Self is the common enemy of man. Caged into this wild wild dungeon of corruption, our only hope is Christ. He alone is capable of animating Himself in us, so we could escape from this perilous adventure of corruption, wrapped in His light

Self, the common enemy of man

Ever felt saddened and overwhelmed in your soul, disrespectfully treated by someone who knows you well, that you deserved sincerity, honor and reverence, instead of the sword of disdain? So many times, in this journeys of life, you will see your soul crushed in front of you. Disappointments, frustration, confusion and anger rising from within towards the one who had hit you below belt, losing every ounce of peace inside you. If you are oriented to operate from the realm of Christ, your approach to life is different.

Weapons are constantly being formed against you but you know how to neutralize it in order to run your set race. How do we literally handle this common epidemic in every facet of our society? Humanity is dealing with the common enemy of self. We have being shaped by a trending doctrine of “selfie” self indulgence, which motivates everyone of our actions, with ourselves being the focal point. We are only burdened for self. We are self centered. We have lost our common spiritual culture of community, tearing down ourselves with dishonor.

Once upon a time, we were a tribe, a brothers keeper

REACTIONS: They way we react to every negative situation that comes into our lives hinges on the personality we have become. Some people can brush off things from their world as if it never happened. Maybe it is because they don’t take themselves seriously. Others also take great time to soak matters in, trying to understand why they have to go through that hole of disrespect, causing them to hurt the more. We hold a sense of entitlement as humans for honor.

We are wired to expect love, respect and honor at all cost. We want to be treated well. We want to be honored and be free from any form or shape of disrespect. The Son of God came to His own but scripture records that, His own did not receive Him. Can you imagine the creator being disregarded by men? Imagined there is a possibility in this upside down world for all to be equally treated fairly and squarely with honor. I tell you, the universe will put on her splendor again, and smile upon humanity with liquid blessings. The course of men has been shifted from its axis, causing us to live from the bondage of corruption. We are in our own flesh enemies of ourselves and we need a Saviour who will save us from this corruption

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

You must expect the unexpected. The world will not treat you as you’ve desired, no matter how you pray about it. We need to find kingdom ways of God in order to thrive in this dark civilization of men. Our lists of entitlements to the world should be thrown into the fire and burn to ashes. We should meet the world, emptying ourselves of self and clothe ourselves with the new man, which is created in the knowledge of God.

Our carnal entitlements of life will be encroached upon by people who knows better to accord us with great respect. Don’t we have higher expectations for our partners, siblings, kids, coworkers, friends, the church, congregations etc. that we would be furnished with special treatments that fits our personality and more? Of course, we have the right to expect good. Unfortunately, good will not always come.

What do I do when the evil days of the common enemy strikes?

So many in our word today, especially in the body of Christ, have no answers to their emotional needs. There are leaders who are bound in negative emotions, therefore, exercise their duties with heaviness. Their hearts are sinking; for the experience of deep disrespect from the people they serve sincerely.

We can’t continue slipping into mental health issues, and the deep acceleration of blood pressure diseases and heart attacks in our society. [Take a moment to pray for any leader involved in your life growth]

Our dignity and sanity is important to us as humans. It is so much more important to God than we could ever imagined. Our Savior breathed peace upon the disciples and said; “My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives.” He knew they needed it in order to prevail in their calling. His heart towards your peace has not changed. God desires in the prosperity of your soul. The enemy will break fences and high walls to jump into your world of sanity, especially he will use those you are closely affiliated with us.

Many have moved into islands of regret because they felt that is the only place to comfort the soul. In trying to heal their hearts, they abandoned everyone, yet carrying the pain with them. We can’t survive in isolation. We need healthy people to be around them, who will sharpen us to live a more richer life in Christ

People travel with us from the places we never had closure, to our calculated destinations

I have had a fair share of hurts: being treated badly by people I have sacrificed my soul to love and helped in different stages of their lives. I believe you share similar experiences. I have felt unworthy, broken, unneeded, and wounded on the inside for a long period of time.

Some people will distance themselves from individuals but doesn’t know how to distance themselves from the emotional trauma centers of their heart, leading them to endless cycle of corruption of soul and spirit 

I have fought deep within myself, having to deal with such people from the perspective of Christ, when my flesh was alive in bitterness. Ah, my emotions have been pinned down, how can I emit the life of the Kingdom of God? It is easy to hold grudge or being revengeful in your dealings when you think you are right and everybody is wrong. Do we move on quietly with the baggage of pain or we seek help from God?

UNDERSTAND SEASONS

Inevitably, in our journeys, as believers, we face the arrows of human behavior on every side, sponsored by the flesh. Every leader, be it parents, teachers, pastors, business executives, and so forth, should be prepared for it so they don’t get overwhelmed when it arrive like a wartime missile.

