The Christian life is not easy because the pathway that leads to heaven is straight and narrow.
It is difficult for Christians to follow Christ because we are in a spiritual warfare daily with the devil, who is the ruler of this world. We live in a permissive society today and the Christian life is difficult for many because it is a life of self-denial.
The world says to do your own thing. As a result, we have many worldly Christians. James 4:4 (ESV) says, "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
Why is it hard to live the Christian life? The answer is because man is a natural sinner. The new life in Christ is against our sinful nature. The devil hates God. He hates all of those who belong to God. He will try with everything he has to make you a useless Christian.
The Christian is involved in spiritual warfare and has three main enemies: the flesh, the world and the devil. Let's focus our attention on our enemy the world. The definition of the word "world" in the Bible is:
a. Planet-Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
b. Human race-John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
c. Satan's wicked system-"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life-is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides for ever" (1 John 2:15–17, ESV).
Warren W. Weirsbe in his commentary on 1 John 2, Be Real, writes,
A Christian stays away from the world because of what the world is (a Satanic system that hates and opposes Christ), because of what the world does to us (attracts us to live on sinful substitutes), and because of what he (the Christian) is-a son of God. He also shuns worldliness.
Christians are in the world but not of this world. We are citizens of heaven. In John 17:16, Jesus said, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of this world."
The battlefield is in our mind. Christians should be careful of what they feed their minds. Christians should be mindful of what kind of books and magazines they read, what kind of TV programs they watch and what kind of music they listen to. Romans 12:2 (ESV) reminds us, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."
In his wicked system, Satan has three weapons:
1. The lust of the flesh. (1 John 2:16) All of us have experienced sexual lust in some form or other. Jesus taught that lust is sin. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27, 28 ESV).
2. The lust of the eyes. (1 John 2:16) Covetousness is greed. To covet is to desire what another person has. It could be his or her job, spouse, car, looks or even money.
Almost all advertisements are based on covetousness. To the advertisement industry, being content is a cardinal sin. The advertisers' hallmark is conformity. Example: people conforming to popular styles in clothes and haircuts, everyone drinking the same cola, etc.
Soon we compare ourselves to others and as a result, we become dissatisfied. We become status conscious and ungrateful. Our relationship with God is choked and we are hooked to the world.
Covetousness (lust of the eyes) is simply desiring more for ourselves. It involves being ungrateful for what we already have. It is a complaint to God Almighty.
First Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV) says, "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
3. Satan's third weapon is the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:16). Satan fell because of pride. Pride is the sin of taking credit for something someone has done. Jesus said, "For without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, NKJV).
The Apostle Paul reminded Christians to boast only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:14 (ESV) says, "But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. A humble person will never find fault with another simply to satisfy the desire for personal gratification. Pride demands that we get even with those who have wronged us. It turns love into bitterness.
The term "worldly" in Christian terminology means: to assign values to what God totally condemns. We are rejecting God's priorities for our own. A Christian who lives as if he or she is part of the world system is like salt that has lost its taste: "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet" (Matthew 5:13, WSB).
A worldly Christian is useless to herself or himself, to others and to God. A Christian who tries to fit in with the world never really feels at home. To love the world as a Christian makes you an enemy of God. A worldly Christian pleases the devil. You are hooked to his system.
It is possible for a person to make a false profession and not be a genuine believer in Christ. If a person who has professed to be a Christian is in the world again but does not feel guilty at all-one question comes to mind, "Was he or she saved in the beginning?" When we repent of our sins, we must be willing to turn from our sinful life. Whoever is born of God does not continue to practice sin: "Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:8–9, ESV)
Helpful Suggestions for a Victorious Christian Life
We cannot let sinful surroundings lead us into sin.
Many Christians fall because they don't know when to withdraw from the crowd. Many people think that they are capable of enjoying sinful pleasures and know when to quit.
The Holy Spirit will help and guide you to have victory in your Christian life.
The Word of God will help you. Satan is frustrated with Christians who are sound in their knowledge of the Bible and practice the Word of God in their lives. The best way to study the Bible is to read it.
Keep spiritually healthy.
• Read the Bible and apply it to your life.
• Pray
• Be faithful to attend church
• Witness to others about your walk with the Lord.
• Deny the things of this world.
Christians feel gypped when Satan tells them the unsaved are having so much fun with no restrictions. But think of the story about the kite. The kite said, "If I could get rid of that man holding the string, I would fly above the clouds and kiss the stars."
One day the string broke. Now was the kite's chance. To his surprise he crashed to the ground. The string holding a kite is the string holding it up. God's restrictions not only hold us down out of danger, but they also hold us up.
We human beings don't have power to defeat our enemy, but through Jesus Christ we are more than conquerors.
"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4–5, ESV).
Joseph Jolly,
a Cree Indian
from Ontario,
is General
Director of
Native Gospel
Ministries of
Canada. He
has his M.A.
and M.Div.
degrees from
Briercrest
Bible
Seminary and
his Doctor of
Ministry from
Providence
Theological
Seminary. He
is also the author of Going and Growing Through Grief. For more information see https://nativegospelministries.org
