“Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won’t let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us.”
The greatest battle that we all have to face is defeating the person we see in the mirror every morning. No matter what we say to the mirror, it does not change what we see. Have you ever asked yourself, ‘Why did I do that?’ If we say no to that question, then we are deceiving ourselves by lying and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). Forget about trusting other people, the truth is that we can’t even trust ourselves, “More than anything else [Above all things, a person’s mind is evil [the heart is deceitful; the heart is devious/crooked] and cannot be healed [desperately wicked; it is perverse/sick]. Who can understand [know] it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 EXB). Our minds are polluted, and our hearts are desperately wicked, and we need the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit.
We all have an incredible struggle every day with our own selves. We carry loads that we should not have and we keep doing things that we know we should not do. The reason why we suffer with failures and problems in our lives is not because of other people, ‘for we wrestle not with flesh and blood’. Although, the Lord does tell us in Ephesians 6:12, that we are at war with demonic forces, rulers, authorities and the invisible powers of this world’s darkness and the spiritual powers of evil in heavenly places, our greatest problem is still the visible man or woman we see looking back at us in the mirror. It is the decaying human body that encases our soul and spirit that keeps us in constant conflict with the person we see in the mirror every morning. The Holy Bible describes that person we see in the mirror as filthy; “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness’s are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6 KJV).
King David agrees with the Prophet Isaiah; “Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psalm 53:3 KJV). There is nothing good about us. Jesus Christ told the rich young ruler that there is only One that is good, “…there is none good but one, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17 KJV). No amount of make-up, cosmetics or plastic surgery can change our condition. The latest fashions or the most exquisite luxuries cannot change who we really are. There is absolutely nothing that the world offers that can absolve the state of our sad condition. We are contemptible, miserable, pitiful, despicable, sorry, and worthless.
As a matter of fact, Apostle Paul did not even spend a whole lot of words getting right to the point. Apostle Paul just came right out and declared that we are just downright wretched; “O wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:24 KJV). Both the church and science agree that we have a problem. Spiritually, the source of our problem is disobedience. It’s spiritually manifested when we disobey Psalm 101:3 and don’t control our eyes; “Every time they look at a woman, they want her” (2 Peter 2:14 ERV). Disobedience is manifested in us when we take part in idle talk and rumors. For many of us, the enjoyment of talking about the personal or private affairs of others is irresistible; “There’s nothing so delicious as the taste of gossip! It melts in your mouth” (Proverbs 18:8 CEV).
Disobedience is in our deoxyribonucleic acid. Many folks may not be familiar with that word, but they are probably very familiar with its acronym, DNA. DNA is a self-replicating molecule which is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. As a simple metaphor, we could probably say that our sin tries to replicate itself. As an example, if you spend enough time around angry and bitter people, you will probably become just like them or at least pick up their tendencies; “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul” (Proverbs 22:24-25 KJV). Hence, the old saying, ‘birds of feather flock together’.
The Lord says we can counsel, advise or caution the disobedient but we should at the same time keep our distance from them, “Be on your guard against any followers who refuse to obey what we have written in this letter. Put them to shame by not having anything to do with them. Don’t consider them your enemies, but speak kindly to them as you would to any other follower” (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 CEV).
DNA is the carrier of our genetic information and holds the fundamental characteristics of our physical bodies. DNA is composed of two chains that coil around each other to form a double helix carrying the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning, and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses. The bottom line is that God with His infinite wisdom created DNA but our disobedience has polluted what God created. The reason why Jesus wouldn’t commit himself to people is because Jesus knew our DNA; “But Jesus didn’t trust himself to them because he knew all people. He didn’t need anyone to tell him about human nature, for he knew what human nature was” (John 2:24-25 CEB).
