In the guise of a carpenter from Nazareth he was in fact the holy Son of God, yet also a man having been born of a woman. Satan sought to destroy him. The King of Heaven was put on trial. He stood before the most powerful earthly authorities of the time, both secular and spiritual.

A battle for the hearts of men raged that day. Some despised him despite the miracles he had done and they falsely accused him, mocked him, rejected him and crucified him. Others wept for him. As he hung on the cross the sun turned dark and would not shine and darkness enveloped the land.

Christ proved too pure for evil to overcome him. He died and rose again on the third day. But it was Satan who put him there. The clash between light and darkness still rages in the hearts of men and women everywhere. The way we live will either draw us to the cross or repel us away from it. We are all part of this spiritual conflict and until we make Christ Lord in our hearts, we will never have peace.

THE BATTLE IN THE HEARTS OF MEN – SPIRITUAL WARFARE

A battle still rages within people today. Each person has a choice, to either reject the love of God and give allegiance to the kingdom of darkness, or to yield to Christ and enter his Kingdom. Within each heart there is a battlefield and a throne. Whoever sits on the throne decides the outcome of the battle.

If we dethrone self and crown Christ as King of our lives, we will be delivered from the kingdom of darkness and become part of Christ’s Kingdom. This is what the thief who died beside Jesus did. He saw through the accusations and recognised Jesus as the true King. He cried out, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom” and immediately got the assurance that he needed. The other thief refused. (Luke 23:39-43).

This illustrates the two pathways from which we must choose. There is no middle road. There is a war within our souls; two opposing kingdoms clash within us. (Galatians 5:17, Romans 8:6-8, 1 Peter 2:11).

Satan has enslaved the world and blinds the spiritual eyes of many people. (Ephesians 4:17-18). There is no light in them and darkness rules them. (Matthew 6:22). However, when Christ’s light shines into hearts it dispels the darkness. This process continues as the believer grows in Christ, for when Jesus comes in, he brings his light with him. (1 John 2:8-11).

BODY, SOUL and SPIRIT

We are comprised of Body, Soul and Spirit. (Hebrews 4:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Our spirit is God-conscious, our soul is self-conscious, and our body is world-conscious. The soul of man is his personality, his heart and mind – his person. The spirit of man is that which animates and influences him, his deep inner thoughts and will. One can have a timid and fearful spirit, or a bold and fearless spirit. The spirit has access to the mind and can control feelings and motives.

The body is the vessel in which both soul and spirit live and is linked with the passions and emotions seated in the soul. Since the fall, men and women have a “carnal” nature which is the worldly, sinful nature of natural man. (Galatians 5:19, Romans 8:5, 6:6, 1 Corinthians 2:14, James 3:14-16).

The spiritual and carnal natures are constantly interacting in the soul. Until born again people live under the law of sin which produces death, but through Christ, we can live in the law of the Spirit which gives life. (Romans 8:2).

God made Adam a spiritual being dwelling in a physical body. Adam’s spirit governed both his soul and body but this order was reversed when he fell. Temptation came in through the eyes; Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was good and “pleasant in her eyes”. She ignored the Word of God and believed the forbidden fruit would make her wise, and she ate it. She was deceived, through believing a lie and doubting God.

Sin entered through the flesh, the mind and soul were deceived, and the spirit suffered a death blow. Sin brought death. Note the progressive direction of Satan’s deception – through the eyes (her body), into her mind (become wise), and on to her spirit (become like God). (Genesis 3:1-7).

Note that Satan tempted Christ in a similar way: to turn stones into bread – physical hunger; receive adulation – self-exultation, soul; the worship of Satan, spiritual deception. Satan seeks to captivate us body, soul and spirit.

The Bible talks of the outer man, the joints and marrow of the body, and the inner man, the thoughts and intents of the soul and spirit. (Hebrews 4:12, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Ephesians 3:16) There is nothing evil in the physical body: it is a marvel of creation, but after the fall the “carnal nature” became the seat of sin.

God wants to sanctify us in spirit, soul and body and when we identify with Jesus this sinful nature is “crucified with Christ”. (1 Thessalonians 5:23, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6-14). He took our sinful nature and died with it. He put it to death and then rose for us in his sinlessness.

This was possible because as the Son of Man, he was put to death in his body for our sins, and then because he is the perfect sinless Son of God he arose in his eternal Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18, 1 Corinthians 15:45).

When we receive Jesus, he is able to come into us by his Spirit and join with our spirit and give us new life. We are joined to him and benefit from all that he did. We are “put into” him and he comes into us. This is the rebirth. That which is born of the flesh is flesh that which is born of the spirit is spirit. (John 3:6). To receive salvation, you must be born through the Spirit of Jesus, God’s holy Son. (Galatians 4:6).

PRINCIPLES TO DEVELOP THE NEW LIFE

The Holy Spirit then works in us to produce the nature of Christ. Depending on whether we sow to the spirit or to the flesh, we will reap the benefits or consequences. If we feed the carnal nature with its selfish desires, the inevitable result will be “works of the flesh”. (Galatians 5:19-22). Whichever life is fed will grow stronger. If we cultivate the “spiritual man” and mortify the “old man” we will bear spiritual fruit.

Join me as we continue on our journey through “A Life of Faith.”

Blog series Six – Two Kingdoms at War:

Episode 2: The Putting On and Putting Off Principle

Episode 3: The Devil Is Real

Episode 4: The Armour of God

Episode 5: What is Spiritual Warfare

Episode 6: The Law of Sin & Death & The Law of The Spirit & Life

Episode 7: The Riches of His Grace

Episode 8: Works of the Flesh & Fruits of the Spirit

Blog series Seven – Pitfalls to a Life of Faith