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Know your enemy

by Adam Bennett  
10/21/2008 / Christian Living

Paul diagnoses our condition outside of Christ bluntly. He wrote to the Ephesians, "you were dead in your transgressions and sins." (Ephesians 2:1 NIV)

We were dead because we rebelled against God (paraptoma translated as transgressions) and because we failed to live up to God's standards (hamartia translated as sins). In effect, we are to blame both for the things we have done against God and the things we have failed to do that were required by him.

As people who were dead, even while we were alive, Paul says we followed three influences which led us away from God and life.

Firstly, we followed the ways of this world (2:2 NIV). It is no surprise the values of the world are different to the values of the Church. If we follow what our society values we will inevitably be led away from God.

Second, we followed the ruler of the kingdom of the air (2:2 NIV). We need to be reminded there is a real spiritual force who opposes God and his people.

In his preface to the Screwtape Letters, CS Lewis wrote, "There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them."

Third, we gratified the cravings of our sinful nature and followed its desires and thoughts (2:3 NIV). It is only a delusional person who would deny the truth of this. Even the Apostle Paul said about himself.

"I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time." (Romans 7:17-20 The Message)

Finally, before we eagerly pass the blame for our condition onto these three influences in an attempt to excuse ourselves, we should note that we followed the world and Satan and we gratified the flesh.

We were not (are not?) passive victims of these influences but active partners with them.

Copyright Adam Bennett 2009. More articles are available at http://godward-thoughts.blogspot.com/

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