Being Spiritually Minded - Part 4

Faith And Fear

Psalm 110:1 “The Lord says to my Lord; ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’.”

Many dreams and aspirations are abandoned at the threat of war. The very thought of confrontation makes many of us feel queasy. The two most common fear responses to any of the enemy’s threats are:

1. Ignore the enemy and hope that he goes away. Ignoring is not the same as resisting – “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” [James 4:7]. Resistance is a legitimate for of strategy in war. It is not surrendering any territory. Ignoring, on the other hand, is simply ignorance!

2. Negotiate and compromise with the enemy. The fear of loosing causes many of us to negotiate our position of strength away. Success is an ongoing journey. And therefore, we cannot afford to sit on our laurels.

Devil aside, many of us are sleeping with the enemy. We have grown accustomed to, and tolerant of, the enemies that contort us regularly. Here’s a list of enemies, presented in 3 different groups:

1. Enemies of our health – mental, emotional, spiritual and physical. Unbelief – Anger – Low Self-esteem – Negativity – Bad Habits – Unhappiness.

2. Enemies of our relationships – with God, family, friends and church. Boredom – Envy / Jealousy – Pride / Selfishness – Infidelity / Sexual immorality – Lack of integrity – Lack of character.

3. Enemies of our prosperity. Laziness – Recklessness – Carelessness – Lack of planning – Unteachable attitude – Bondage to debt – Failure to honour God with tithes and offerings.

Chris Demetriou, 18/09/2005