The Battle

        The Battle is real. As much as we like to bury our problems and try to hide our bad side from people, the reality of the Battle is evident. When people are not real with others, the other people become doubtful and do not trust that person. The Battle of good and evil in our hearts can become quite evident if we are not careful. If we are not careful, we will let the devil win that Battle in our hearts, over and over again. We have God and angels fighting for us, and yet, we decide to let the devil win many battles. As the song by Petra says, "When your enemy presses in hard, do not fear, the Battle belongs to the Lord; take courage my friend, your redemption is near; the Battle belongs to the Lord" (Petra, 1989). The Battle of our hearts belongs to God. We have nothing to fear. However, our sinful hearts decide it is ok to do wrong and let the devil win the Battle. Many times we do not fight because we let our flesh win over our spirit. Matthew 26:41 states, "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (ESV). We too often give into our fleshly desires and not into what God wants us to do. Romans 7:14-20 portrays the never ending Battle with ourselves. "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not 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. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me" (ESV). The Battle is that we want to do good, but our sinful nature, our flesh, wins and we have this struggle continuously. 
        However, there is hope! The light of the world, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit will prevail in the Battle of our hearts. He will protect us, 2 Thessalonians 3:3; He will guide us, Psalm 73:24; and He will love us through the whole ugly Battle, Psalm 106:1. His steadfast love never ceases. As the song states, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord". His love never ceases. He is our hope, He is our light. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Immanuel, to die for our sins, John 3:16. Jesus came to save us all, and yet, so many of us decide to look away from the cross instead of to it. 1 John 4:10 states, "In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (ESV). He loved us and loves us so much more that we could ever comprehend. We, I, give into the flesh much more than we/I would ever want to admit. The Battle of good and evil in our hearts is a very difficult one. However, as the song states, "Do not fear, the Battle belongs to the Lord". He will conquer and disintegrate evil. He will win the Battle. What an awesome God we serve.