Spiritual Warfare - "Our Spiritual Competition"! Part 1.

I think we all want to live a life which is more abundant. We all want to live powerful lives, victorious lives, with each day an adventure in living. That kind of life is available.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Jesus Christ came so we could have an amazing life, but unfortunately there's a thief who comes only to steal, and to kill, and to destroy and that's why at times life can be anything but fun.

          Romans 8:37
          Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

This verse does not say we are more than conquerors by our own muscles or brain power, or by the amazing solutions we figure out all by ourselves, it says we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. This concurs with John where it said that the more abundant life was made available by Jesus Christ. Both of these verses are in harmony with Philippians.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

  The more abundant life, therefore, is not something we make available, it is something God makes available through Jesus Christ. Note that the verse does not say God is going to do it all for us either. It says, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. In other words, this is not automatic. We have a part to play in this.

Ephesians 3:20
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to(by means of) the power [Greek - dunamis] that worketh [energeō] in us,

  God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power, the dunamis, the inherent power that works in us. We get words like dynamo and dynamic from this Greek word dunamis. It is potential power, latent, inherent power. Worketh is the Greek word energeō, from which we get the words energy and energise. God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the potential power, the inherent power that is energised in us. 
 What is this power and how is it energised? We read the bible to find out. The bible is the manual on how to energise this power and learn how to live the abundant life Jesus Christ came to make available. This power is what is referred to in Philippians 4:13 when it says I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. When this power is energised, it opens the door to God doing exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. Of course, if this power is not energised it will do nothing, even though it is there.

Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed [metamorphoō] by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 This is a promise to us, it is something we get to do if we renew our minds. We can prove that God's will is good, acceptable, and perfect. 
  If you read the bible and apply the principles, you get to enjoy an abundant life.
  The god of this world spreads his lies into the world through television, movies, newspapers, magazines, computer games, the internet, and a thousand other ways so he can steal, kill and destroy. He pumps a continuous diet of poisoned filth into the world that makes us mentally sick, that strips our souls of vitality and passion. We are to put it off by renewing our minds according to God's word. We change our mental diet. Instead of the world's filth, we feed our minds with a healthy, clean, vital, nutritious, delicious, strengthening diet of God's word.

Look, the world spews its poisons into homes, schools and universities, into politics and business, in hundreds of languages and dialects, in every country on the face of the planet, every minute of every day of the year, yet no one forces you to turn on your television instead of reading your bible, do they? Does the world march in, twist your arm, chuck your bible into a closet, and force you to watch TV? No, it is a decision you make. If you want mental health and the power of God in your life, change your mental diet.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 This isn't about cutting off the world and having no fun, it is about having a healthy, sane mind so you can enjoy life. A healthy daily diet of the word brings deliverance and strength.
 Reading and understanding the bible isn't drudgery, pain and boredom, it is refreshing and invigorating. Understanding the word gives us life in all of its abundance. A healthy daily diet of God's word is the way of life for us today, just as it always has been. So if you want life, if you want strength to be more than a conqueror every day, make a decision to eat and digest a healthy diet of God's word.

Jeremiah 15:16
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Did Jeremiah eat scrolls? No, this is a figure of speech emphasising that Jeremiah did more than just snack at God's word a couple of times a week. He ate it, he digested it, it provided the mental strength he needed to do his spiritual job, which was to walk by the spirit in his day and time.

Regarding figures of speech, is there a figure of speech God employs to illustrate this power we can energise? Let's see.

John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on [in] them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost [holy spirit]:

Jesus Christ was instructing his disciples on how to energise the power when it arrived.
  The word on is the Greek word en and should be translated in. Jesus Christ breathed in, and said, receive holy spirit. He took a deep breath, and told them that was how they were to receive the holy spirit when it eventually came. And that's exactly what the apostles did.

Acts 2:1,2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind [a heavy breathing], and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

The words as of a rushing mighty wind are as of a heavy breathing in the text. The twelve apostles did what they had been instructed to do, and they all took deep breaths to receive the gift of holy spirit. The heavy sound of their deep breathing filled the temple because of the superb acoustics. Those old temples didn't have state of the art sound systems, but they did have state of the art acoustics to ensure anyone sitting anywhere in the temple heard what was being said on the main stage. The heavy breathing of these twelve men filled the temple.

Acts 2:3,4 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled wtih the Holy Ghost [holy spirit], and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

  Think of your study of God's word, your renewing of your mind as your mental diet, and speaking in tongues as your spiritual breath, your spiritual breathing. As we breathe spiritually, as we speak in tongues, as we walk by the spirit, we have power for abundant living.
 Who is responsible to look after our mental diet and keep ourselves healthy and strong? God? No, we are. God gave it, but what we do with our minds is up to us. God does not possess us. Who gave us eternal life, the power from on high, the gift of holy spirit? God did. Who is responsible to energise it, to ensure we grow and mature, so we walk by the spirit and not by the senses? God? No, we are. God gave it, but what we do with that spirit is our business.

The more abundant life is here. The power is available. God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, but only according to the power that is energised in us. We really can do all things through Christ which strengthens us. No matter what the world does, we can be more than conquerors through him that loved us.