And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "...The accuser of our brothers...has been cast down." And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Rev. 12:10, 11.
The blood of the Lamb was shed already in the Garden of Gethsemane. Drops of blood fell to the ground (Luke 22:44) as Jesus battled to align His will with that of His Father (Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). The root of human self-will is found in the first garden. There Adam and Eve rejected God's will and asserted their own (Gen. 3:1-6). When Christ won the battle in another garden, He triumphed for the whole human race.
I don't know about you, but I face a battle with my will every day. While I don't have to combat alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, I often struggle with more "Christian" versions of addiction. I struggle to choose the right kind and right amount of food. I allow myself to get angry when things don't go my way. I let things at work affect the way I feel. And I allow negative and ungodly thoughts to linger in my mind. I'm glad I don't have to deal with alcohol or drugs, but frankly, the struggle to control my thoughts and my actions often goes hard.
Recently for health reasons I vowed to eat nothing in the evening except fruit. I set my mind and will to accomplish this goal. But I learned that many things can derail my will. My wife or daughter makes some delicious food in the evening, and I just have to have some! Or I don't want to hurt their feelings by saying no. Perhaps work or church has a special social. Or it's Christmas! Or Saturday night! The list goes on. Do you see my point? Weakness of will is deeply rooted in the human condition after the Fall in Eden.
Whether one's addictive behavior is life-threatening or of a more "vegetarian" variety, the path to victory is the same. Victory over sin is not really possible until we absorb into the very core of our being the triumph of the cross. Jesus completely exhausted all our sin and failure at the cross (1 Peter 2:24). When we realize that He blotted out our record of failure--our sense of shame and worthlessness--in Himself, we can begin to align our will with God's and break the chains of the past. Then we become freed from the past to become free in the present.
In my experience this victory comes in two stages. First, we need to grasp the truth of Revelation 12:11. The cross has already won the battle. Second, it takes time for battered and abused people to feel what they already know. Emotions are a "lagging indicator." Don't expect your feelings to change instantly just because you read this. You may need to assert the truth of the cross many times before your feelings and your will buy into that victory.
Lord, Your will has my best interest at heart. I say yes to Your will today--yes, no matter how I feel. I invite You to begin aligning my whole being according to Your will.
The blood of the Lamb was shed already in the Garden of Gethsemane. Drops of blood fell to the ground (Luke 22:44) as Jesus battled to align His will with that of His Father (Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). The root of human self-will is found in the first garden. There Adam and Eve rejected God's will and asserted their own (Gen. 3:1-6). When Christ won the battle in another garden, He triumphed for the whole human race.
I don't know about you, but I face a battle with my will every day. While I don't have to combat alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, I often struggle with more "Christian" versions of addiction. I struggle to choose the right kind and right amount of food. I allow myself to get angry when things don't go my way. I let things at work affect the way I feel. And I allow negative and ungodly thoughts to linger in my mind. I'm glad I don't have to deal with alcohol or drugs, but frankly, the struggle to control my thoughts and my actions often goes hard.
Recently for health reasons I vowed to eat nothing in the evening except fruit. I set my mind and will to accomplish this goal. But I learned that many things can derail my will. My wife or daughter makes some delicious food in the evening, and I just have to have some! Or I don't want to hurt their feelings by saying no. Perhaps work or church has a special social. Or it's Christmas! Or Saturday night! The list goes on. Do you see my point? Weakness of will is deeply rooted in the human condition after the Fall in Eden.
Whether one's addictive behavior is life-threatening or of a more "vegetarian" variety, the path to victory is the same. Victory over sin is not really possible until we absorb into the very core of our being the triumph of the cross. Jesus completely exhausted all our sin and failure at the cross (1 Peter 2:24). When we realize that He blotted out our record of failure--our sense of shame and worthlessness--in Himself, we can begin to align our will with God's and break the chains of the past. Then we become freed from the past to become free in the present.
In my experience this victory comes in two stages. First, we need to grasp the truth of Revelation 12:11. The cross has already won the battle. Second, it takes time for battered and abused people to feel what they already know. Emotions are a "lagging indicator." Don't expect your feelings to change instantly just because you read this. You may need to assert the truth of the cross many times before your feelings and your will buy into that victory.
Lord, Your will has my best interest at heart. I say yes to Your will today--yes, no matter how I feel. I invite You to begin aligning my whole being according to Your will.
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