The Battle of Our Will
It is difficult to watch the events happening in Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine and consider the level of brutality that people can impose on one another. That kind of behavior seems inhuman. How can some people cause such harm to others? The apostle Paul reveals the answer in his letter to the Ephesians.
The Battle
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
Yes, it is men who are acting out these acts of violence, but the influence behind these actions are demonic spirits who have one goal: to destroy humanity in their rebellion against God. Our enemy isn't other people; it is the spiritual beings that influence and coerce people into evil behavior. Does this make men who do harm innocent? No! They will all have to give an account of their actions before God, and so will all people (Romans 14:12). Therefore, we must remember who our real enemy is because we will fight the wrong battle if we don't.
One of the remarkable things that Jesus did consistently during his earthly ministry was to address these demonic spirits while healing and ministering to people. Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus casting out the spirits of those who were demon-possessed before healing their diseases.
One such act is shared in Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20, and Luke 8:26-39. I encourage you to read these passages, but here's a summary of the story. After the wind had driven their boat opposite where they had intended to go, Jesus and the disciples arrived at the country of the Gadarenes.
Immediately upon arrival, two demon-possessed men who were living among the tombs and causing a lot of turmoil came and fell before Jesus. These guys were fierce, so much so that no one in the nearby town dared go near them. Jesus, knowing they are demon-possessed, tells the demon(s) to come out.
Many spirits possessed these men, a legion, perhaps numbering in the thousands. Having been told to come out of these men, the demons plead with Jesus to allow them to go into a nearby herd of pigs. Jesus agrees, and after the demons enter them, the pigs run off a cliff into the water and drown, no doubt scaring the herders and causing them to tell everyone in the city what had occurred.
All the people of the city came out, and when they arrived, they saw these men clothed and in their right minds. When they realized that Jesus had done this, the whole town begged him to depart from their region.
The Will
Does the people's response after seeing such a miracle of deliverance with their own eyes seem weird? Why would they ask him to leave? The logical reaction would have been to ask him to come to the city and do more of the same deliverance and healing, but instead, they do the opposite.
Consider how the actions of Jesus impacted the lives of these people. These were Gentiles. Like other neighboring nations, they were serving false gods. It is naive to think that the only people from this town oppressed by demons were these two men living among the tombs when the Spirit of God was not among them.
By setting these men free from the bondage of the devil, Jesus was disrupting what was the normal life of the people of that town. And let's not overlook the fact that 2000 pigs drowned, which caused some people to lose a lot of money and perhaps their means of support. More significantly, if these people allowed Jesus to stay, it would mean they would have to change, give up their way of life and the gods they worshiped, and choose God and His will over their own.
We should not be surprised by the people's reaction and response to Jesus. Is it different from what we do sometimes? When Jesus allows us to choose him over having our own way, do we not sometimes choose our own way? We may justify our choices, whether where we spend our money or how we spend our time, but doing anything other than God's will is rejecting him, in short, telling him to leave.
The Battle of Our Will
Our allegiance comes down to choice. It's a matter of our will, which directs every decision. John Maxwell said, "Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make, makes you." This is true in every area of life, but it is easiest to see in how we spend our money.
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus makes it clear that you cannot serve both God and mammon, which was the Syrian God of riches, a false god. You will ultimately bend your knees to one master or another. You will favor and love one while hating and rejecting the other. You cannot serve them both.
Money may be material in nature, but its use is influenced by the spiritual, whether it be the Spirit of God or the principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness of this age. The decisions we make with money, how much we spend, save, and give, clearly indicate who and what we value most. This is a spiritual battle, and you and I are in the thick of this fight with every decision we make. It is the choice to pursue our will or submit to and do God’s will.
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