There are so many of us who have never tasted victory in Christ, still slaves to carnal and sinful things, this despite having done everything in our understanding to remain pure in such an impure world. We want to do good, we try very hard, but we fail and we are left wondering...why? how much longer shall I suffer this dichotomy in my nature.
One way I understand this is as follows
Our spiritual battle is like a boxing match. In one corner is the devil, strong and experienced and in the other corner a human, with no understanding of the severity of the beating he's going to get. Satan's going to come at us with everything he's got...he will uppercut you in your peace, punch you in your wisdom, strike you in your discipline and you'll be left dizzy hoping for the bell that will never ring. Not knowing what to do we begin to become exceedingly sorrowful and ignorant. The only way we can walk out of this match in still one piece is...
...if we don't get in the ring at all....
This is what our Christian lives ought to teach us through the scriptures....that the battles especially the spiritual ones shouldn't be fought without God. What god is offering to do instead is that he is going to get in the ring for you.
How does this translate into our daily lives?
Staying out of the rings means that we do not enter the devils strongholds, any place where the devil might be able to give us a beating. It is an active, continual exercise of knowing where you are constantly.
For example...if lust is your weakness, then do not watch shows with slander or nudity, do not stay long behind closed doors and actively walk away from people and things that even cause you to think lewd thoughts. DO NOT ENTER OR REMAIN IN SUCH ENVIRONMENTS...as soon as you enter you are already under attack, its just that we are so insensitive to spiritual warfare that we do not feel it until the war has begun to claim victims. This way you stay away from the ring. Satan just want you within arms reach to deliver his death punch
1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT
[8] Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. [9] Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
The bad news is that Satan can use everything around you against you. Oh don't you dare write of your enemy. But sometimes we fear our enemy, he is powerful, but not all powerful, he is knowing, but not all knowing...so here's the good news, God who is all powerful has given you power over the evil one. He has given you the power to resist. Rejoice in the God of your salvation who is more than capable of saving you from your enemy.
Again how does this translate to our daily lives?
Pray, remain in the faith, meditate on his word, persevere in struggles and don't get up till you get an answer from him....seek to enjoy spiritual nourishment and wisdom, seek to spend more and more time growing in the knowledge of heavenly secret things. And then a time will come in your life, where you are at peace with yourself and you are able to hold fast to The Lord when the devil tempts you to forget the lords goodness towards you, you can boldly stand and say..
"The battle belongs to The Lord"
Amen!