For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph 6:12).

Over the years I have learned to choose the battles that are worth fighting, and I leave the rest for a better occasion or for those who have more free time.

It doesn’t mean that I always get it right, because sometimes, they make the battle too easy and the flesh is weak. But I strive to settle sterile debates with a “God bless you”.

So, a few days ago I commented on how sad, and concerned, I feel when I see some terrible debates between Christians on social media..

Public debates full of cross disqualifications between people with different doctrinal approaches, in which they defend their respective theological positions, on passages or issues that, many times, contribute little or nothing to the majesty of the Gospel of Christ.

And if they were only debates between neophyte believers it would have a pass.

But it is even sadder to see how some of the debaters are people of a certain level in their churches. Or that from very famous pulpits worldwide darts are thrown against other denominations or doctrinal positions.

The only thing I usually get out of these discussions is the veracity of Jesus’ statement recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 10 and verses 35 to 36: For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.

It is a shattering passage. It shows us how dissent, that harsh and disqualifying debate, ends up degenerating into enmity and provoking real battles. In which, in the end, the only goal is to destroy the adversary.

On other occasions, disqualifications are directed towards politicians of one or the other sign. That if they are atheists, that if they are corrupt, that if they are reds, that if they are dictators…

As if we were perfect and blameless and capable of throwing that first stone. And as if these politicians, in many cases without a correct spiritual life, if not recalcitrant atheists, with a decree could make society change in matters that, to believers filled with the Holy Spirit, cost us effort and time.

And mind you, I am not saying that we do not denounce injustice or heresy. What I am saying is that we must know how to pick our battles. Those that confront us with our true enemies.

As the apostle Paul tells us in the Epistle to the Ephesians, chapter 6 and verse 12:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

What this passage is leading us to consider is that our spiritual struggle is not against unbelieving people.

Nor is it against those who oppose the Gospel, nor against our persecutors.

And, much less, against the brethren in the faith, those who have Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Even if they think differently on some issues.

With all these people we may have disagreements, even diametrically opposed opinions.

But in these cases what is necessary is dialogue based on respect. That attitude of examining everything and retaining the good that the apostle Paul advised the Thessalonians.

And to put away from us any attempt to impose criteria or personal positions, and to go with the spirit of enriching the life of the other person. Correcting and reasoning from love, considering what others might be right.

Because not having a struggle against flesh and blood means that our real struggle is with the spiritual hosts of wickedness. Those that truly enslave and damage people’s lives. The same hosts that are trying to confuse you so that you return to your former life and abandon the way of salvation.

If you really want to spend your time and energies in battles with your true adversaries start loving your enemies, praying for those who persecute and outrage you and doing good to all.

And, of course, to intercede for your brothers and pastors, to worship God, to meditate on His Word and to share it with the lost.

For there is nothing more powerful in destroying strongholds, defeating demons and saving lives than a Christian who lives and acts according to his faith. With love, simplicity and holiness.

God bless you.

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La entrada For our struggle is not against flesh and blood se publicó primero en David Gómez.

The natural human being is separated from God.

The decision we made in Eden, to disobey God’s will, provoked the spiritual separation between the human being, each one of us, and God.

It may seem an injustice, but it is the same thing that happens when a married couple leaves their homeland and moves to another country. If they do not act explicitly and go to their consulates and register the birth, their children lose the nationality of their parents and acquire the nationality of the country of birth.

And all of us were born outside of Eden, so we only have the nationality of this world.

Some might think that this is solved by reclaiming from God the citizenship in which Adam and Eve were created.

But we have a serious problem, and that is that we do not have the right to claim the “spiritual nationality”for a simple reason, Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden, that is, they became stateless, deprived of their previous spiritual nationality and the right to claim it again.

And thus they became subjects of the prince of this world.

“…for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Romans 3:23

“…after the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”

Ephesios 2:2

But God did not want to leave things like that. He knew that outside of our environment we were going to be miserable, and he gave us time to see for ourselves.

And then he opened a way for us to re-adopt that heavenly citizenship that we had in the beginning, and that is the true will of God.

But it was not a road to which we were entitled, we could not claim it, nor could we buy it; because the price is so high that it is impossible to pay. Not even for that 1% of the population that holds 90% of the world’s wealth.

Because its price is the price of your life. It is impossible to value a human life.

But God could. He paid the price through the sacrifice of Christ, and then made this way available to all. It is a gift, a gift from God for humanity in general, and for each one of us in particular.

And it is a gift of love.

It is not something that God owes us, nor is it a right that we have somehow acquired.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

Nor is any previous penance or good deed necessary to be worthy of it.

The only work required is to accept it. It is to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.

