Lately, I find myself being aggravated and irritated at every turn. It usually occurs after I read some post on social media or just the media in general. I start going over and over a comment, replaying it in my mind and getting more annoyed. I was praying for God to help me get past this attitude when I came across verses in my daily reading and was reminded by the Spirit of other verses. You see, I had recently determined to have a more Christ-like attitude. Let’s face it, I had decided to be less grumpy because I had so much for which I should be grateful. The minute I determined to work on that goal, I was hit by every kind of temptation imaginable in direct opposition to that goal. I had gotten the enemy’s attention.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
(1 Peter 5:8)
The devil is always looking for ways to trip up Christians. He wants to make us ineffective as ambassadors for Christ. The more you try to follow Christ’s example, the more he will attack. However, he is sneaky and tries to use others to do his dirty work.
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 spend our time fighting things and people when in reality we should be fighting a spiritual battle. We need to recognize who the true enemy is and how he is at work. Only then can he be defeated.
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
(James 4:1-3)
We need to stop fighting each other, and recognize our true enemy. The devil keeps us so busy fighting one another that we fail to do what we have been commanded: Love one another. The only remedy to eradicate hate is love. We can jump on every bandwagon to fight injustice that there is, but if we do it without love, then we are just a lot of loud noise (I Corinthians 13).
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
(Romans 12:21)
So, instead of going on a rampage on social media, let’s try and show a little kindness to our neighbors. Instead of returning hate for hate, and meme for meme, let’s spread the Good News of hope in Christ. Let’s be an agent of good.
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
(I Corinthians 15:33)
To me, this verse sums up the problem these days. We have allowed the enemy to divert us from our purpose. Let’s not be deceived anymore. Let’s take up our only spiritual weapon, the sword of the Spirit (God’s Word), and turn it on our real enemy (Ephesians 6: 17).
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
So very true Ms. Linda. Like the apostle Paul, we try with all our might to do what Christ leads us to do, yet our carnal, human spirit (sin nature and all) seems to win out much more than any of us want it to. Speaking only for myself here, I realize it happens, I cut myself some slack because I know I won’t be perfected in this life, I confess, repent, and try again. I think God blesses our efforts, but He waits for us to call upon Him when we are to engage in “spiritual battle”; which seems every second of every day any more ma’am. Wonderful post! God’s blessings ma’am.
Yes to all of this, Linda. We must be strong. Social media can be very destructive.