The Battle For Inner Peace

The Battle For Inner Peace

3/17/17

Peace is what everyone wants to flood their existence and peace is the one goal that many will go to extremes to obtain.  Each day we marvel in the sights of violence in the name of peace, or selfish choices used to acquire this commodity that is considered to be more precious than gold.  But in almost every instance when these people and groups try to obtain this precious state forget one aspect and that is the eternal truth for without this truth peace shall never be obtained.  God is the only true peace and His Son represents this truth on all levels and until we return back to His Ways, all these efforts of ours will render vain and shattered attempts which will lead to further frustration and anger.  God is our source of true and perfect peace and we must recognize that this battle for inner peace must begin and end with God.

When we flip on any type of news source we see nothing but bad news, conflicts on every level, and global lunacy that threatens the stability of the humanity.  The message of hope for peace has not been initiated within the last few years or so but has been a battle cry for millennia now with no end to this desire coming anytime soon.  Personal hope and peace are just as important as national peace but when this ideology is skewed in one direction or accepted on a certain worldly adherence, rest assured that no peace will occur and the battle for this inner stability will continue.  Why would the most advanced societies in the world have so much difficulty in establishing such a sought after detail and then passing it on to each nation as a triumphant accomplishment? The answer is clear, all society is looking in the wrong direction and until we learn who can really bring this true peace to our lives, only false pretenses can exist and will ultimately result in one who will bring an end to peace as we know it.

As our eyes stare at our television sets and encourage the actors and actresses entertain our starving animated lusts with physical violence and mental assaults against morality, we stand on the street corners and demand that leaders of the world conform to unity and peace.  While countless people do not see anything wrong with this picture, awkwardness arrives when someone stands against those beliefs and further division results in such confrontations.  The sad institution of strife remains after such good intentions have been presented but as we shall see whose intentions shall continue but matters of inner peace will not change until we figure out that inner peace actually originates inside our lives and not the physical protests that the world conveys, and that true inner peace can only arrive through One source, one that we are currently throwing out of our lives.  Look at the escalation of our rivalry between individuals, groups, and nations and then look at how each participant is doing their best to throw out God and one shall see that there is an exact correlation between the two graphs.  Astonishingly, this quest for inner peace will always be an excitable goal for every heart but until we understand that Christ (God) is the source for this inner peace, the only result of our efforts will be disastrous.

There is an old saying that one cannot find peace and happiness unless our vertical relationship with God is intact and healthy, and thus our horizontal relationships are reciprocal in due course.  We find a great example of this perfect relationship and inner peace setting in Genesis when Adam and Eve roamed the earth without having to worry about any detailed problem facing them. But at some point down the Garden paths, we find that their minds and hearts began to waiver and to entertain temptation became the norm.  It is clear that for some reason that they did not understand this battle or that they ignored the reality of such a battle and did not believe in its severity and consequences.  A pattern that we have taken ourselves with all of the blessings, comforts, and prestige that we have been given.  It is east for us to wonder why would anyone who had perfect living conditions do something so foolish to blow it and end up in a completely different life.  But if we stop and really think about that question, we are living out that exact same pattern today and have no intentions of waking up and understanding what we are doing.

The actions that we portray as we walk down the streets of our towns and cities demonstrate our inner peace and how we conduct ourselves to our surroundings.  Many times I have sat in a mall or in a restaurant and just watched people conduct themselves.  It has been said that one can write a book about life by sitting in a public place for a few hours because of the different ways people act, this is true and one can also grasp a good idea of the mood of the people through such activity as well; inner peace included. Our Oncology department in the hospital has installed a Tai Chi class to help people focus on the inner side of our lives and while this method seems like it will do the job, many people who complete the course still feel lacking in their spirits.  See, if an event to obtain a goal is focused on worldly foundations, that is all that event can complete and it is imperative that we understand that the world can only create chaos, disorder, and death.  What I find intriguing is that even when people declare that they are at peace with the world, they are still unhappy and furthermore they cannot figure out why this condition still exists.

