Fighting the Spiritual Battle: Prioritizing the Eternal
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the concept of a "real world war" that is ongoing in the life of every Christian. This war is not about geopolitical conflicts but rather the spiritual battle between temporary worldly desires and eternal divine priorities. We began by acknowledging the historical and ongoing fears of global conflict, yet emphasized that a more profound war is happening within us. This war is about what we prioritize in our lives: the temporary or the eternal.
We delved into 1 John 2:15-17, where John warns against loving the world and its temporary desires. The term "world" here refers to the system or lifestyle that is contrary to God's eternal plan. John highlights three areas where we often lose this spiritual battle: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are the temporary things that can dominate our lives if we let them. The desires of the flesh distort God-given needs into destructive habits. The desires of the eyes lead us to pursue what pleases us visually, often leading to regret. The pride of life makes us prioritize our reputation over reality, leading to a false sense of invincibility.
However, the real world war is won when we prioritize the eternal. John tells us that whoever does the will of God abides forever. This means living not for the temporary pleasures of this world but for the eternal purposes of God. Jesus exemplified this when He spoke of His kingdom not being of this world, indicating a focus on eternal values over temporary gains. By aligning our lives with God's eternal plan, we find true peace and purpose.
I challenged everyone to reflect on their daily activities and assess whether they are investing in temporary or eternal things. This involves looking at our schedules, our spending, and our priorities to ensure they align with God's eternal purposes. Jesus offers a peace that the world cannot give, a peace that comes from living for what truly matters.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Real World War: The ongoing spiritual battle is not about geopolitical conflicts but about prioritizing eternal values over temporary desires. This war is fought within us, and victory comes from aligning with God's eternal plan. [30:34]
2. Desires of the Flesh: These desires distort God-given needs into destructive habits. Living for the flesh leads to addiction and destruction, but God calls us to live by the Spirit, which gives life. [36:56]
3. Desires of the Eyes: This is about living for what pleases us visually, often leading to regret. We must train ourselves to walk by faith, not by sight, focusing on eternal values rather than temporary pleasures. [42:23]
4. Pride of Life: Prioritizing reputation over reality leads to a false sense of invincibility. True humility, as taught by Jesus, is the path to being exalted by God. [51:18]
5. Prioritizing the Eternal: The real world war is won when we focus on eternal values. Jesus offers a peace that the world cannot give, and by living for God's eternal purposes, we find true fulfillment. [56:31]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [05:00] - Easter Service Announcement
- [10:00] - Historical Fears of World War
- [15:00] - The Real World War
- [20:00] - Introduction to 1 John 2
- [25:00] - Understanding "World" in Scripture
- [30:34] - The Relevance of Scripture Today
- [33:47] - The World is Passing Away
- [36:56] - Desires of the Flesh
- [39:24] - Works of the Flesh
- [42:23] - Desires of the Eyes
- [45:03] - The Pride of Life
- [48:15] - Prioritizing the Eternal
- [51:18] - Humility Over Pride
- [54:26] - Reflecting on Priorities
- [56:31] - Jesus' Promise of Peace
- [59:03] - Communion and Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- 1 John 2:15-17
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Observation Questions:
1. In 1 John 2:15-17, what does John mean by "the world" and how does he describe its desires? [30:34]
2. According to the sermon, what are the three areas where Christians often lose the spiritual battle? [36:56]
3. How does the sermon describe the difference between living in the present and living for the present? [45:03]
4. What does the sermon suggest is the outcome of living by the desires of the flesh, according to Galatians 5? [39:24]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How might the desires of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life manifest in a Christian's daily life, and what are the potential consequences? [36:56]
2. What does it mean to prioritize eternal values over temporary desires, and how can this be practically applied in one's life? [48:15]
3. How does the sermon suggest that humility, as taught by Jesus, contrasts with the pride of life? [51:18]
4. In what ways does the sermon propose that aligning with God's eternal plan brings true peace and purpose? [56:31]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your daily activities. Are there specific areas where you find yourself prioritizing temporary desires over eternal values? How can you begin to shift your focus? [54:26]
2. The sermon challenges us to assess our schedules, spending, and priorities. What practical steps can you take this week to ensure they align with God's eternal purposes? [56:31]
3. Consider a recent decision you made based on the desires of the eyes. How might you approach similar situations differently in the future to prioritize faith over sight? [42:23]
4. How can you cultivate humility in your life, especially in areas where you might be tempted to prioritize reputation over reality? [51:18]
5. Identify one area in your life where the desires of the flesh have distorted a God-given need. What steps can you take to realign this area with God's will? [39:24]
6. Jesus offers a peace that the world cannot give. What specific distractions or temporary desires are currently hindering you from experiencing this peace, and how can you address them? [56:31]
7. The sermon suggests making a list of your weekly activities to evaluate their eternal significance. How can this practice help you in your spiritual journey, and what might you discover about your current priorities? [54:26]
Devotional
Day 1: The Inner Battle of Priorities
In the life of every Christian, there is an ongoing spiritual battle that transcends geopolitical conflicts. This battle is about prioritizing eternal values over temporary desires. The world often tempts us with fleeting pleasures and distractions that can lead us away from God's eternal plan. The real victory in this war comes when we align our lives with God's purposes, focusing on what truly matters in the long run. By doing so, we find peace and fulfillment that the world cannot offer. [30:34]
"For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:4-5, ESV)
Reflection: What is one temporary desire that often distracts you from focusing on eternal values? How can you begin to shift your focus today?
