Make War!

Here is the only kind of violence specifically condoned by the Scriptures.

Failures in our Flesh

My friend, Steve Smith, is teaching a study on Wednesday nights right now. I can’t remember the title of it, but it has to do with taking a look at our temperaments and character and using them in cooperation with our spiritual gifts. This past Wednesday was the first night. I rather enjoyed the opener and I look forward to the rest of it.

One verse was given, at the beginning of the study which has bugged me all week long. It’s a familiar verse, so I’m sure you’ve heard it:

“For I have the desire to do what is right, but no the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Romans 7:18-19

Here’s what’s bothering me. I think we have, in some respects, looked to these verses for comfort, when really they aren’t intended for comfort. Paul deals with the downward pull of the flesh in chapter seven of Romans, so these verses go right along with his theme. And many times I have referred to them when I have failed and taken solace in the fact that even Paul confessed to struggling with failure. And herein is where I have failed to understand.

You see, verse 18 above has been shortened. I shortened it on purpose because when we quote this verse to each other we tend to quote it the way I have shown it above. The first part of verse 18 goes like this:

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.”

In my mind, as I’ve thought over this since Wednesday, this phrase removes all comfort from these verses. Where I once took solace, I now find a stinging reminder that when I do fail it is because I have relied upon my flesh. So rather than serving as an encouragement that my struggle is not uncommon, it now is a conviction to my Spirit that I have relied upon my own strength and forsook the strength which the Holy Spirit stands ready to give me.

It is not my intention to ruin these verses for anyone. They still serve as a reminder that the apostles were indeed human just like us and had their own battles with sin. But I do not believe that it was their intention when they penned these words to soothe the consciences of their readers. Rather Paul’s intention was to warn his readers that failure and sin await their opportunity to have us. Indeed, Paul says almost this very thing a few verses later in chapter seven, verse 21:

“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.”

I hope that you will, as I will, seek to be mindful and discerning when we are going about our walks with Christ and recognize not only the good opportunities which lie before us, but also the evil which wants to have us at its first chance. We must discern the devil’s wicked schemes – that they are often running close by, just under the radar, waiting for our guard to drop.