Many of us have read about individuals, groups or nations that have been brutally sought after for various reasons by those who wish to do such people harm.  Some of us may have been directly in line for such targeting with a small percentage of people who have had those threats acted upon, of course, if one lives in the Middle East that percentage is far greater.  Whatever the case may be how we perceive these unfortunate creations and their acts following such persecution says a lot about who they are and what lies within their spirits.  Anyone who says that they would not be afraid to live such circumstances is a complete liar because everyone likes to take their next breath without worry.  But to understand that the physical violence against each other is not the true battle is both frustrating and secure at the same time, two opposite sides warring for the control of your life.

King David serves as the perfect example of this uneasy feeling every time he stepped out of his place of residence.  From the time that David was a young lad, he had people that did not like him and tried to influence him and his surroundings enough to label him and to keep him in the pasture for the rest of his life.  Yet the spirit that David harbored within was one of humility, meekness, and purity and one that he kept close to him all throughout his days.  When the time came closer for God to use him, his trials became harder and grew more complicated reaching the point where he was thrust onto the scene with five small stones and facing the nation’s enemy directly.  Hiding in caves and running from personal enemies did not lead him astray or dim his confidence in God for each one of his questions was answered through the many psalms he wrote explaining his knowledge of God Himself.  When David had enemies all around him and his nation threats from every side, he did not waiver at all for he was noticed dancing fanatically in the open and praising his Creator for the blessings that he and his nation were given.

Be honest here and ask yourself if you could do what was you felt necessary to defend your nation against its enemies by dancing out in broad daylight, making loud praises, strumming on musical instruments, and drawing such public attention to possible spies that lurk in the camp.  I guarantee that most of us would be hunkered down in our caves and laying so low from the radar that our common house animals would have trouble recognizing us.  We use fear as a manipulative tactic in order to preserve our physical lives and consequently, we fail to understand exactly what war is ongoing around us.  The example that David gives us is one of great magnitude for our spiritual lives for David not only was a master wartime tactician he was a master at understanding and fighting the real eternal battle that was all around him.  An issue that would soon present itself to the nation of Israel, was in fact, lying in wait due to the compromise of this spiritual wartime knowledge by the people of this nation, including David and the following kings of that time period.

This issue of knowing what the constituents are concerning the real battle for our existence is also addressed by Paul in the New Testament for it seems like even though the Early Church was just that, early in its being, had already forgotten the real reason she was established by Christ.  Paul specifically addresses this wartime command in Ephesians when he had to make it clear that our fight was not against each other, or on the physical side of battles but against the eternal and spiritual enemies that seek to destroy our eternity with God.  When the author of many letters to the churches of the Early Church and a person who was responsible for persecuting so many Christians in the name of God, specifically addresses this issue about who we should be recognizing as the enemy, one should quickly pick up the truth of what is going on here.

So, why then are so many people who call themselves Christians fighting each other about who is right and who is not?  If we truly understood who we are fighting against and what our enemy wants us to become, it would be a no-brainer that all of the divisions that are in our midst today would be recognized as proof of this truth.  How many denominations are so divided – their root word – today, or how many were divided back in the Early Church?  There was enough division present back then to comprise the majority of the New Testament and today how many people write music, teach lessons, write letters, etc. in order to convey our woes against ourselves and to establish or re-establish who our real enemy is?  When one figures out this truth concerning spiritual warfare, all physical and scientific normalcies are thrown out the window for their elements mean nothing in fighting an enemy which composes his tactics against your spirit and not the physical.  I understand why many people do not like to even bring up this term of spiritual warfare, for comprehending physical war is difficult enough, yet to place another type of battle that is waged on a vague plane that many do not believe exists much less wish to fight against.

In previous writings of Paul and in the writings of David it would seem to be an absurd act of proclaiming great joy, with a grateful heart, joy to you my brethren, etc to be scratched down and be meant as logical and truthful words.  Earthly logic would label such writings and people as idiots or buffoons in thinking that one can perform and write such things during a time of real threat, but it is this knowledge of knowing how to fight the eternal war that brings such joy and peace to our lives for this means that we understand our real enemy and through this understanding also know the relationship that is there and that we can have with God.  It is this truth that binds us with our eternal Father and separates us from what the world views as lunacy.  God is not a lie, He is not a manipulator either but a Father who is eternal and constant in all courses and one who loves us with all of His heart.

