WATCH, FIGHT AND PRAY

To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power throughout time with no end! Yes, our God is truly deserving of an over-abundance of adoration for His mercy which endures forever, His love which covers a multitude of sins and His grace which He so generously bestows upon all.   Infinity would fail before we could lavish our Creator with the reverence that is due Him for all the marvelous things He has done and the access He has granted us to His Holy Spirit who provides us with an inexhaustible supply of  love, joy,  peace, longsuffering, gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness  and  temperance.

Now I’m sure that many of you recognize those things I just listed as the  “fruit of the Spirit”  which are documented in  Galatians 5: 22 & 23.   These 9 spiritual attributes of the Holy Ghost have been imparted unto us that we may confidently and concurrently utilize them to edify the body of Christ, spread the good news of our Messiah to a lost world, unceasingly represent the Lord in a manner worthy of His majesty and glorify our Maker to a degree that far surpasses any other endeavor we may ever undertake.

Of course, every day we should strive to be more and more like Jesus, being less and less like ourselves.     If we want us to decrease and Him to increase then we should be actively pursuing a state of spiritual maturity that is necessary to be effective ambassadors for Him.   However, we will fall short of this goal if our vigilance diminishes or our soberness dissipates, causing us to sink back into behaviors that are reflective of our old nature instead of the new man which we have put on which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created us.   “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away;  behold, all things are become new.”    (2 Corinthians 5: 17)  

The words to the much-loved gospel song  “Oh Happy Day,”  is a beautiful hymn which stirs our soul, particularly when the chorus joyfully proclaims, “He taught us how to watch, fight and pray!  FIGHT AND PRAY!”     Such inspiring lyrics lead us to appropriately ask ourselves the following questions:   Are we always watching?   Are we always fighting?   Are we always praying?     Well, concerning these things, this is what Jesus said about watching in Matthew 13: 37:     “And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”   About fighting, it is plainly written in 1 Timothy 16: 12 for us to  “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life…”   And when it comes to praying we are simply told to  “Pray without ceasing.”  (1 Thessalonians 5: 17)      

It is evident that these holy instructions are telling us that watching, fighting and praying is a continuous, ongoing and never-ending process which is vitally important for us because the enemy is waiting to take advantage of any period of inattention or any lull in our alertness so he can secretly plant tares in your fields of wheat and contaminate your wells of living water.   Our adversary wants to hypnotize you and cause you to wander from the path of righteousness as if you were a stumbling, mumbling and bumbling intoxicated person staggering about, contently oblivious to the many dangers all around. This is why there is a tendency for us humans to keep engaging in the same carnal behaviors that got us in trouble in the first place.   Satan is always seeking to divert you from walking in the Spirit and lure you into succumbing to the temptations and influences of your flesh. 

Praise God that His Word speaks very specifically about those dreaded works of the flesh as listed in  Galatians 5: 19-21.    They are as follows:   Adultery  (unfaithfulness of a married person),   Fornication  (sexual immorality of any kind of unmarried persons),  Uncleanness  (impurity, moral filthiness),   Lasciviousness (salacious, lewd, obscene and seductive  sensuality),  Idolatry  (the reverence and worship of idols of any kind),  Witchcraft  (the use of or trust in any supernatural power other than God),  Hatred  (hostility and antagonism),  Variance  (quarrel, strife and discord),  Emulations (morally corrupt zealous ill will, jealousy, envy or rage) , Wrath  (fury, hostile and intense displeasure based on real or perceived wrongs),   Strife  (selfish ambitions and factions),  Seditions (division and dissension),  Heresies (sects, cults, religious opinion contrary to church doctrine),  Envyings  (grudging desire for or discontent at the sight of another’s excellence or advantages),   Murders  (unlawfully killing or depriving of life),  Drunkenness (intoxication, no matter how slight),  Revellings  (orgies, revelry, carousing) and concluding with the famous and often ignored catch-phrase “and such like,”  which encompasses anything even remotely resembling any of these sinful practices.    And don't forget the lust of the eyes, the pride of life and the love of money.   We must look closely and see.   Do any of these have our name on it?

