SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1397

“Wrestle”

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing… – Romans 7:15-20

I was a big kid in High School and not very athletic. One of the things I hated about Gym Class was wrestling. The coach used me as the ‘practice dummy’ pairing me up with those who were on the wrestling team and although I gave it my best effort, I always got pinned.

I was reminded about the futility of those wrestling matches when I read our reference Scripture from Paul’s letter to the Romans and realized our time on earth is a life-long wrestling match. The difference is that, through Jesus, we can overcome!

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. – Romans 7:24-25; John 8:36

Wrestle with Our Sin Nature – Paul describes his ongoing wrestling match with his sin nature in his letter to the Romans. Just as Jacob and Esau representing two warring nations wrestled in Rachel’s womb, we too have two ‘nations’ at war within us. Our spiritual and natural natures will wrestle for dominance as long as we live in this body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body… The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. – 1 Corinthians 15:44, 2:14

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin; Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – Romans 6:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17

Wrestle Against Spiritual Forces – The world denies the existence and/or toys with the demonic forces in the spiritual realm. They call them alien life forms, spirit guides, and through entertainment, open themselves up to demonic influence through games, movies, songs, and even worship.

Jesus’ work to protect those who are His continues in Heaven as He intercedes for us against these dark spiritual forces and we, as born-again Christians join Him and wrestle against these cosmic powers through intercessory prayer and in the power and authority of the Spirit of God.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. – 1 John 2:1; Hebrews 7:25

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. – Colossians 4:12

Wrestling with God – Jacob was left alone. Stripped of all his material possessions, everything he valued in this world was sent away from him. His deceit was catching up with him as he was about to face Esau who had vowed to kill him, and he wrestled with God. The Lord wanted to remove Jacob’s heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh that was obedient to Him.

And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day…– Genesis 32:24,28

We are clay, God is the potter. When the clay resists being formed into His purpose, sometimes the Lord has to slap it back down into a lump and start over. Jacob resisted being transformed by the renewal of his mind and the Lord had to cripple him in order to get his attention. When we wrestle with God, God always wins.

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand; Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots!

Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’? – Isaiah 64:8; 45:9

Perfect Submission – The image for this devotional shows the agony of our wrestling struggle against sin. On our knees before God with arms raised, not to push Him away, but rather to reach out to Him in perfect submission, we receive power for living an overcoming life through His Holy Spirit. Jesus set the example of obedience to the Father’s will for us to follow.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross; saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” – Philippians 2:8; Luke 22:42

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect; Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – Romans 12:1-2; James 4:7