I wish that I could say that everyone who wages war against other peoples would understand this truth about who our real enemy is, but if I stated such a claim I would be lying for while we would like to believe that everyone does not like war and the settings that it brings there are those who love this type of battle and look forward to nothing else in life.  By no means does God want to render ourselves physically defenseless when we grasp this truth about enemies, for God has provided our lives with the perfect defense mechanism (His Word) against our spiritual enemy so why would God proclaim any other tactic on another level?  For if we cannot have the knowledge to defend ourselves on all fronts, what good are we as offensive warriors?

Today, the Church sits in a peculiar situation for she finds herself wrestling with both sides of the war, and to make things worse she is wrestling with both sides of the physical and both sides of the spiritual.  While this setting may look acceptable to some eyes we have forgotten that it is this position that God warns us about and has warned every person that has taken life-giving breath as well. It is spiritually impossible to take both sides and try to combine them in name of goodness or in any other name.  The world shall always laugh at the figurehead of God and all that He stands for, but that does not mean that we can retaliate through worldly means in order to make issues “right” in God’s eyes, a process which would bring inner turmoil instead of inner peace.

Wisdom is what God provides for His people and it is this holy wisdom that brings into light all aspects of our enemy.  It is our responsibility to understand this fact about our lives and then learn as much as possible about it for not only does it serve as the means to which we fight Satan and his demons but it also serves as the foundation that calms our spirit when these battles arise. We must remember that spirit recognizes spirit and if we know how to listen through our spiritual ears, we will know when a spiritual battle is about to occur.  Oddly and strangely enough, it is this approaching battle that alerts our spirits yet keeps us calm enough to prepare ourselves for battle.  It is these examples of David and Paul that take into account for the inner peace truth that all of God’s children should understand for if we do not we are sunk!

In this instance what hurts God the most is that the enemy who is pulling our strings is laughing while we allow him to do such an act against us.  Satan provides all of the worldly “answers” that we could imagine yet none of them that we implement do anything to achieve this peace we so desire.  The Church was established for such an offering through her groom Jesus, but we have decided to turn against our groom and thus invited the world into our holy folds.  It is this action in which the Church is responding to the turmoil that the world is offering; wait a minute, we are seeking the answers to our needs and problems from the source of the problems?  THINK ABOUT THIS CHURCH!!  The key to obtaining and then maintaining inner peace is to first know that there is an inner war that is ongoing for our eternal existence.  It is this battle that we need to understand because when we do our effectiveness against the physical battles will become clear and knowledgeable, it is our eternal existence that is still in question our physical has already been determined.  There is nothing funny about spiritual warfare for it destroys more lives each day than the physical wars ever have simply because we do not understand the conditions of this war.  God wants to understand that the Church no longer understands what spiritual warfare is and that turning a blind eye to her eternal status will lead only to her death.

No one can deny the fact that the world is in terrible shape and getting worse as each day passes.  So, why isn’t the Church doing her job and proclaiming the true gospel and serve as a beacon of light to the darkness that is around us?  It is this truth concerning the loss of the truth about spiritual warfare that holds the key to inner peace and the necessary instrument that is within our lives to open this inner peace to the world.  The Church should be dancing and rejoicing in this storm instead of begging the world to join its confines demonstrating that she understands what is occurring and through her actions can provide the true answer that everyone needs.  It is this type of public displays that tie what lies within the heart of the Church.  So, God asks once again where is your inner peace laying or do you even have it?  Do you understand it and are you displaying it?  Until we figure this truth out, the Church and all other entities trying to find inner peace will be fighting against each other and on the wrong battlefield.

Church, it is time we stop making deals with the world and once again fight for what Jesus commanded us to do.  No longer can we afford to be pacifists when it comes to the spiritual realm of our lives.  The only way for us to be able to fight the correct battle is for us to bury our hearts into the Word of God and to study it like never before.  Times are tough but God has news for us, they are about to become tougher on ALL levels.  Total evil is just around the corner and God has given us a few more spiritual moments to make things right with Him.  Who would have ever believed that the Church would be one of the main entities that would prove the Bible correct, we should have learned that lesson from the Israelites.  Inner peace does not come from Tai Chi nor does it comes from any other worldly idea it comes only through God and the knowledge of exactly what our eternal placement means and the battle that is raging for that placement.  As of this moment, we have time to start dancing in public again, will you take it?

DLB