Life is a Battlefield

. . . be strong in the Lord, and in His mighty power . . . For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. - Ephesians 6:10, 12


Incident #1: Yesterday morning we had our second mom's group meeting of the school year. My friend Susan shared a much-needed challenge on the topic of "honoring our husbands"; what godly submission is and isn't. We had a really good, although not nearly long enough, small group discussion following her challenge, and afterward my small group leader encouraged a couple of us not to forget that we do battle daily - spiritual battle.

Incident #2: While doing my "homework" this weekend for a mid-week Bible study I'm privileged to be a part of, I read a few small paragraphs that have had my brain working overtime all week (it doesn't take much!).

We've been going through Jesus, the One and Only by Beth Moore. Her main point in this lesson, taken from Luke 4 where Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law, was that threatening situations in our homes (unresolved conflict, unfaithfulness, compromising media communication, pornography, etc.) directly influence Christ's heightened activity in our lives. She then asked us the question: "Do you have a sense of Christ's activity in your home? If so, what set of circumstances led to the invitation for Him to come?"

I thought long and hard about this. Several different "threatening circumstances" over the past 3 years came to mind, and I recalled, with gratitude, that these times did in fact cause my relationship with Christ to deepen. I did sense His activity in our home - in Danny's life and mine. The fact is, God does use hard times to drive us to our knees, to lovingly remind us of our need for His grace.

But here's the thing. When I thought back over the past 10 years to recall the time I felt THE closest to my Savior, the time I've felt His activity in my home more than any other, I made the startling realization that the answer is: right now! What?!

That doesn't make any sense. We've gone through plenty of tough stuff in the past, but at the present moment we're not in crisis mode. I have no doubt that in the future we will experience threatening times which will cause us to cling even more closely to Christ. But for now, life is just sort of . . . moving along. So why would I feel closer to Christ now?

And then it hit me: For the past three weeks, by an absolute miracle of God's grace, I've been rising about an hour earlier than usual in order to make the time to meet with God each morning before the demands of the day sap my time and energy. And it has made all the difference! By finally - for the first time in years - throwing my excuses to the curb, and consistently spending time in God's Word and earnest prayer, I feel closer to my God that I ever have. I sense His activity in our home because I am looking for it.

And that brings me back to the battle. It's easy to recognize the "big" battles - the threatening circumstances or the major conflicts in our homes. But I firmly believe that the most important battles are fought on a daily, hourly, even minute-ly basis - when we don't even realize we're fighting a battle. The few seconds in which I decide to bite my tongue or unleash a string of poisonous words. The moment when I'm torn between ignoring something I just witnessed one of my children do, or taking the time to deal with it. The split second when I have to decide between hitting the snooze button and dragging myself out of bed to spend time with God. The times when I have to make a conscious decision to drown in self-pity or to live in thankfulness. The many, many moments when I waver between honoring my husband and demeaning him. These "harmless" little moments carry immense spiritual significance. Because in these moments, a battle is being fought.

I feel like most days I experience a lot more defeat in these areas than victory. But I'm clinging to the hope that consistently sitting at the feet of my Savior and leaning on HIS grace, I'll be able to look back and see baby steps of progress. But I Corinthians 10 warns, "So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" As long as we draw breath, the battle rages on.

The Psalms are filled with references to the dailyness of a good relationship with God. Even on a human level, is there any such thing as a good friendship where one party only seeks the other out in times of crisis? Difficult times can help to draw two people closer, but there has to be consistent communication between those times, in order for the friendship to flourish. A significant part of the battle is fought in quiet time with God. "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength." (Isaiah 30:15)

So . . . what set of circumstances led me to invite Christ into my home? He's been present in my home ever since I gave my life to Him. And the extent to which I sense His presence? "But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29)

And it's only by His amazing Grace that we are even able to look for Him! I'm grateful for Bible studies that force me to dig and think. And I'm grateful that the God of the universe makes Himself accessible to people as undeserving as us. Oh God, give us strength to fight the good fight!