"Different": Breaking The Cycle

Intro: Last week we talked about forgiveness and using our words to build each other up. As I briefly touched on last week, a book I've been reading recently is "Warfare: Winning the Spiritual Battle" by Dr. Tony Evans. It's a great book. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it. Dr. Evans writes in a style that is simple, straightforward, and very easy to read and understand. All in all, I finished reading the book in under a week.

In the book, Dr. Evans outlines the spiritual battle being waged behind the scenes and teaches us how to instead fight from a position of victory, since God has already won the war through Jesus' death. That revelation is life altering. If the battle is already won, then why are we so quick to give up when we face adversity? That's the theme for this week: Changing our approach to challenges we face in our daily lives to break the cycle of sin and despair. This week, I'm going to talk about some of my biggest takeaways from the book and its applications to my own life.

A Deeper Look: Though we look at Christianity as inherently spiritual, the point where the physical meets the spiritual is actually a lot closer than you'd think. Although I read about the angels and demons in the Bible, I never really knew what their standing in today's world was. Well today, the "spiritual" are very much still at work and battling behind the scenes. Angels and demons are actually physically there around us. We just can't see them. According to Dr. Evans, everything that happens in your life is the result of a battle between the spiritual forces of good and evil. The purpose of this book is to inform Christians about the existence of this spiritual conflict. Dr. Evans says that even many Christians aren't aware of the spiritual battle or don't place as much emphasis on it as they should.

In this book, Dr. Evans likens the struggle we face in our daily lives to a war. We're standing on one side, along with God and his angels. On the opposing side is Satan and his demons. The devil is full of hatred and evil, eager to devour us. He can't have us though, unless we let him. Satan wants us to doubt God. The devil's primary strategy of attack is deception, and his primary agent of attack is things of this world. According to Dr. Evans, Satan is also known as the god of this world. If he can get to our heads with our own earthly success and make us feel like we don't need God, he has already won. Paul says that when Satan attacks us, he builds "strongholds" in our minds. These strongholds block God's influence and blessings over our lives. Too often, we doubt and question God. When we do this, we give Satan a place in our minds. We must expel those thoughts, thus expelling him.

A "Different" Way

This week's Song of the Week is "Different" by Micah Tyler. Hearing this song, I realized that it fits perfectly with "Warfare's" most important lessons.

The main lesson from "Warfare" is learning how to fight our battles differently. When we doubt God, we've already given the devil an "in" to our minds. That's a losing battle. In reality, the battle isn't really a battle. It's already been won. When Jesus died on the cross, He took on our sins and won the war. So fight the battle from a position of victory, because the end is already written.

In "Different," the struggle to break the cycle of sin and what's "normal" is highlighted:

"And I don't wanna spend my life, stuck in a pattern. And I don't wanna gain this world, but lose what matters."

This really goes along with Dr. Evans message. Do you ever feel like you're stuck in a pattern? I know I do, all the time. We all have consciences, so we know when we're do something we're not supposed to. We know what we should be doing and we know we have to change. But every time we tell ourselves we're going to change or do something different, it doesn't last. Why? Because we are only human and because it is in our nature. That doesn't mean there's nothing we can do about that, and that's definitely not an excuse. It just means that we can't look to worldly entities when what we're actually looking for is spiritual change.

Dr. Evans says that our misunderstanding of the battle is responsible for this. If we keep doing things the way we always have, we will never change. When we go through adversity in life, we look to the world for our support. This can never work because the battle we're fighting isn't of this world. Since we're humans, we are only flesh. Satan and the powers of evil are spiritual entities. They are not of this world. Because our opponent is not flesh, the battle is not a fleshly one but a spiritual one. Humans alone can't hope to go up against an opponent like Satan and win, at least not on our own. Dr. Evans says that, "only God can beat Satan (spiritual vs. spiritual)." Here's a quote that sums that sentiment up perfectly:

"We can't use secular or fleshly weapons to fight spiritual battles."

Sure, you can do things different for awhile. But if we keep looking to the secular world to help a spiritual need, the "solution" will always be temporary. Merely saying we'll change will never work. Our sinful human nature will never let it be sustainable. The only way to break the cycle is by seeking God out and fully submitting to his will. Only then can lasting change truly occur.

What Can We Do?

I'm not going to lie, I don't even know what to do exactly. We are sinful creatures by nature, and we were cursed to be that way the moment Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Temptation is rampant. In every moment, I feel like there is a test. That test lies in our decisions and how we handle situations. On one side is the common response, the decision the world tells you is okay. On the other side is the "high road," the tough decision based on God's will. Turning the other cheek is never easy, but that's the response we are told to take by God's word.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm nothing. I feel the weight of sin on my shoulders and get overwhelmed. In those times, I feel like every sermon I hear is speaking directly to me. In those times, it's hard not to lament over the depravity of the human heart. The devil is saying, "Ryan, just do it. You know you want to." On the other hand, God is saying, "You know you shouldn't be do that, and here's why." The why is found by referring to God's word.

When Jesus was at the end of his 40 days in the desert and being tempted by Satan, he responded to Satan's every urge by quoting scripture. His word is law and a weapon at our disposal. In scripture, the Bible is likened to a sword. When Jesus told Satan off using scripture, he had to leave his presence. Satan could not stand to be around God's presence any longer. This is a blueprint for our success. The Bible is a spiritual weapon and unlike the things of this world, this weapon has the power to defeat evil. Even though it seems black and white, it's not. It isn't always easy to make the right decision. It's very hard. This world is full of temptation, and Satan is looking for any chance he can get to take you. I like to think that even though temptation is around every corner, there is also the opportunity to do the right thing. Dr. Evans had this to say about that:

"Friend, you are not responsible for every thought that flashes into your mind. Satan can plant thoughts in our minds. But you are responsible for what you do once they are there."

If you have a free minute, head over to the Life Soundtrack page and listen to "Different." Temptation is a part of life. Our job is to learn how to recognize those thoughts and dispel them. Consider those thoughts along with what it says in God's word. If it's against God's written word, then that thought has no place in your mind. Dismiss it. Destroy Satan's strongholds in your mind and your actions will change too. At this point, it should be clear that we can't change ourselves. If we want to experience the kind of beautiful change alluded to in the song, we can't look to this world for the solution. The things of this world will fail you. They have expiration dates. Although they will inevitably fail you, the God above will never let you down. So put your faith in him and fight the battle with his weapons, and not our own.

In closing, here's this Bible verse from Paul in the book of Romans:

2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Romans 12:2 New International Version (NIV)

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