Spiritual battles

Writing a devotional for publication is a challenge. Each publisher has a word limit and the writer must keep his thoughts to that limit. Usually that means reference to one verse, making one point, and using one illustration.

With Oswald Chambers, it seems he had much more to say but an editor cut up his thoughts to fit the word count. So I checked and found that most of his devotionals originated in lectures where he taught. They probably were pieced together and certainly were edited.

Today’s devotional seems to have missing lines and missing words that would explain Chambers’ thoughts more clearly. Some of what I’m writing is an attempt to figure out what he was trying to say, and some is an attempt to say it. The rest uses his thoughts as a catalyst to hear the Lord speak to me.

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? (1 Corinthians 3:1–3)

Chambers refers to verse 3 only, but the context is helpful in defining what Paul means by “carnal” people. Some say it can only be those who are not saved, but Paul puts new Christians in this ‘category’ and describes them as not yet walking in the Spirit.  Instead they are “fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.”

This battle between flesh and Spirit happens in the life of all Christians. Those not saved can battle with the Spirit if He is convicting them of sin and their need for salvation. Otherwise, their battle is more about ‘me against what others want or expect of me.’ As Chambers says, no natural or unsaved person knows anything about carnality, just as they are unaware of spirituality in relation to Jesus Christ.

A carnal life includes many things. Paul points to one of them in that the Corinthian Christians were jealous and fighting. This showed in their boasting about which church leader they followed. “For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not being merely human?” (1 Corinthians 3:4) He is saying they are ‘fleshy’ or ‘carnal’ rather than behaving as spiritual believers.

In today’s world, ‘carnal’ Christians boast about their church, their denomination, and their pastor as if they are superior and have an edge over others. Because such boasting comes from personal insecurity, it will pop up in other areas too. Carnality is highly competitive and boasts instead of realizing that all we have and are is of God, and not at all a reflection on us. We do not deserve even the least of His blessings.

As God works in my life, I’ve noticed how He builds and balances my sense of identity. I am a sinner, yet a child of God saved by grace. I am less competitive and have nothing to prove to myself or anyone else. He has made me to be more objective as I evaluate the value of what I do, who I know, which church I attend, and many other things. If I see weakness in myself or others, instead of trying to establish ‘bigger, better, more’ so I can boast, I’m more apt to make these things a matter of prayer.

Chambers adds that carnality is being contentious, easily troubled about trifles, and bragging. The entire book of 1 Corinthians is filled with more examples. But what is the answer to all of this? Paul gives it in his opening words:

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:4–9)

My carnality fades as I realize the grace of God and how He enriches my life. He humbles me with gifts so undeserved. He is coming back for me and will sustain me until then. He covers my sins and is faithful to His promises. He cured the problem of my ‘mere humanness’ by making me, a sinner, into a new creature and then shedding light on the old stuff so I can agree with Him in confession and let Him do the cleansing.

Chambers ends with this: “When carnality is gone it is the most real thing imaginable.” That is, when God provides practical tests, I am amazed that events which once made me feel weak, defensive and full of a desire to prove myself are no longer issues. For that, I praise His marvelous grace!

Christian maturity

Much earlier in my Christian life I’d read several books by well-known Christian authors. In my mind, they were giants of the faith and I was excited when given the opportunity to go to a woman’s conference near Chicago and meet some of them. I learned far more about spirituality that weekend than I expected.

One of those writers arrived on the front steps of the lecture hall the same time I did. I don’t know what I expected, but was surprised at her ordinary appearance. She could easily have been the mother next door, hair uncombed, stirring cookie batter, wearing an apron and talking about petunias.

The plenary speaker told of locking herself in the bathroom the night before and sleeping on the cold tiles in her nightgown until she realized the door opened the other way. Another speaker told of being followed in a store by someone she thought was a shy fan, until the other woman told her she had her skirt on inside-out.

God used that weekend to show me that I should never put the saints of God on a pedestal. The are like me, and I know that I don’t belong up there either. Elevating others in this way demonstrates that I am living according to the flesh, which is my old sin nature and opposed to true spirituality.

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? (1 Corinthians 3:1–4)

In these verses, only two fleshy attitudes are identified. Both are things that small children do, so Paul calls these activities of infants in Christ. The first is jealousy. Every time I see what others have and want it for myself, I am behaving in a childish human way. The Spirit of Christ is not like this. Romans 12:15 says I should, “Rejoice with those who rejoice,” not want whatever they have that makes them happy.

This might be about material things, but it can also be spiritual achievements. I could be jealous of someone’s ministry, a writer’s success at selling books, a teacher’s ability to get a point across. I could want the spiritual gifts others have or the places of honor they have been given. All this is fleshy, infant behavior.

The second fleshy attitude is strife. The people at Corinth were fighting over who had the best leader. I’ve heard similar strife over who listens to the best preacher, or who attends the best or biggest church. Strife can also cover almost every area of life. Babes and little children will fight over anything, from whose dad is the strongest to who has the best toys, to who has the best method for getting cookies out of the cookie jar.

Both jealousy and strife come out of people who are trying to be the best and defend their position. Christianity is not about this. Those who are mature in their faith know where they stand with God. They are content with His care and trust His wisdom in what He has chosen for their lives. They don’t need to enter the pecking order or try to be what they are not. They don’t fight over trivia or anything else that will divide them.

Whether I put others on a pedestal or try to climb up there myself, I am acting like a child, a human yes, but spiritual no. If I am motivated by jealousy or insecurity over who I am, then I don’t know nor am I living by the realities of who I am in Jesus Christ.

Since that experience at the women’s conference, I have met many famous writers and preachers. Seeing them as fellow members of the Body of Christ makes a huge difference in the encounter. Instead of putting them in the awkward position of what to do with idol-expectations, they can talk to me as a spiritual person, recognizing that I am interested in them. When I have no envy and am not using them to feed my ego or prove my own worth by being in their company, not only am I set free from fleshy behavior, but so are they.

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Father, this is an important and ongoing lesson. I still run into people who are smarter, or more spiritual, or in some way outstanding, and I am tempted by fleshy responses. I want to prove myself, or brag that I know them, or do some silly thing that is not of Your Spirit but from my immaturity. Thank You for the lessons of the past and for Your present and future care to help me grow up and more consistently have the right attitude.