What is the greatest enemy of our spiritual growth?
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| The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Romans 12 is Paul’s exhortation to spiritual growth. As we consider the development of Christian character, we need to be clear about one fundamental matter from the beginning—spiritual growth is a struggle. Some evangelists promise an easy ride in Christianity; but it is not. Let us briefly consider some of the enemies of Christian growth. One is the world itself. Because of our sin, God’s world is at enmity with us and grows “thorns and thistles” to make life hard for us. Thus, in a sense, the very physical creation poses obstacles to our personal development.
The primary enemies we face in the struggle for spiritual growth, however, are persons: other people, ourselves, and the demonic host. How often have our lives been damaged by the hostility of other people! As we grow in grace we are called to grow in our relationships with other people, relationships that are edifying and not destructive. But it is hard to grow spiritually when you are estranged from your spouse, your parents, your children even your church friends.
A greater enemy of our spiritual growth, of course, is our own sin nature. When we are converted to Christ we are not instantly healed of all our old sin tendencies. Those sinful desires persist and constantly assault us. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Christian alternates between times of faithfulness and times when wickedness comes boiling out of his heart. The struggle is intense.
Finally, we face the influence of Satan and his army. Until recently, the idea of Satan was dismissed or ignored, but with the revival of the occult, people are taking him more seriously. Jesus regarded Satan as a powerful reality, and in the Lord’s Prayer He taught us to pray, “Deliver us from evil.” The literal translation, however, is “Deliver us from the Evil One,” a direct reference to Satan.
Ask yourself: Am I conscious of a struggle against sin in my life, or have I fallen asleep on the battlefield of holiness? Isolate one aspect of your life that falls short of biblical holiness. Ask God today to make you more aware of the reality of the struggle and to assist you to be the warrior for holiness that He has called you to be.