And if you do so, God receives you as His child and registers you in the Book of Life; the one in which the names of all those who will be able to stand before His presence for all eternity are registered.

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 20:15

Having this spiritual nationality opens up infinite possibilities. For example:

• You can count on God’s presence in your heart.
• You can count on the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• You can count on his power and mercy.
• You can count on his peace.
• You can count on their comfort.

Now, just as when you adopt a new nationality you are obliged to know and keep the laws of that country, even if you are “abroad”, obtaining spiritual citizenship also has its responsibilities.

And if you have adopted spiritual citizenship you have to know its “Constitution” and its “rules”; and most importantly, you have to live them.

Because the Word of God is not an endless set of legal and rambling rules, it is a book of life. And if the Gospel has impacted your life, it must produce changes in it.

Because no matter how ethical your life has been up to the moment of your conversion, the level of love, justice and holiness that God demands is infinitely superior.

So much so that it is impossible to fulfill by our own strength, as the Israelites learned throughout the Old Testament.

God is perfect, but not with our concept of perfection, which is limited to accepting “the highest possible degree of quality”. No. God is absolute perfection.

God is righteous. And in their judgements there are no compromises, negotiations or extenuating circumstances.

And God is not only holy, He is thrice holy.

It is a level we will never be able to reach. Only by letting the Gospel become real in our lives, through the work of the Holy Spirit, can we have a glimpse of what it means.

And this new level, for which God enables us through His Word and His Holy Spirit, is something that must be seen in our daily behavior.

But we are not talking about a “perfect” life, but a life of humility, mercy, righteousness and service.

As we read in Micah 6:8: “O man, he hath declared unto thee what is good, and what the LORD requireth of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to humble thyself before thy God.”

A life that lets Christ be seen in what we do and say, or in what we keep silent and avoid.

Thus, the apostle Paul gives the Philippians three guidelines for them to evaluate themselves.

The first is unity. “…standing firm in the same spirit, fighting with one accord…”. And by this we are not speaking of uniformity, that is to say, of all being alike, but of each one, according to the grace and gifts received from God, helping each other in the work of God.

They may disagree on certain minor points, but they are subject to one another in love and consider one another as superior to themselves.

Because it is only through unity and respect that we will be able to stand firm.. Nothing ensures defeat more than having a disunited team.

Imagine a soccer team where the goalkeeper stops paying attention because the defenders, in his opinion, are not doing what they should. That the midfielders thought of the strikers: “if they like scoring goals so much, let them come and get the balls”. Or that the strikers would say of the goalkeeper: “if he doesn’t come up and help us instead of standing there touching his belly, don’t expect another goal!

They will only win a game if the opponent does not show up. In all other cases, defeat is certain.

The second is action. “…fighting unanimously…”.

I have said it before and I repeat it, if the Gospel has entered your life, it has to produce changes, it has to be reflected in your life, in what you do, and in what you stop doing.

And not out of obligation, but because it is really producing a change of nature within you. No eagle misses running, because its place is not at ground level, but in the heights. On the contrary, it is when it is in real trouble that it is grounded and cannot get back on its feet.

And if you are not an eagle, but a turtle, don’t worry about not being able to fly, because you will reach places that no eagle can reach.

Find your place, and get going. In the church, in the neighborhood, in society. Wherever God puts you, get moving.

Continuing with the soccer simile, I don’t know where God has put you, although what is certain is that you are not the coach. Our work is in the field, in giving our all and fulfilling our mission in the best possible way, collaborating with each other. This is the only way God can make us a winning team.

And the third is faith. “…in nothing intimidated by those who oppose…”.

Find your place, and get moving, and do it because God will be with you.

Of course there will come problems and opposition. But have faith, trust, because God is with you.

Don’t worry about the size of your opponents, or the strength or skill they show, and don’t panic if a teammate suddenly runs away in terror, or even gives up and passes the ball to the opponent to avoid being jumped on.

Do not be afraid of having to face these adversaries, as long as you are on God’s team, because in Him we will have the victory.

You will have to work hard, and it may take longer than you would like, but if you trust in God, victory will come.

On the other hand, if you give in to fear and withdraw, or worse, change teams, you may find it very comfortable at first. You may avoid efforts, you may avoid struggles. But the certain end will be defeat and death.

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

Philippians 1: 1-11; 27-28

Finally, it is curious to note that in the expressions Paul uses in this passage: “becometh, stand fast, striving together…”, he has used verbs or adverbs of action.

At no time did he say: “that you say that you are Christians”.

Probably, because if it is necessary to say that we are Christians, perhaps it is because we do not yet behave as such.

God bless you.

Can you help me to share it? Thank you very much.

