Battles and Workouts

Growth, whether physical or spiritual, does not always come easily. The apostle Paul describes his struggle in Romans 7. This greatly admired spiritual hero faced some difficult internal battles. He wanted to do the right thing. He wanted to please God. At times, however, his flesh reared up in fierce opposition to the good that he sought.

Like Paul and many other Christians, I often find myself in difficult battles. My overall mindset for life is to want to do the right thing. Often I am even conscious of wanting to do the right thing in the particular situation of the moment. Sadly, mingled with those desires are rebellious and conflicting thoughts and emotions. Discouragement clouds my ability to evaluate clearly. Negative thoughts lead me to project a dismal outlook for the spiritual battle. It is easy to feel so defeated that future victory does not even seem possible. Spiritual progress seems doomed to remain mired in a mucky swamp.

I wish I could say that I consistently seek to leave that swamp in a timely fashion. By God's grace, I trust that I am learning to extricate myself from it more quickly and more effectively. I thank God for the many times He has led me back to solid ground and has renewed me spiritually. Rather than focusing on the prolonged stays in the muck, I want to focus on the path out.

The journeys toward victory are centered around time with God. Often they fill an evening, a Sunday afternoon, or hours in the night. The journeys start in the muck, as I express my complaint. I talk to God about what is bothering me. I try to take the nebulous and confused feelings and put them into words. In essence, I am identifying the enemy. While ultimately sin and Satan are the foe, the particular attack varies in its character.

Once I know the enemy, the error, I must think on the right truth to combat it. God's Word always has the answers to the spiritual battles. It remains for me to think on truth, allowing the Holy Spirit to direct my thoughts to the right message for the battle of the moment. As I think on those truths, I must choose to submit to them. I must declare God's Word to be right rather than insisting on what I think is right.

With the sword of the Word to drive back the enemy, the momentum of the battle shifts. The grey day turns sunny. The heavy heart is lifted. What has seemed hopeless begins to shine with victory. The battle that has seemed impossible turns out not to be impossible after all.

The battle, however, is just that - a battle. Some of these spiritual struggles may last hours, even days or weeks. The victory, once it is achieved, is sweet, but the process can be draining and demanding. The act of slaying one's own will and causing it to bow in subjection to the will of God does not come easily or without cost. Such a fight can leave the believer weary both physically and emotionally, though the resulting peace and growth are well worth the effort.

I am reminded of a workout in the gym. That is not easy either. Running on the treadmill or working on the equipment can leave the athlete weary. Every muscle can feel stretched and weary, maybe even trembling. The person may want to crash on the couch and not move for hours. He may even vow never to do such a workout again.

In spite of his weariness, a wise athlete knows that the workout is worth the effort. No pain, no gain. He knows the muscles will heal themselves and be stronger than before. He knows that his level of endurance is increasing. He knows that his diligent effort will contribute to better health and a stronger body.

The spiritual struggle is just the same. The spiritual workouts can be demanding. They can require every ounce of energy. They can require focused discipline to bring oneself under the will of God. The believer's faith can be stretched to new levels. The gain of such a workout is well worth the pain. Through the process of humbling oneself, through the effort of turning toward truth, through the strain of choosing to reach for faith, through the exercise of chewing on the meat of the Word, the believer grows stronger and healthier. The spiritual battles may be exhausting, but they are battles that must be fought.

"Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." I Corinthians 9:26-27 (NASB)