Win and Lose Together – One Enemy

Posted on by Janae Ballard
People running together

Because of the gospel, there is good news- that light has come and restores us from darkness!

If you’re a believer God’s given you the command and opportunity to be a light like Christ, as a Christian and a walking testimony.

So we have one mission together- to be light. And in receiving this light and revelation of our new salvation, we gladly do this for God’s glory and for shared unity in it!

God’s Son, Spirit and truth unites us!

Philippians 2:2-4 says “2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Sin stops us from being united. It is not on accord with God, and therefore it creates divisions as it seeks its independence. Difference is okay, as we’re each unique, but that becomes problematic when instead of bringing us together it has selfish ambitions. This happens anytime we boast in or live in the flesh, rather than in God, and the effect is divisive.

In Christ everyone is favored and has gifts, a purpose and great significance to God’s world and kingdom. In scripture this is called the body of Christ. We are each different parts of the body, and we are held together. The leg is as important as the hand. It’s all God’s masterpiece. We’re thankful to see how God uses and has made each of us. We enjoy and benefit from the beauties in each other, and we take pride in ourselves as well, not seeking idols or what God withholds or places elsewhere- as God is and will be good to each of us through mercy and grace.

So, two things have to actively take place to showcase these things as believers:

  1. Rejecting the thought of envy.
  2. Rejecting the thought of dishonoring another.

• Whenever we boast in the flesh and use achievement of skill, wealth, position, fans, friendship, marriage, ect. to dishonor another’s value, rather than boast in the spirit where we proudly serve God and everyone indiscriminately despite and through these things, we enjoy the thought of being a cause of sins like envy, jealousy or hatred. We enjoy selfish ambition rather than God. Do we hold this kind of pride?

God humbles all of us in love.

And humility levels false pride, and frees those in sins of hate or envy for peace with God’s way. 

Luke 12:48  48 … When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

One of the first commands God’s gives us when we become His is to love. It’s all about loving intentionally like Christ, and being a servant.

 

Mark 10:44 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.

Corinthians 13:1-3  1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 

 
Are we loving one another? This is true service to God, and none of it goes unnoticed by Him. Even if you don’t gain the attention of the world, He values His heart in you.

Matthew 19:27-30 27 Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” 28 Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new[i] and the Son of Man[j] sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.

Matthew 20:16 16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

We serve God because He’s beautiful, worthy and loves us, not for rewards, but apart of God’s beauty is that He sees the suffering or lack in each of His people and will make every portion fair and good for the happiness of everyone in His kingdom to come. So rest.

Kill any hatred in your heart by remembering what you live for. We live for One who honors selflessness and others joy. Reflect His love by thanksgiving to have received this of Him. God cares for you, and that’s everything!

God cares for us all and His word brings us together, and equips us to be a light. But, we are a light in a fallen world, and not everyone has put on Christ’s love or mentality in this way. Therefore we will be always be overcoming sin and encountering people who embracing sin/ intentionally being divisive, intentionally causing jealousy or proudly holding hatred or corrupt power.

• Which is why it’s so important for Christians to grow and partner and know that we conquer and battle together.

The more a Christian brother or sister suffers, take loses, gains enemies or lives shamefully know that spiritual things are happening. Greater hostility is being built in the hearts of unbelievers. We want our faith family to successfully witness to others and build God’s glory and love for His people and kingdom. This paves way for your discipling. People will be more open-hearted if the reputation of Christianity is successful (by the grace of God, and outflow of love by His people).

 

Ephesians 6:12 says 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Now God has also given me revelation that everyone who is not saved, needs grace. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 
So remember that we are all children of God!
It’s so important for Christians to sincerely look out for our lost brothers and sisters, and to make disciples as Christ said. They need to be graciously told the gospel, and graciously loved like God loved us while we were His enemies (before and without atonement by Christ for our sins against Him).
Then, we do not love someone based on their response or acceptance of the gospel or us. We treat them as a child of God should be treated, as a significant creation. Yes, correcting them when they are willing to listen, or disagreeing kindly – love does not compromise, but it does communicate. But ultimately loving them to show them God is alive and good- that there is a standard and God worth knowing.
Like Matthew 5:44 says we “ 44 … love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
This can be hard for me. I believe we all have natural instinct for justice written on our heart, and if someone does wrong to us, we naturally want to rebuke and push them off as corrupt. 

We can note people as corrupt! It is okay to be discerning (Matthew10:16), and to be angry. But don’t sin! (Ephessians4:26) Do this by remembering the spiritual. These are people who’s soul is in danger of condemnation because of there lack of repentance. Their sin is no more abominable in God’s sight than our own so we should esteem others as greater than ourselves and seek their welfare, as we are thankful God sought ours despite us. (Matthew6:14-15)

Yes, if it is a friend or family member that is living in ungodliness and behaving as your enemy they are carrying the spirit of the enemy/ walking in the flesh/ worthy of wrath, instead the spirit of God. Yet they are rejecting the Spirit of God in blindness. The enemy of this world has blinded them and made them foolish. (2Cor.4:4) Do not see people as your enemy, but as captives to the flesh and to our one enemy. The enemy has deceived your loved ones and they need mercy.

This perspective has created a ton more grace in my heart…

Jesus wept over the lost. (John11:35) Yes, they are wrong, and it’s okay to want their sins to be punished, but not if  they’re willing to turn from them. Share that opportunity to know and follow God’s heart. God desires none to perish. (2Peter2:9) Love them like Jesus, praying God may grant them repentance. (2Tim.225)

Think of this also:

All of humankind desire the same thing, and that is love.

We go against love as we choose ourselves and own unwise paths which we think lead us there instead of God’s selfless, objective truth that brings us together in one mind.
Imagine having another brother to laugh with, sister to love on, parents to adore, kids to enjoy, friends to discover and blossom with forever. Who would turn that away!? – We turn that away every time we choose to mark someone as an enemy instead of fight for them like family. They push that away every time they choose to argue with you as well, but we all suffer from bad decisions and God, grace, faith, hope and kindness, even if they don’t believe, are the only thing that’s going to make for peace like we so desire.

We all win and lose together.

Remember that there’s only one enemy to await the destruction of, and keep out of our hearts.

 

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