One of the strengths of the blogging medium is the ability, long withheld from authors of all persuasions, of posing a question in print, and actually receiving an answer. Taking advantage of this capability, I am posting a series of (at least to me) thought-provoking questions, in the hopes that anyone reading this blog will offer their perspective. This is post #4 in the series.
What are the battles we fight? What forces surround us that we must challenge? Are there any? Is the Christian struggle purely a battle against our own sinful nature? Clearly it is at least this, but should we be expecting more? Humanity seems drawn to stories of battle against evil, and we want to join in. There is a fascinating consideration of this at Coram Deo, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this matter. Are there villains to fight in our world?
HOW I FEEL WHEN I’M TWO WEEKS OUT FROM QUALS
9 years ago
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4 comments:
This has little to do with your questions, but I read the Coram Deo post, and I found it interesting that the author of that post thinks heaven might be boring without battles against evil villains. I'm absolutely in love with the idea of heaven as a place where I can learn and create and taking care of things without the horrible influence of sin. It's a beautiful thought. Is this a male/female breakdown? Does anyone else think about heaven this way and get really excited?
no, I think I'm with you, Jessie. Presumably there will be other ways for chaps to get their violence fix; I only wonder whether sinless, curseless things - plants, let us say - will really require all that much maintenance.
Norman, I would suggest Ephesians 6 as a relevant text. I think it teaches very clearly that we are in a mortal combat, only it's complicated by the fact that our enemies are all invisible and fight dirty and cannot be lopped about like sensible foes. It means we fight not against particular people, but against ideas and tendencies; and that, more annoyingly, we ourselves must be first beneath the axe.
In fact, if you look at a lot of Medieval literature, or even in late antiquity, there was a huge trend in psychomathy: allegorical epics that took place essentially within the hero's brain. You know, Gluttony rides forth on a bloated boar with a meat hook and a riding crop to challenge Continence (decked out modestly in plain armor and mounted on an elegant palfrey) to single combat. Of course this became silly at times: Cowardice only very rarely won battles, and Mercy's bloody victories usually seem somehow out of character... but I do think the general idea is quite in keeping with the warfare of the church.
Thanks for the comments. Jessie, I am reading a book right now that suggest it is primarily a gender distinction, but we'll have to see.
Joel, thanks for mentioning Ephesians. That chapter seems to emphasize the external struggle a lot (of course not diminishing the internal struggle with sin), what would you say that is to look like?
Also, with reference to curseless things needing maintenance, the earth prior to the fall apparently needed subduing, and Genesis 2:15 says God put Adam in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. So there is clearly some sort of directing and tending work to be done even in a world untouched by sin.
right, 'subduing' things that cannot die and probably do not compete with one another... well, whatever it was they were doing in Eden, I suppose. Perhaps it's like Christ 'learning obedience'.
I would say we war on sin wherever it appears by denouncing it where it appears, by denuding it of all pretensions to neutrality - none of this 'victimless crime' silliness - and ruthlessly destroying it whenever it's within our jurisdiction to do so. (Well, I suppose Ruthie can help too if she behaves.) And of course we must first practice on ourselves before we preach.
Basically, we need to believe the gospel: that it's true, that it's unique, and that it's ultimate; then act.
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