I say this because there are a too many emotional believers in our world today, who are not taught to be resilient in their dealings against the wiles of the enemy. They are easily caught by stray bullets, wounding their emotions in the end because they take the battle to the flesh. An emotional believer is the over protective type. He says thing like, “I will treat everyone right and I expect everyone will do likewise.’ What they are unaware of two things;

1. We are not wrestling against flesh and blood. We are dealing with powerful entities who finds expression in men against the course of your life

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

2. We are living in the prophetic times, when men will loosen up on the standards of God or the God-kind of life, living according to the civilization of the flesh; the Adamic nature

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;” 2 Timothy‬ ‭3:1-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The focus of this write up is on the second layer; We are living in a prophetic season, where men have become lovers of their own selves. Self is the new God. Our world is tilting in a direction where self obsession is highly appraised.

The attitude of men whose souls has not been yielded to the Lordship of Christ is focused on what makes them feel good, even if it will hurt the entire universe. We are so indulged in self, to the extent that little kids, who do not pay rent or contribute to the welfare of their household in any way or shape have become the complete embodiment of dishonor, disobedience and disrespectful to their caring parents.

So Many households in America are on fire because the parents doesn’t know how to tolerate this kind of behavior and its costing them their own happiness and health, and many other areas of their existence. This is the corruption of the age!

This is my humbly plea to anyone dealing with hurts, because you’ve been treated unfairly by someone. I speak from the depths of my heart. This I want to ask: “are you bound by self?” Are you finding it difficult to loosen your sense of self, that only seek your personal entitlements to be forcefully fulfilled?

We are everyday plagued by a dimension of self love which makes our hearts not pliable to the direction of the will of God. I do it too sometimes. I love me so much; i think it’s a sacrilege for one to treat my throne with disrespect. You are too low to come up high and play with royalty. That is the self in me talking. That self has not been crucified or surrendered for Gods rule. Until I am moulded in the likeness of a servant, I cannot find forgiveness my heart or allow the indwelling life of Christ to find expression in my vessel.

Jesus said that, he that lose his life for my sake will find it. If we truly want to experience the true peace of God, in our relationships, we have to learn to kill our flesh in the Holy Ghost. That flesh that always wants to be worshipped and pampered like an ancient monarch has to die. Yes, it has to die in some situations, so that you don’t beat yourself down when you are unfairly treated. Why do I worry when I am dishonored, when I am just a servant in my own eyes? This is another angle for the believer to approach the injustices of men, so that Christ can manifest in our actions

LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU

Since our Savior Jesus, learned to humble himself by denying His status as truly God among men, it was easy to ask for the forgiveness of men, even at the painful cross. I don’t know how anyone will sincerely pray for the blessings on their accusers if our corrupted flesh has not be killed in God. We love revenge. Yes, our flesh will want to payback someway somehow when our territories trespassed.

Those contemplations in our hearts is what comes to hurt us most often than not. What did Jesus do according to scripture? He made himself of no reputation. We can do same. We can trust God to make other become more important to us than ourselves. I tell you, it will bring us endless freedom and peace.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:5-9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

CALL UPON GOD

Finally, call upon God. I have invited the Holy Spirit several times in my life. My flesh loves to examine the way someone talked to me or talked about me. Friends, I could examine things in my heart in capital letters and images and that hurt, after you put all things together in your thoughts. Satan is pretty smart. He loves to veer you off the course of life with cunning suggestions, supported by cinematic sounds in your soul.

Once your soul is gripped with his theme, you’re in a boiling pot of uncontrolled emotions. We should acknowledge before God, that we are a baggage of infirmities, and without His help we will only possess a form of godliness that do not align with the nature of God. The Holy Spirit helps us in all of our infirmities so that we could express a higher life and not be dominated by darkness in our hearts

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Be sincere in your heart of the weakness, difficulties, hurts you are struggling to endure and emits the God-kind of life, dealing with certain individuals. Tell the Lord about how you feel right now. It could be like this…

“Father, I feel dishonored, abused, disrespected by Ray Collins, and I am right now frustrated, feeling unworthy, unneeded in my heart. I don’t want to associate myself with him anymore or forgive him. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, please help me in my weaknesses so that Satan will not take advantage over my life. Precious Father, may your Holy Spirit fill me heart and become Lord over my emotions decisions. I thank you for helping me through this period in accordance with scripture”

“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:12-13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

After you’ve pour your heart to the Lord, the Spirit will descend upon you to quicken your spirit, strengthening you with peace and give you the necessary grace to prosecute His will. Remember, Our goal is to be obedient to Him and His kingdom as representatives. The kingdom path is different from the guidelines of the world. There is no one formula for everything. The Holy Spirit gives us the requisite formula and tools for our various situations. So be alert and opened to His guidance, once you’ve prayed sincerely, He will come and take charge over your heart, dispensing a richer and fuller life.

Shalom, friend | SEASON OF BECOMING | 2022