Now I know that the flesh is a subject that is frequently avoided but we must teach the truth in love because the consequences of those participating in these actions are so severe that we must remain diligently watchful for any signs that we are the victims and/or perpetrators of the spiritual pollution these things indicate.    And why is this important?   Because God’s Word warns us very sternly that  “they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”  (Galatians 5: 19-21)    And this is the worst thing that could happen to us.   If we are honest, I believe we all must admit that at times we struggle with various aspects of our human frailties.   But struggling doesn’t necessarily mean sinning.   But it does mean danger or that you’re out of bounds.  And we need divine help from above with that.   And this blessed help lovingly came from our Father when He sent our liberation in the form of His Son Jesus Christ who was nailed to that cross on Mount Calvary for our redemption.   And this is the good news of the gospel which has been broadcast throughout the earth.  “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;  but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”   (1 Corinthians 1: 18)     It is the  “…power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth...”   (Romans 1: 16)

This is why Jesus voluntarily left His home in eternity, was humbly born under meager circumstances, was placed in a livestock feeding trough that was used as a makeshift crib, experienced all the difficulties of life in the flesh as a human, was hated as if he were a serial killer, was beaten worse than a captured runaway slave, was horrifically tortured just because He was righteous, was executed like a common criminal, was buried and literally lay dead in a donated tomb.   Our divine King of kings and Lord of lords willingly subjected Himself to an earthly journey that took Him from the pit of persecution to the pinnacle of pain, all at the direction of His Holy Father.

But, glory to God, after suffering and enduring all of these things for us, He rose with all power, was cheered on and encouraged by angels, ascended to Heaven in glory and prayed to the Father that He would send us the gift of the Holy Ghost to serve as a guarantee of our salvation, enable us to effectively mortify the works of the flesh and to bestow upon us the incredible honor of raising high the blessed banner of His glorious Kingdom proclaiming that everything and everyone belongs to Him.    A Kingdom established with a heavenly constitution based on the fundamental principle that,  “The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof;  the world, and they that dwell therein”   (Psalm 24: 1)    and,  “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.”  (Deuteronomy 10: 14)

 In addition to all of this, not only do our bodies belong to God, but our souls belong to Him also.   According to Ezekiel 18: 4  God says, “Behold, all souls are mine…”    And since we all belong to God, He is free to do with us what He wants.   And what does He want?   He wants us to freely and voluntarily love Him, He wants us to have an intimate relationship with Him and He wants us to enjoy eternity with Him.   Believe with your whole heart that our Father which art in Heaven wants the very best for us.   And this is not a breaking news report but this has been God’s desire from the beginning.   It was heralded by the Prophet Isaiah saying,  “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him.”   (Isaiah 64: 4)     The same sentiment was then reiterated by the Apostle Paul as he declared,  “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.”     (1 Corinthians 2: 9)     

And since He loved us before we loved Him, He already had a wonderful plan worked out for us, even before we were born.   “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;  and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee…”   (Jeremiah 1: 5)      King David wrote in  Psalm 139: 17-18  how the Lord treasures us and how His thoughts of us were precious and innumerable.   The Prophet Jeremiah expanded on this when he recorded how the Lord felt about His people:   “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”    (Jeremiah 29: 11)    

These are some of the reasons why the Devil hates you so much and doesn’t want you to operate in the power of the Holy Ghost.   He wants to destroy you so he’ll do everything he can to make you trust in the flesh, live in the flesh, act up in the flesh and fulfill the lusts of the flesh.   But in order to accomplish this, the wily serpent must do some damage to you so that you will not walk in the Spirit, knowing that he cannot overcome the power of God.  “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:   but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”   (Romans 8: 13-14)     And since he can’t do anything with God, he’s turned his hostility towards you and is just waiting to catch you slippin’.    And he has absolutely no shame.  He’ll stoop to any level to seduce you to willingly embrace the fatal flaws of the flesh.   He’ll tempt you and he’ll entice you.   He’ll try to weaken you and wear you out.   He’ll seek to orchestrate events to overwhelm and dishearten you and won’t stop as he takes great delight in frightening, confusing, depressing and discouraging you.