Day 2: Transforming Desires of the Flesh
The desires of the flesh can distort God-given needs into destructive habits. These desires often lead to addiction and destruction, pulling us away from the life-giving Spirit of God. By living according to the Spirit, we can overcome these destructive patterns and find true life. It requires a conscious effort to recognize these desires and choose to live by the Spirit, which brings freedom and fulfillment. [36:56]
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." (Galatians 5:16-17, ESV)
Reflection: Identify a habit or pattern in your life that is driven by the desires of the flesh. What steps can you take to replace it with a Spirit-led practice?
Day 3: Seeing Beyond the Desires of the Eyes
The desires of the eyes often lead us to pursue what pleases us visually, resulting in regret and dissatisfaction. These desires can distract us from the eternal values that truly matter. By training ourselves to walk by faith and not by sight, we can focus on what is unseen and eternal. This shift in perspective allows us to live a life that is aligned with God's purposes and brings lasting joy. [42:23]
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18, ESV)
Reflection: What is one thing you often pursue because it is visually appealing? How can you refocus your attention on eternal values today?
Day 4: Overcoming the Pride of Life
The pride of life leads us to prioritize our reputation over reality, creating a false sense of invincibility. This pride can prevent us from experiencing true humility and the exaltation that comes from God. Jesus taught that true humility is the path to being lifted up by God. By embracing humility, we can overcome the pride of life and live in a way that honors God and reflects His character. [51:18]
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:10, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you struggle with pride? How can you practice humility in that area today?
Day 5: Embracing Eternal Priorities
The real world war is won when we focus on eternal values and live for God's eternal purposes. Jesus offers a peace that the world cannot give, a peace that comes from living for what truly matters. By prioritizing the eternal, we find true fulfillment and purpose in life. This involves examining our daily activities and ensuring they align with God's eternal plan. [56:31]
"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:2-3, ESV)
Reflection: Look at your schedule for today. What is one change you can make to prioritize eternal values over temporary concerns?
Quotes
But what if I told you that there has been a world war going on all around us this entire time, especially in the life of the Christian? We don't have to wait for the next news story or shocking event or escalation to take place for the next world war to happen, at least in the life of the believer. [00:28:53] (27 seconds)
It can sometimes feel like a battle of contradictions living in our world today. Hypocracies, weaknesses, and failures. Anybody else just feel like you're at odds most of the time with the things going on around you, not sure how to navigate the next thing that happens? If it's just me, I'm cool with that. [00:30:01] (19 seconds)
The word that John uses in the original Greek here is the word cosmos. It means an arrangement as in the cosmos in the heavens or the stars. Or it can mean a system or a mindset or a lifestyle. And the way that John is using it here is not really referring to the physical world in the literal like earth, trees, seas, and sky sense. [00:32:48] (27 seconds)
The world is passing away along with its desires. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it really shouldn't surprise us. And I know that we're talking about the world in general, but it shouldn't surprise us that people feel this way, because I don't know if you've noticed, but the order of the world, the system of the world, does feel like it's devolving towards an end of some kind. [00:34:52] (24 seconds)
There is a difference between living in the present and living for the present. There's a huge difference between those two things. One harnesses today for the long term, and the other one lives as if today is the only thing that matters. For someone who loves the world, their desires are typically focused on living each day as that being the only thing that matters. [00:36:40] (24 seconds)
This is where we take God-given, like, needs and desires, like hunger, thirst, sleep, and sex, and turn them into something, distort them into something they were never intended to be. We take hunger, and when we live by the desires of the flesh, we turn it into gluttony. We take thirst, and we turn it into drunkenness. We take sleep, and we turn it into laziness. [00:37:34] (26 seconds)
This is slightly nuanced from the desires of the flesh, in that this is living for what pleases my eyes. If it looks good, I want it. Or we are enamored with what entertains our eyes in the moment. I think we all know what these look like in our lives, like after the fact. The trick is recognizing them in the middle of the moment. [00:40:22] (24 seconds)
The pride of life is when I care more about how I look and believe that I'm invincible. I'm kind of led to lie, to cover up, to control, believing that I've got it all figured out, and it thinks more highly of itself than it should. That's the pride of life, and we all fight this on a daily basis. [00:43:25] (20 seconds)
When Jesus was standing before the man, Pontius Pilate, that would determine whether he would live or die, here's what he said in John 18, my kingdom is not of this world. This cosmos. It is not of this way of thinking. It is not of this system. It is not of this order. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting. [00:47:55] (23 seconds)
Instead of the desires of the flesh being all that we can live for, God gives us the desires of the Spirit. Jesus says this, it is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. What this looks like in the life of the believer is that instead of listening to the loud groanings of my flesh, we train ourselves to reorient our compass to prioritize what he says. [00:48:40] (29 seconds)
I want to give you this, this hope, this promise. Here's what Jesus promises when you begin to realign to this truth. Here's what he says in John 14. He says, peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [00:55:21] (19 seconds)
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