Destroy the Enemies Within So They Don’t Destroy You

I have been thinking about this Russian plane that crashed on Mount Sinai in which everyone died. I have read articles on some of the people who died in the crash and it is obvious that there were kind souls amongst them. One of them was so kind that he even cared to rescue cats in trouble. I can’t but think of the pain their families must be going through but I can’t help but ponder along with several others on the cause of the crash. From listening to the different thoughts on the possible cause, I have learnt a lot including that an aircraft can only be brought down either by forces within or without. Furthermore, at a certain height, it is most unlikely that an external force can bring it down, not even turbulence because at that level, turbulence doesn’t get bad enough to bring down aircrafts. Such was the level at which the Russian aircraft was flying suggesting that whatever brought it down was inside it supporting the suspicions that a bomb must have been placed in it.

 

Psalm 91: 1, 3 - 4 “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty … For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”

 

This entire thing reminds me of spiritual warfare. As we know, the devil is consistently trying to destroy man who is himself fighting by the Spirit of God to live and live the fullness of life which is the promise of God to us. The truth about this warfare is that our “standing” is a great part of it. To be fully equipped for victory, one has to be standing rightly in Christ and the things that go on inside us affect or impact greatly on our standing in Christ. So there is a fight on the inside of every believer: a fight between the Spirit of God and our “fleshly desire.” The desire referred to as fleshly is the longing based on thirst for things that belong in the group referred to by the bible as “worldly.” Many of us manage this battle within. We often do not think that the enemy within us needs to be defeated. We believe that those weaknesses in us and/or longing for things we ought not to long for, can be managed but that is not true hence God tells us to kill the flesh and its desires. They have to die because whichever one we do not kill later becomes a tool in the hands of the devil to destroy us. If we kill the flesh then we have good standing in Christ and fighting the external enemy then becomes easier. If the enemy within continues to live in us, in our very weak moments when are strength is too little to manage him effectively, he would definitely rise against us. The devil is one being that never misses an opportunity to wreak havoc. I have heard people say “when you dine with the devil, use a long spoon. My question is this; why even dine with him? The devil is not stupid as some of us like to believe and that is why we are called to a life of vigilance as believers.

 

1 Peter 5: 8 – 9 “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”

Romans 8: 12 - 13 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But of through the power of the Holy Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.”

 

Now what I find interesting is this, just like aircrafts, there is a certain level one gets to in their walk with God where the devil is unable to get them and that is what is referred to as God’s secret place. It’s that place where God fully becomes one’s shepherd. Interestingly, no one is compelled or dragged there, it is a place one enters willingly and can step out of it willingly also. Entrance into this place is facilitated by a very deep relationship. The more one’s love commitment to God is, the higher one goes in the realm of the spirit, entering into the holiest of all wherein God’s manifest presence is fully revealed. Satan cannot dare to come that high into that presence. It is the very presence of a God whose eyes will not behold iniquity. At that point there may be turbulence, but not enough to bring one down but only to ensure that one’s standing in Christ is maintained and God will not allow it to be so much it destroys the person. You can go to sleep when you get there and just be on cruise control. The only person that can bring you down when you get here is you and the only way that can happen is if the enemies within rise up against and defeat you. We often underestimate the power of these little things inside us to impact on our ultimate success in life. The sad thing is, as with the plane, if these things defeat and destroy us, many other people who are watching us also get destroyed. When the enemy takes down one believer, He takes down a number of people with Him so we must learn to be one another’s keeper and we have to accept that we need help to maintain our standing in Christ. A believer is definitely a light “set on a hill” and all whose sight is facilitated by your light may remain in darkness forever if your light goes out.