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La entrada Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ se publicó primero en David Gómez.

An old Spanish saying goes, tell me who you hang out with and I’ll tell you who you are.

Obviously, this is not always true, but it does alert us to the great influence that friends and people around us have on us.

If we spend a lot of time together, we end up sticking to each other’s forms, styles, expressions…

And this is like a snowball that grows bigger and bigger. Because, once you start to develop a particular lifestyle, you prefer to surround yourself with people who share it, as they reaffirm to us that we are on the right side.

This is a consequence of what is known in psychology as confirmation bias. I look for what confirms my ideas or beliefs and reject what contradicts them, even if they are proven facts.

Thus, it is not surprising that we find people who define themselves as goths, rappers, hipsters, hippies, emos, swaggers…. And so on to complete a long list of what are known as urban tribes; which are nothing more than groups of people who share an aesthetic and a particular point of view of life.

However, do not think that this is something that only happens in this era, nor that it only occurs in the secular world. This is something that has always happened, and it also happens in the church, although we will talk about it on another occasion.

But the truth is that this sense of security that the sense of belonging to a group transmits to us is something that pressures us in such a way that it can make us abandon our previous way of life, and even our principles.

And this pressure is especially intense in situations where being outside the group is not advisable.

In Paul’s time being a Christian was very dangerous. Religion was an essential pillar of the identity of each people. Not sharing it was a sign that you were a foreigner, if not an enemy.

Therefore, no matter where a Christian was, he was always going to be seen as a danger; and the temptation for them to “adapt” in order to go unnoticed was very strong.

The problem is that once a Christian has “adapted to this world” he also begins to let this new vision of life mark his thinking.

And so, he feels more and more comfortable in the middle of the world and with that way of looking at life. Until the day comes when, almost without realizing it, he has stopped following Christ.

That is why when Paul writes to the Romans he leaves them the warning that we find in chapter 12 and verse 2 of that letter: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

If we are to be witnesses and messengers of the Gospel, we cannot allow ourselves to be influenced by ideas or concepts that oppose or despise God’s principles.

Because it is not about passing through this world anonymously, but quite the opposite. We need to be referents to others of what God is, and what He can do in the lives of people who accept His lordship and forgiveness.

That is why the apostle Paul exhorts us to make a firm decision for God. Thus, he asks us not to adopt the principles and values of this world that are in contradiction with divine principles and values. Because this is the best decision a person can make.

It is true that in some cases the values of this world may seem very suggestive and logical, especially for our personal interests.

However, these are against the principles by which God wants us to abide, and in Matthew 5, verses 43 to 48, Jesus makes this very clear: You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy’. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

That is why Paul asks us to strive to live God’s principles, to renew our old way of thinking and to go deep into God’s Word to know them, because in this way we will also learn to know God’s will for us, good, pleasing and perfect.

And only in this way will we be able to reach the end of our lives on this earth knowing that an ample entrance into heaven is reserved for us.

May God bless you

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La entrada Do not be conformed to this age se publicó primero en David Gómez.

Rites, norms, liturgies. Some of them are undoubtedly useful, others have lost all meaning with the passage of time.

However, many of the latter are still imposed on people with the same force as the fundamental dogmas of Christianity.

And the only thing they achieve is that we have gone back to the times of the scribes and Pharisees whom Jesus reproves because “they tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” (Matthew 23:4), and because “their teachings are merely human rules” (Mark 7:7).

In the face of this we find the message of Jesus. A message that preserves all the essence of faith, but adapted to the needs of human beings.

The whole Law of God can be summed up in two short sentences: love God above all things, and love your neighbor as yourself.

This supposes that our life must be guided by the love that God has manifested to us. Our service should be a natural consequence of the love with which God loves us. And our relationship with others must be permeated with his holiness and that love, with firmness about our faith, but with respect and mercy.

It is truly an easy yoke and a light burden, especially when we have the help of the Holy Spirit.

But how sad that the leaven of the ritualism of the scribes and Pharisees continues to infiltrate the Church!

So it is not surprising that when you present the Gospel, people do not see freedom, but oppression and restrictive rules (and many times, arbitrariness).

Perhaps this happens because we have been more concerned with living religion than with living Christ.

We have placed more emphasis on accusing than on loving and presenting the Good News of Salvation. In talking more about hell than heaven.

As if our message were addressed to stubborn apostates and not to lost, tired and hopeless people.

Therefore, let us not impose on the lost any burden other than that of drawing near to God.

The rest of the burdens were carried by Christ on the cross.

Cover photo by Ben White on Unsplash

La entrada For my yoke is easy and my burden is light se publicó primero en David Gómez.