Mark 6:18-20 – For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
THEME OF THE DAY. THE REALITY OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. It might seem a bit odd to have an unsaved king be an example of living out the Christian life. I have not discovered a book titled, “The Christian Life” written by King Herod. Yet, in today’s scripture, we find this wicked ruler illustrating the reality of the Christian life. He does so, not by his personal experience of walking with Christ for he lacked faith in Him. He does so by showing us what occurs in the inner life of a Christian – conflict. Herod, though unsaved, felt an inner battle between being greatly perplexed and knowing gladness. He was fighting what all unbelievers experience; fallen human emotions of sadness and gladness. And Christians are not immune to this conflict, but we experience other conflicts too.
Daily we are confronted with spiritual battles in our hearts between righteousness and unrighteousness; spiritual desires and spiritual opposition; spiritual joy and spiritual anguish; victory over sin and defeat by sin. There is simply not a day goes by in the Christian life we are not experiencing intense inner conflict. Should our Christian experiences lack struggle, we need to find out why. The Christian life is a daily struggle and that until the day we go to heaven. But that doesn’t mean a lack of joy or power. God in His wisdom has ordained the life of His child will contain BOTH spiritual rest and spiritual conflict. Someday the latter will be gone. That someday is not today.
So, with this reality of conflict defining the Christian life, how do we handle it? What are a couple of things we may do to help us consistently win over these inward conflicts we fight each day? Let’s consider two from the Apostle Peter.
First, don’t be surprised as the conflicts rage. Don’t be shocked over that sudden impure thought that just shows up in our minds that we were not entertaining. Don’t be caught off guard when the temptation to sin is so strong and the pleasure of sin so tantalizing. The Apostle Peter said, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). The first step to winning spiritual conflicts is awareness and watchfulness they are coming. It is not “if” but “when” in the daily battles of the Christian life.
Next, the Apostle Peter gives us a spiritual weapon which we may not think much about during intense spiritual conflict – worship. Right after the “don’t be surprised” verse, he writes “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13). When immediately confronted with temptation, sin, or a difficult situation, send our hearts to heaven in prayerful praise and thanksgiving to God for what we are experiencing. Even when it hurts. Such an act of faith takes our eyes off the pleasures of sin; our desire for immediate deliverance, and places our hearts on God. And what has He promised? It is found in the book of Isaiah – “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). Worship is a powerful weapon in the Christian’s arsenal in daily spiritual warfare with its ability to kill sin and put a heart at ease by drawing our attention heavenward.
The reality of the Christian life is conflict but it is conflict of short duration. Eternity is coming fast and so is the end of the conflict within our souls. Praise the Lord for that sure day when the conflict is no more.
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You that someday, the war will be over, and I will be finally home.”
QUOTE: “If the Christian life is not a daily struggle, find out why. The Christian life is a daily struggle.”