Physically, the problem manifests itself when we eat three ice cream cones instead of just one. The problem is exacerbated when we walk into the delicatessen for a newspaper and end up coming out with a pocket full of candy and four cans of soda. We have totally sold out to our wretched desires when we go to the corner store and return home with a box of cigarettes in one hand, a lottery ticket in another and a girly magazine in our back pockets. Scientists call this the ‘Dopamine Effect’. The street slang that most of us are used to hearing is ‘dope’. Kids today use the word ‘dope’ to say that something is cool.
Dopamine is an organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families that play several important roles in the brain and body. The clinical description for dopamine is that it functions as a neurotransmitter—chemical released by neurons (nerve cells) to send signals to other nerve cells. Each part of our brain controls a part of our body. Dopamine controls the movements a person makes, as well as their emotional responses. The neurotransmitters associated with dopamine also play a major role in reward-motivated behavior. The satisfaction we experience from rewards increase the level of dopamine. The right balance of dopamine is vital for both physical and mental well-being. Vital brain functions that affect mood, sleep, memory, learning, concentration, and motor control are influenced by the levels of dopamine in our bodies.
Constant behaviors like drug abuse, over-eating, and the oversaturation with other ‘rewards’ that we crave can alter the thresholds required for dopamine cell activation and signaling. Dopamine deficiency can be due to a drop in the amount of dopamine made by the body or a problem with the receptors in the brain. Damage caused by health problems and addictions can negatively affect our Dopamine thresholds and make it difficult for us to experience the positive effects that were intended from dopamine. Our abusive behaviors can decrease the dopamine receptors and dopamine release.
A combination of these physiological problems alongside the spiritual challenge we face every day gives us no chance of winning the battle without God’s power. Even if we succeed in improving our physical health we still loose the war if we don’t function under God’s power and authority; “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8 KJV).
Satan knew about our physiological vulnerabilities when he first approached Eve in the Garden of Eden. Even before the man and woman actually ate the fruit that God told them not to eat, they had a problem already germinating in them; “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise…” (Genesis 3:6 KJV). The man had the same problem because he stood right there and never said a word while the crime was taking place; “…her husband with her” (Genesis 3:6 KJV). Apostle Paul says that men and women were in trouble when God gave Adam the command to not do something. Since our DNA has no power in and of itself to obey God’s commands we were destined to fall; “…the law was the only way I could learn what sin means. I would never have known it is wrong to want something that is not mine. But the law said, “You must not want what belongs to someone else.” And sin found a way to use that command and make me want all kinds of things that were not mine. So, sin came to me because of the command. But without the law, sin has no power. Before I knew the law, I was alive. But when I heard the law’s command, sin began to live, and I died spiritually. The command was meant to bring life, but for me it brought death. Sin found a way to fool me by using the command to make me die” (Romans 7:7-10 ERV). Apostle John describes our internal conflict as a spiritual war; “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16 KJV).
God warns us about this problem and lets us know that we have the capacity to make a choice. We can choose to either obey or disobey (Genesis 4:7 KJV). The directive from the Lord is clear, “…put everything evil out of your life…” (Colossians 3:5 ERV). As we look in the mirror, we should remember that we have at least three challenges in this great personal battle. The first challenge is to recognize that we are spiritually dead without Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:1). We must accept the call to salvation as soon as we hear it and that means, not tomorrow but today; “So, as the Holy Spirit says, Today, if you hear his voice don’t have stubborn hearts... Instead, encourage each other every day, as long as it’s called “today,” so that none of you become insensitive to God because of sin’s deception” (Hebrews 3:7, 12-13 CEB).
The rich fool discovered too late that tomorrow is not promised to anyone; “But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight, you will die. So, what about the things you prepared for yourself? Who will get those things now?” (Luke 12:20 ERV). The irony about the fools in the Holy Bible is that many of them were rich and foolish. The Lord warns us that it is impossible to serve God and money (Luke 16:13). Whereas trying to find their next meal can be the greatest battle for the poor, money is the greatest battle for the rich. The poor do not usually have many choices but the obvious challenge for the rich is to make a choice between what money can do for them and the eternal riches of Jesus Christ. Sometimes the manifestation of these challenges is played out right next to each other; “There was once a rich man who wore expensive clothes, and every day ate the best food. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores” (Luke 16:19-21 KJV).
