Are We Trying to Have a Dinner Party on the Battle Field?
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.
We do not understand as we should the great conflict going on between invisible agencies, the controversy between loyal and disloyal angels. Over every man, good and evil angels strive. This is no make believe conflict. It is not mimic battles in which we are engaged. We have to meet most powerful adversaries, and it rests with us to determine which shall win. (In Heavenly Places, p.253)
We are so often weary of our trials, wishing life could be more peaceful and easy. But, to have an easy life here, is to miss the opportunity that God gives us to overcome difficulties through prayer to Him for help and faith in His promises. Through our trials God teaches us of the evils that still lurk under the surface in our characters, that must be overcome.
Do not look upon trial as something strange, but as the means by which we are to be purified and strengthened. "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations," James admonishes; "knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:2, 3). In the future life we shall understand things that here greatly perplex us. We shall realize how strong a helper we had and how angels of God were commissioned to guard us as we followed the counsel of the Word of God. (In Heavenly Places p.257)
Our heavenly Father does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. He has His purpose in the whirlwind and in the storm, in the fire and in the flood. The Lord permits calamities to come to His people to save them from greater dangers. He desires everyone to examine his own heart closely and carefully, and then draw near to God, that God may draw near to him... Every soul that is saved must be a partaker with Christ of His sufferings, that he may be a partaker with Him of His glory. How few understand why God subjects them to trial. It is by the trial of our faith that we gain spiritual strength. The Lord seeks to educate His people to lean wholly upon Him. . . . (In Heavenly Places, p.265)
But we want an easy life! We want to enjoy doing what we want to do, to have no trials, to be comfortable.
I have in my mind an image of a war/battle ground with fire flying from one side to the other. And in the middle of the battle ground is this group of people sitting around a table trying to have a dinner party - enjoy the food, the music, the company, the view. They keep getting disturbed by all the noise and annoyance of this battle going on around them - wishing it would go away, wondering why this battle is on, and why it has to keep disturbing their dinner party.
How absurd!! But that is how it is with us in life - we are in the greatest of battles there ever was - the great controversy between good and evil. And we wonder why our attempt to have a peaceful and happy life keeps getting disturbed by trials and problems!!
Am I still trying to have a dinner party in the middle of a battleground?
