Struggle or Battle

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. I cor10:13

Greet you in the name of our risen lord who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age (gal 1:3). After being chosen by god and called for us his faithful ministry who considered me as a faithful servant in appointing to his service (I tim1:12). On the run I have been seeing a strong temptation which is trying to cease me from running and turning my views to world. Shortly I was thinking like a worldly man being dragged into lustful thoughts and my mind was occupied with lust. Oh after a while I realized where am I going? "Lost my missionary vision" after a while I Shook of all the lustful thoughts and came to god and wept aloud why I was being dragged into it. It happened many times in the past few days.so I decided to sketch this letter. Is it struggle or battle since I went into the lustful cave often and thought I captivated as a slave. So I struggled/battled to go back to lords presence and I never experienced like this before, first time I’ve been pulled away from lord’s presence and find a stern challenge to go back to his feet. At one state I was able to go back to his feet. I asked god, am I struggling or wrestling/battling against sins. Sat on his feet and the lord began to speak to me slowly, showing all the hindrance’s that I need to eliminate and lack of understanding made to fall into trap. Means everyone will be tempted but we should not give up to temptation. Earlier I find it difficult in obeying, later I was able to obey after a consistent prayer. I found 5 main driving factors that kept away from lord if we fail on the below things

                    Meditating on word of God daily

                    Consistent prayer

                    Obedience

                    Uncompromising in trivial things

                    Personal relationship

All the above quoted was found very less in my life and got satisfied myself with compromising in following all to the least. One day when I was praying lord reminded me this verse and spoke precisely about my present condition though I knew it and was not able to pay attention fully with obedience, later I discovered it was only the word of god which will drive us to conviction and obedience with implicit action. It is this verse "

You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place Rev2:3-5" .

on other side my inner voice whispered saying you heard this so many times why do you want to make a move now at this instance and are you sure about the move which are goanna make now. I was not able to refrain from the thoughts for a while later i overcame by earnest supplications and prayer and it’s the Holy Spirit who gave me a hand. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need-heb4:15-16".

I was convicted and able to prevail over my inner voice when I understood that a hunger heart for holiness will always stand against sin and can’t afford to sink inside for a long time as rubber ball or balloon immersed into water will immediately purge out of water. Similarly I came out and found it’s a battle with Satan who constantly makes plan and war against those who hunger for holiness and willing to make their path to HIM. The verse gave a comfort and conviction that

the Lord my Rock,

who trains my hands for war,

my fingers for battle- psa144: 1"

I failed to understand when I was tempted more and gave up that I have sinned when I’m not, eventually I was trapped into sin for a while for the cause of wrong understanding and not adhering to all the above four major crucial things for a Christian life. A true Christian will have battle with Satan all the days of his life, battling with faith taking the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Eph 6: 17-18. Since we have a conqueror who won over the death and the resurrection power helped me in winning all the battles. So no temptation has seized us as we have a mighty and awesome god who helps us in all our needs.

The bottom line is we should come back to god thousand times even if we fail constantly rather staying away with guilt. His mercy endures forever to those

who confess sins; he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness- I john1:9. the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.- prov28:13b.

No Matter you sin Million times, get back to lord for mercy and never sin anymore ! Draw a line and come out from the sinning area where you are in now.

Shielded in his Vision

Wilson Praveen T