When it comes to money God challenges us to make a choice; “Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, then go and sell all that you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me!” (Matthew 19:21 ERV). Unfortunately, some will discover the truth too late, “…remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented” (Luke 16:25 KJV). Many people will lose this spiritual challenge because they love this world too much, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15 KJV).
The second challenge that we have in our personal battle is changing the way we think (Romans 12:2 KJV). The reason why we lose the greatest battle of our lives is because we make bad decisions. Sinners are not even in the battle because they are already captives of sin but some of the saints are in losing battles because we’ve given our lives to Jesus without changing the way we think; “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23 KJV). The third challenge for us is to treat our bodies like God’s Spirit lives in us; “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26-27 KJV).
The answer to living through our struggles and winning the greatest battle that we will ever face is to first recognize that we have life because God lives in us; “And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live” (Ezekiel 37:14 KJV). God’s wrath and vengeance is for the wicked and disobedient (Job 21:30 KJV) but His chastisement is for His children. God corrects us but He does not punish us like we could be punished because He loves us; “We sinned against him, but he didn’t give us the punishment we deserved” (Psalm 103:10 ERV).
Although God’s grace covers His children and even more so in disobedience, this does not mean we should go out and try to disobey (Romans 6:1-2 ERV). If we continue living in sin then that might be a revelation that we are really are not God’s children (1 John 2:19 KJV). We run the risk of experiencing more severe chastisement if we do not change our disobedient behaviors; “And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins” (Leviticus 26:18 KJV).
The Lord warned the man who he healed from 38 years of illness near the pool of Bethesda. The man had enough common sense to go to church after Jesus healed him but the warning that the Lord gave him occurred in church; “Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14 KJV). After being delivered from sickness, illness, addictions, bitterness, anger, hatred, illicit behaviors, abuse, violence, etc., we should never want to go back to where we were. God gives us a warning to help motivate us to live right. He also put in failsafe mechanisms that ensure we do not go back without consequence (2 Peter 2:20 KJV). Obedience has its benefits (1 Peter 2:15 TLB). Disobedience has consequences but returning back to disobedience after receiving the truth can make a difficult life even more difficult. If we keep going back to the things that God has delivered us from then there are no more sacrifices that will take away our sins. Jesus Christ only died on the cross once and if we continue sinning, all that is left for us are the consequences of sin; “If we decide to continue sinning after we have learned the truth, then there is no other sacrifice that will take away sins” (Hebrews 10:26 ERV).
In truth, the war is over, but we won’t experience the victory if we keep losing the personal battles in our lives by going back to what God delivered us from. As was said before, we should not trust ourselves. The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful. Our mind is a puzzle that no man or woman can figure out. God says that He is the only One that can honestly examine our minds. The Lord gets to the heart of the human. God gets to the root of things and treats us as we really are and not as we pretend to be; “Nothing can hide its evil as well as the human mind. It can be very sick, and no one really understands it. But I am the Lord, and I can look into a person’s heart. I can test a person’s mind and decide what each one should have. I can give each person the right payment for what they do” (Jeremiah 17:9-10 ERV).
Yes, we are wretched, and the invisible forces of darkness are powerful but our Father in Heaven, is good and all-powerful. God says that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ pleased Him by defeating the rulers and powers of the spiritual world when he sacrificed his own life on the cross. As a result of the Lord’s sacrifice, the children of God can walk in victory because His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ won the victory over the Adversary and led the enemy away in defeat. Jesus made our worst nightmares powerless prisoners for all the whole world to see (Colossians 2:9-15).
We can win the greatest battle that we will ever face in our lives because Jesus Christ has already claimed the victory for us. The next time we look in the mirror let us declare with confidence that we have the victory over sin and Satan because Jesus Christ lives in the heart of that person we see in the mirror!
Submitted By Trustee Stanley Ridley