Lance Byers

I am proud of my daughter. Watching her grow and develop has filled me with peace and joy that is unique to parenthood. What happens one day when she grows up? My goal is to try and have her grow strong and be filled with the wisdom of God, as Jesus was (Luke 2:40). What happens when things go awry, though? Often in life we are faced with choices which can tear our heart apart. Jesus said in Matthew 10:34-39, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

This sounds harsh on Jesus’ part. Certainly, Jesus’ message was one of peace and harmony with one’s fellow man, so this statement seems out of place or even contrary to the message. Humanity has a problem which is described in Galatians 5:19-24: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Paul describes the works of the flesh and of the spirit. If man were focused entirely upon the works of the spirit, the message of peace would be realized, and we would live in a world focused on godliness. The problem is that humanity has fallen. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” James goes into more detail in James 4:1-2: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.”

All humans have passions and temptations, and we must “be sober minded; be watchful. [Our] adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan knows our every weakness. He also understands the desires and needs of man and will exploit them to our detriment. While man has an innate desire for goodness and light because we were designed that way, our desires for self can overcome that fundamental seeking of light.

To call evil darkness is how the Bible directs us to see and understand it. “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and the people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19). Man does not want to be found guilty and wants to continue in sin because sin has them in its clutches, muddying their sense of right and wrong. When this misdirection and strong delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:11) takes hold of a person, they are now acting as an agent of the devil. It does not matter if this person is a stranger, a friend, a loved one, or any other relation. If that person is warring with God and will not repent or even see the light again, Titus 3:10-11 tells us what must be done: “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”

We are told this because of influence. For that sin to be displayed without resistance can cause others to see the temporary carnal joy that exists in sin, “the desires of the flesh, and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16), and desire it themselves, tearing a focus away from God. It reminds us that, “in the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions” (Jude 18; cp. 2 Peter 3:3).

These are the last days. We are awaiting Christ’s return. We have all we need for salvation, and it is up to us to “submit [our]selves therefore to God. Resist[ing] the devil, and he will flee from [us]” (James 4:7). It is a hurdle to get over if a loved one has fallen away. When Jesus tells us that the enemies are of our own household, it is not God who has waged the war. It is the sinful desires of man and the temptations of the devil which began it. An enemy at war when given quarter will take it. We must not allow even our deepest and most precious emotions to overcome our desire for God. As with the man at Corinth, our goal is to make them see that it is God we must desire more than anything. Even if that means sacrificing something precious to our own heart. Sacrifice it for it is temporary, only here in this life. Once all is finished here, an eternity awaits. Will you sacrifice all for this fleeting moment of comfort and submission to desire? Even if it is our own flesh and blood, the hope and prayer is that, with the discipline of ourselves for God, that others will be pulled away from the evil and turn back again.