the world’s strategy, you amass arms, fortify strongholds, gather provisions, plan tactics and prepare for attack. You’ll read the books, attend the seminars, go to therapy, subscribe to self-improvement newsletters. You might even join a support group. But if you want victory God’s way, you will lay down your arms, give up your strongholds, release your provisions and surrender. Why would you do these crazy things in the face of such a formidable foe? Because God knows you cannot fight yourself and win. You must surrender yourself as hopelessly defeated, not to the enemy, but to the Lord of life. When you fight, you guarantee defeat. But when you surrender to the sovereign Lord, you place yourself under His banner. There is only one tactic that brings victory in the battle against your own body: dying to yourself by casting all that you are on the mercy of God. Even that will take everything you’ve got left. Victory is nothing more than the moment-by-moment surrender of my fighting psychosis. Victory comes only when I give up to Him.

Fighting, I was defeated. Surrendering, He carried the battle for me.
Are you fighting today?