FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS, volume 6, number 31, August 2, 2007

“. . .in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit, Ephesians 2:21,

Prevailing Against The World, The Flesh, And The Devil

In 1555 there were five Protestant Churches in France and John Calvin, the French theologian and pastor of Geneva, deeply burdened for his country, was preaching, teaching, and sending young French preachers back there to plant churches. Within seven years there were 2,150 Protestant, Reformed Churches in France, having a total membership of over 3 million people, fifteen percent of France’s total population. This was clearly a revival or awakening of remarkable size. Queen Catherine De Medici was alarmed at this development and stepped up persecution of the Huguenots, as they were called, eventually driving many of them to Eastern Europe, America, and South Africa. Calvin and his preachers knew that the normal Christian life was a fight, a spiritual battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. How would they fight this battle? How should you fight it?

Paul, in the verses listed above, is making a staggering and profound declaration, telling these formerly pagan, godless Gentiles that they are now the holy temple of God. Paul uses a present participle and two present tense verbs in his declaration, proclaiming, telling them that they were a work in progress. One does not build a temple in a day, a week, a month, or a year.

This ought to be a wonderful encouragement for every believer who feels he is losing the battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. We know from what Paul says in Ephesians 2:14ff that Christ by His death has abolished, rendered powerless the enmity which existed between Jew and Gentile. We know from Colossians 1:15ff that Christ’s death has removed our alienation from God, giving us peace with Christ. The Lord Jesus, therefore, is constantly, progressively building up His people to be the temple of God. Another way of saying this is Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, is prevailing against the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The Apostle John tells us to not love the world, nor the things of the world- the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, I John 2:15. Paul tells us not to give the devil an opportunity, Ephesians 4:27. I like to describe these things by cities which seem to represent them. Take the world, for example. It represents life without God, the idea that all is well, that we ought not to worry about consequences of our actions, that now is all that matters. Las Vegas represents the world. You probably have heard the television commercial, urging us to spend our money in Las Vegas, “What you do here, stays here.” Then there is the flesh, living for image, the sensual, a life given over to excessive exercise, dieting, and cosmetic surgery. The flesh is Hollywood. And then the devil, a deceiver, one who blinds the minds of the unbelieving so that they do not see the glory of God in Christ Jesus. How about Salt Lake City, the headquarters of the Mormon Church, which works so hard at trying to convince an unknowing populace that she deserves to be called a Christian church, while clearly denying the deity of Christ and grace alone, through faith alone, through Christ alone as the only means of salvation. To embrace Las Vegas, Hollywood, or Salt Lake City is to convince yourself that ignoring the consequences of your actions is no big deal. It seeks to convince you to embrace the temporal, the physical, the sensual; and it convinces you to postpone the inevitable, giving account before a Holy God who will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. The result of celebrating Las Vegas, Hollywood, or Salt Lake City is to blind the lost so that they cannot see Jesus. To imbibe of these also weakens the resolve of believers, causing them to doubt the sufficiency of Jesus. In the end celebrating these three cities populates hell.

But I want to encourage you who are being built up as the holy temple of God. Christ Jesus, who now resides in glory in the new Jerusalem, is constantly prevailing against Las Vegas, Hollywood, and Salt Lake City. How? Not by military, political, or economic might, but by the word of God and Spirit. Paul says that the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses, and we are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, II Corinthians 10:4, 5. He tears down the walled cities of unbelief- Las Vegas, Hollywood, and Salt Lake City- by the ministry of the word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The result of such ministry is a progressive subduing of the flesh, Galatians 5:16, where we slowly and consistently see progress in holiness. We find the devil being bound between Christ’s first and second advents, so that Christ by the gospel is plundering the devil’s house, taking captive those of the world, transforming them into growing, effective disciples. And Christ is presently conquering the world, making real the prophetic word from Revelation 11:15, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”

So, since these things are true of every believer in Jesus, can you not therefore live with a sense of hope and confidence, putting away your tendency for doubt or despair? How is Christ Jesus building you up? He does it by the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, conversion, sanctification, and revival.

To be sure, you have a responsibility in holiness. I have spoken many times about this, but I wish now to focus on the certainty of Christ prevailing against the world, the flesh, and the devil in the believer’s life. I know- you are not where you ought to be. You are not making the progress you should. But Christ does not build His temple in a day, month, or year. This is a long term, construction project, one which He will not complete in you until He takes you to His heavenly Jerusalem. So be encouraged and marvel at what God is doing. Sometimes you are so close to the action that you cannot objectively see the progress you are making.

FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS is a weekly devotional by Reverend Al Baker, pastor of Christ Community Presbyterian Church in West Hartford, Connecticut.

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