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The Two Souls

“Two souls, alas, are housed within my breast,
And each will wrestle for the mastery there.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust

 

It’s no secret that fallen man’s heart is a battlefield. The issues differ from combat zone to combat zone, but all of Adam’s damaged children know the pain of living with a civil war raging inside.  We yearn to be valiant, noble and gracious, but even in the midst of minor victories we know that the treacherous self within has not been finally vanquished. The drunk who remains sober today, knows that he will face the foe again tomorrow. Just when we congratulate ourselves upon finally having tamed our tongue, we find ourselves secretly delighting in “dainty morsels” of gossip which the “whisperer” is so eager to share (Prov 18:8). We yearn for greater Christlikeness but all too often the enemy within betrays us. And the enemy within has powerful friends, like the skilful advertisers who normalize perversion, the trashy filmmakers who glamorize corruption and the postmodern educators who wage war upon traditional values.

But there is good news. The good news is that although he is embattled, the Christian has the equipment to defy and defeat the enemy.  He can starve the foe by saturating his mind with scripture (Psa 119:105) rather than with the values of Hollywood. He can choose to dwell upon the things that are “pure” (Phil 4:8) rather than upon the soap opera values of a society which has forgotten God. He can choose to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17) rather than to worship the cult of self which is the stock in trade of the pop psychologist. In short, the child of God can choose to defy the world and drain the enemy within of his power by putting on the full armour of God (Eph 6:11ff). God has supplied the armour – but we must resolve to put it on.

 

Good and Evil – Who Decides? Part 2

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Good and Evil Who Decides Pt 1

Good and Evil – Who Decides? Pt. 1   In her 1969 counterculture anthem Woodstock, songwriter Joni Mitchell intones: “We are stardust, we are golden, and we’ve got to get ourselves Back to the garden.” Of course, there is no getting ourselves back to the Garden. We live in a decaying universe which “groans and suffers” (Rom 8:22) because our first parents succumbed to temptation and disobeyed the LORD God when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and…

A Letter to Friends

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Despair or Faith?

Despair or Faith Isn’t it remarkable just how easily you and I can become absorbed in and entranced by the things of this world, even while knowing in our hearts that our citizenship is in the next (Phil 3:20)? We know that we are “aliens and strangers” upon the earth (1 Pet 2:11) and that our minds really should be set on the “things above” (Col 3:2) but still the world around us with its daily grind, its incessant demands…

On Keeping Accounts

On Keeping Accounts One of the few jokes that I can readily call to mind is about the elephant who, seemingly without provocation, kicked a defenseless turtle. When the indignant little reptile complained to his assailant, the elephant responded, “Turtle, you’ve obviously forgotten the fact that you insulted me 10 years ago, but I haven’t forgotten because I have turtle recall.” I’m not sure about turtle recall, but if like me you struggle to remember scriptural verses and anniversary dates, total…

What’s it All About – Pt 2

What’s it all about?   – Part 2     As my friend was laid to rest, the sound system belted out Sinatra’s I Did It My Way, and as I listened to the self-aggrandizing lyrics I couldn’t help but think “This is the saddest part of all.” Sad but not unexpected. John had good reason to warn against “the boastful pride of life” (1 Jn 2:16).  Our first parents believed an ego-massaging lie (you will be like God/gods [Gen 3:5])…

What’s It All About? – Part one

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Did Jesus Fail? Part 2

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Did Jesus Fail?

Did Jesus Fail?   Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer was a multitalented humanitarian best remembered for his work as a medical missionary in Africa. Sadly, he is also remembered by some as a man who used his God-given talents to undermine faith in the Christ of scripture. In his book The Quest of the Historical Jesus (1906) Schweitzer argues that Jesus died in despair and disillusionment believing that God had failed him. He writes: Before His arrest (Jesus) was overwhelmed with…

Alone and Stuck

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Two Souls

The Two Souls “Two souls, alas, are housed within my breast, And each will wrestle for the mastery there.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust     It’s no secret that fallen man’s heart is a battlefield. The issues differ from combat zone to combat zone, but all of Adam’s damaged children know the pain of living with a civil war raging inside.  We yearn to be valiant, noble and gracious, but even in the midst of minor victories we know…

Anxious Youth

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