Without and Within
The fight “without” and the fight “within” are both real and raging. This world desires to possess our souls for destruction… but, our Savior desires to impress upon our souls the victory of His Finished Work.
For even when we were come into Macedonia our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
2 Corinthians 7:5 ASV
Blessings and peace to you, my Beloved kin and fellow-soldier in the predetermined victory over darkness.
Though there are battles yet to fight, and enemies yet to tame… the outcome has already been recorded; our Hero has already sharpened His sword and is assembling His remnant. That is us, Beloved… the ones who are not ashamed to ride with Faithfulness and Truth.
Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.
Revelation 19:11 BSB
In the opening verse, the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, illuminates a monumentally important reality that we all need to have deeper wisdom about. We are engaged in a fight that is, “without,” and a second, yet concurrent, fight that is waged, “within.” These are actually the same battle, just fought on two separate, “fronts,” or realms, with foes operating in the natural and the supernatural (above the natural) at the same time. Most folks can resist and propel an assault that is singularly in one of these areas… but, the enemy never fights fair. The dread that our enemy has about us, Spirit-filled, Sword-carrying, righteous-living, grace-given, love-releasing, people of Almighty God… keeps his diapers in a constant state of stink. His fear for you forces him to fight irrationally, thrashing about with little or no forethought about the consequences to his dark kingdom when you rise as more than a conqueror.
Let this verse highlight some truth in you that can help you develop a powerful and winning strategy against the same-ole’ playbook operations of the opposition who are predetermined as defeated.
First, they (Paul and team, likely disciples) were EXACTLY where they were supposed to be. This is SO important and SO often ignored by Americanized Christians in our self-determined way of life. In our society, we demand God bless what we are doing and where we are. In a Kingdom culture, we demand of ourselves to be where God has already sent the blessing and doing what He has blessed.
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Acts 16:9-10 BSB
Beloved, DO NOT, ever judge or determine whether you are in God’s will by the amount of, or lack of, problems, pressures, or battles. Please, I am pleading with you, do not try to measure God with or by the natural conditions. God is bigger than the weather patters of life. If the waters around you are completely tranquil and peaceful, you may be, or may not be, in the center of God’s will. If the storm is raging and the seas are tumultuous, you may, or may not, be in the center of God’s will. Jesus never promised us rainbows, butterflies, and roses on this journey with Him… He promised us that He would never leave us or forsake us, no matter what the circumstances are. If fact, He actually promised us persecution… equivalent persecution to what He experienced. And remember, our Hero is famous for calming even the largest storm with just a single word.
Second, the afflictions described as, “without were fightings,” have many faces: notice the plural usage. In Paul’s case, these afflictions manifested as people, religious systems, and contrary government actors (how apropos to today). This blesses me to meditate on for the diverse ways that I have experienced external afflictions. Too many Christians have an ignorant belief system connected to the opinions of man. I have been buffeted by this pressure more than I want to admit. We incorrectly think that if we are really doing and saying what God wants, then everybody will loves us… thank us… value us… even applaud us! This is one of the most effective and dangerous traps ever conceived by our slithering enemy. Every successful person of God has had to face this external fight… the fight for whether you are persuaded by man’s opinion or committed to honor God.
How could you possibly believe? You like to have your friends praise you, and you don’t care about praise that the only God can give!
John 5:44 CEV
There is a balance here that needs to be presented, because there is a ditch on both sides of this road. One ditch is living for or by the praise of man and their fickle opinions that change with every fleeting emotional trend. That ditch will destroy your car and you will not reach the destination God intends for you. The other ditch, with the very same debilitating effect on your vehicle, is the rejection of Godly voices and counsel gifted to us by our Commander in Chief.
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”
And…
“Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.”
And…
“In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”
Proverbs 11:14, 20:18; 2 Corinthians 13:1b ESV
An isolated Christian is a defeated Christian. Nearly every time I have witnessed a person with a “Lone Ranger” attitude, especially when they do that ugly, “God told me,” thing, it has ended in complete misery and enormous pain for them. Paul knew this balance and followed the directive of Jesus through the heavenly vision, but also brought companions whom he trusted on the mission.
The older I get, the more I value the immutable necessity for the tension of divine truth.
Lastly, they had to fight against the four-letter cuss word that desires to afflict all of God’s people… “within were fears.” No matter how many battles you have won, no matter how many dreams and visions you have had, no matter how much of the Bible you can quote, no matter how awesome your counselors are, no matter how strong your resolve is… you will have to face and defeat fear.
Courageous people face AND defeat personal fears.
Notice, this was separate to the afflictions that were attacking from the outside natural world. This was not a fear of some ominous physical problem or barrier. This was an internal struggle. Likely an emotional battle that waged against their soul.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
1 Peter 2:11 ESV
There are times it seems the external fight is the hardest. Then, there are times when it seems the internal battle rages more intensely. The truth is that both are happening simultaneously and we divert our attention from one to another. The enemy wants you focused on the afflictions, but your Lord of Hosts wants you focused on His leadership. Jesus whipped the devil terribly EVERY time they met, and wants us to do the same.
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
Hebrews 12:3 ESV
I challenge you to read the rest of that chapter to see the power and reward of discipline that our Master exemplified. It is very humbling yet exhilarating to have a revelation of. You are called to be a victor and never a victim. That victory is ordained to be internal AND external… go and get ’em both! They belong to you…
Mount up, Beloved… let us obtain the victory that Jesus shed His blood for us to experience!
In great love,
Steve
