I love adding pictures to my posts but I struggled to find one that wasn’t so gross my readers wouldn’t take the time to read today’s message. Most of the pictures I found relating to “Flesh and Blood” were grotesque-many showing disease and decay. While those images are very tough to view, reality is they are probably more close to accurate at what’s happening not just in physical bodies but in families, work relationships, friendships, and other very important associations we have with people.
The majority response when talking to people about why they no longer attend church, serve in ministry, affiliate with groups they’ve joined, work at certain places of employment, etc., will involve a people/relationship failure. I woke this morning with a burning question-not just for my readers but for myself as well-How is this so, when the bible clearly states to the contrary that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12), that our fight is not against one another?
As more and more decay occurs, we’ve got to really get this fact engrained in our hearts, minds and spirit. I am convinced that once we do this, we will look at situations more closely and structure and direct our prayers to more effectively combat the wars raging against us. Let me ask you, how do you currently pray for those you seem to struggle with? Do you pray for those individuals? We should be doing this (see Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:28).
We are more powerful than we could ever imagine. We are more victorious than we will ever embrace. The only blood that matters is that of our savior, Jesus who shed His blood and died because we, at our very best, were simply not able to redeem ourselves. God allowed Jesus to endure so much for us-but we don’t want to endure anything. What God did not do was leave Jesus with us, but in His awesome way of loving us better than we could ever love ourselves, He left the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to guide us to direct us-but I wonder today, who is really allowing the Holy Spirit to have full control? It is through the Holy Spirit, we are able to shake off every “high” thing that tries to gain access to our hearts, minds and spirits that doesn’t line up with the word of God. Further, it is through the Holy Spirit that true revelation comes concerning every facet of our lives.
When Jesus, before going to the cross, asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?”, only one of them who had spent all that time with Him-Simon Peter-was able to answer correctly, “Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God”. Jesus replied, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in Heaven.” So what am I trying to say-even with all of our education, credentials and know-how, we are nowhere near as effective as we could be if we are not allowing God to work in us, through us, and around us to overcome all that tries to overtake us.
Flesh and blood, it’s not our struggle, it’s not our power and it’s not what matters. It’s the blood of Jesus, all He’s done for us, all He’s left with us, and all of Him we allow to work through us. His blood and our acceptance, adherence, and application-no matter the cost, no matter the loss-this is what truly matters!