Another one of the lessons from December’s dark time was the battle of the Christian life.
The Christian life is a tooth and nail battle with peril and danger accompanying every movement and decision. It is unlike any other battle or conflict that has been fought. Our enemy intimately knows us while many times we only vaguely understand the enemy who is deeply entrenched in our territory. What makes the enemy so dangerous is that our enemy is our own heart, with its deception, stubborn pride, arrogance and continual belief in its own abilities to do good.
Our heart wages war for the control of our lives against the Spirit who wants total control to produce His fruit and accomplish God’s will in our lives. The heart with its unending and relentless campaign against God’s Spirit tries, and many times succeeds, to make us think that we can accomplish some good or be of some benefit to the kingdom of God. It is this lie that leads us to believe in our abilities and leave the power of the Spirit, not with blatant abandonment but with ignorant deception. The battle is to remain in complete dependence on the Spirit to do the work while continually battling the prideful lie of the heart that we in ourselves are useful.
Lord, help us to yield to Your Spirit and die to the lie of our usefulness.