The Fight Within Us / #HFW (Jul.19-23)
26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
1 Corinthians 9:26-27
2 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12
Last week we went over fighting the good fight, but look at the following verse: “I hit myself, and make my body my slave so that after I preach to others, I won’t be disqualified.”
Crazy. However, instead of telling people in your group to punch themselves, let’s think about what Paul is describing. He’s saying I’d rather be IN CONTROL of myself, because even though I’m the one preaching, I don’t want it getting to my head.
Paul is describing having an intense and honest moment of self-reflection. He’s challenging us to ask ourselves:
Am I really in control of myself? Or am I preaching as if I am?
We have to be cautious, this applies even to the new person in your group. How? They’re not even fully christian. Maybe not, but even non-believers have to ask themselves, am I really the person that I say I am? Or am I pretending to be?
There is a fight within us, and it requires us to be serious about what we do and how we live. Even if everything seems okay, we know God’s word, and it tells us that:
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Meaning there is a lot more to this than what we see. How do we keep these things in mind? Few things:
God is for us and He’s with us.
We have to be realistic about self-control. We’re not aiming for perfection, we’re aiming for accountable. If you’re not good at controlling ourselves, find help with a trusted leader/friend.
Defend yourself, we can rebuke and bind things we can’t see using the authority of Jesus Christ.