Understand that your flesh is only a pawn in the heinous acts of war Satan has launched against you.    Your flesh is, by nature a rebellious, self-serving entity that absolutely cannot and does not want to subject itself to the will of God.   “For to be carnally minded is death;  but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.   Because the carnal mind is enmity (hatred, hostility) against God:   for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”   (Romans 8: 7-6)      And since this is a matter of life and death, the flesh must be taken down.    The flesh and the Spirit are inherently contrary to one another so there are no peace treaties or cease-fires.    “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:  and these are contrary the one to other:  so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”   (Galatians 5: 17)   There is a zero tolerance policy as each one seeks to wipe out the other. 

This is all-out war and we have been given the authority, the responsibility and the ability through Jesus to neutralize this flesh.   “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”   (Galatians 5: 24)     And not with proportional or reasonable force ….. not in this fight.   But with overwhelming and devastating power as demonstrated by God when He rained down that all-consuming fire on a military platoon in defense of His servant Elijah who calmly sat on a hill and watched the destruction of his enemies.  Twice!    “Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties…”   (2 Kings 1: 14) 

Therefore, the Lord God Almighty, has drawn up a sure-fire strategy for us that is unfailingly designed to defeat our demonic adversaries on the spiritual battlefield.    And that plan is this:   “Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  (James 4: 7)    And I’m not talking about just casually and nonchalantly submitting yourself, but really settling down in the Spirit, burying yourself in humility and immersing yourself in His awe-inspiring presence.    With great confidence you can speak the name of Jesus, rejoicing as you call on the Lord from deep within because He has made it known of His people that   “…before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”   (Isaiah 65: 24)       The enemy will still attack,  “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:  That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”  (Ephesians 2: 4-7)

So be watchful for those times when you feel that you can’t take anymore, fight during those times when you feel you can’t resist anymore and pray in those times when you feel you can’t stand anymore because those are precisely the times for us to stand.  The time to stand firm, to stand steady and to stand strong.    As that well-traveled Teacher from Tarsus encourages us, “…be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;   And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.   And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”  (Ephesians 6: 10-17)  

Yes, the flesh can be a formidable and persistent adversary, relentlessly trying to drain your strength to the point where you may periodically feel like collapsing.   But it won’t work because we don’t trust in our own strength.   Our trust is in the Lord Jesus who empowers and strengthens us to do all things.    We serve an awesome God who  “…is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy…”   (Jude 1: 24)    Jesus knows how weary we are from the war and how beat up we can get from our battles, so He issues this invitation:  “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.   Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me;  for I am meek and lowly in heart:  and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”  (Matthew 11: 28-30)    In these precious but spectacular words of comfort He is teaching us how to watch, fight and pray ...... the real way.   Not as the world does it, but as He does it.   So put into practice what He's taught us and don’t get caught up in the daily drama of this deranged planet where your distractions will lead to your demise.   "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life;  that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." (2 Timothy 2: 4)

So until we drop this robe of flesh and bid farewell to the sweet hour of prayer, be encouraged, all of you who are soldiers in the army of the Lord, and stick to His flawless war plan.   Don't overreact to sudden situations or chaotic conditions, but be reflective on the Word of God, positively illuminate the atmosphere with His presence that is in you and let your light shine in all scenarios and under all circumstances.    And as a good soldier, be always on duty, ever on the lookout and continuously in communication with our Creator and Commander-in-Chief, remembering that it really is not us, but it is He, the Lord, who fights our battles.   And He has never lost a single one.

And lastly,   “…gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;    As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:   But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;    Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.    And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:   Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;   But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:   Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,   Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory;  that your faith and hope might be in God.”   (1 Peter 1: 13-21)