Shadow Boxing

I remember when I first became a Christian, I had the usual insatiable appetite of a new believer. Not knowing where to turn for direction, although I had a church at the time, I listened to Christian radio and television. And just like a baby does in real life, I was putting everything in my mouth, so to speak. Of course, just like with babies, we realize that this is done just as much to explore the environment than it is to satisfy real hunger. But, in my case, as a new Christian, I made the assumption that if it had the "Christian" label it was truth. Looking back over 10 years now, I realize how much error I had subjected myself to. For example, I remember listening to one, popular televangelist, preach about demons and evil spirits as though fighting them is all a Christian is called to do. Thankfully, as I grew in my faith, and gained more discernment, I began to realize just how silly this idea happened to be. Now, don't get me wrong, demons are, indeed, a real problem. One need not look any further than the Gospels and the book of Acts to see Jesus and the disciples "exorcising" demons, quite frequently. However, these acts, recorded for us in scripture, were more to detail what went on during the establishment of Christ as the Messiah and what happened during the formation of the Church. Yet, somehow, Christians get focused on acts more so than on the message.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." Ephesians 6:10-15

When I look at this passage I can see how one could fit almost any and all examples, physical and spiritual, into it to explain the "battles" they encounter in life. There are those individuals who take passages like this as evidence that we are fighting demons and evil spirits at every turn. Case in point is an individual I know who, in dealing with personal problems in their life, believed these problems to be a byproduct of the devil attacking them. Their response to the crisis in their life was to do the following: "I was telling him (devil) As I stormed thru my house saturating everything I could touch around me with oil I dueled it out with the spiritual enemy yelling and screaming in the air fists up swinging as if the enemy was right in front of me and my neighbors must of thought Id lost my mind (sic)." Why is it so many Christians seem more concerned with battling the devil, and his minions, than focusing on Christ? I mean are the weapons we fight with shadow boxing and oils? I don't mean to make light of this ladies troubles, but she is more concerned about what the neighbors think of her odd behavior than whether or not anything she is doing is scriptural. When Jesus was led to the wilderness to be tempted, He used the Word of God as His defense, not boxing gloves and oil. Personally, this behavior is the result of leaning on one's own understanding about things rather than truth. I hope whatever is troubling her subsides, but part of me hopes that her circumstances reveal to her the uselessness of relying on her props and actions for spiritual support instead of Jesus Christ.

"I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one." 1 John 2:12-14

A Christian has overcome the evil one (devil) because they are in Christ. A Christian has been born again of the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That means that God, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, literally lives within each child of God. The devil may try to influence us, but he cannot possess us. We are not his. The troubles in our lives should not surprise us. In fact, Jesus told us that in this life we would have trouble, but not to fear because He has overcome the world. The troubles we face are the result of sin being in the world, not necessarily the work of the devil. Many of our problems are the direct result of our own choices, actions and inaction's. And most of them can be resolved through our own choices, actions and inaction's. But, it all starts with understanding the Word of God and how it applies in our life. First and foremost is knowing His truth so that we can engage the world properly when trouble arises. We are not engaged in a physical battle with the devil. He attacks our mind through error and deception. This is always counter-acted through the truth of God's Word. Our faith is in Him to lead and guide us from within. When we are looking for the devil under every rock in every corner of our home, the devil has already scored a victory. If he has us believing that our defense to a spiritual attack is a physical response, then we are not focused on Jesus Christ. And that is exactly what the devil wants. Is your faith in what Jesus has done for you or in what you are doing?