The Young Fight

I can't remember the last time Jesus really brought me down to my knees, literally. Yet today I realized how much I missed being there, at his feet, completely helpless, admitting no power of my own. Full sovereignty of the God Almighty, shown to a mere mortal like myself, a person who frankly does not deserve to live the blessed life I do. On my knees in a state of pure helplessness and broken pieces.

And it felt so refreshing.

I've been so busy this past week that God has not at all been my household name. I've been to tired to proclaim his name, my eyes have been closing too quickly to read his word, and my heart has been filled with anger, annoyance, and lacked in love.

Ahhhhh, but then came today, as the wind howled outside, the glass windows and white walls of my room creaked and moaned, I fell back into God's lap. He held me like a child as I told him how much I sucked, and how much I was sorry. Good thing he accepts apologies that are neither coherent nor eloquent, because I couldn't really express anything in words.

He told me to read his Word, he told me to "pick up and read" like the children told St. Augustine to do. I ran over towards my Bible, a bit giddy at the thought of finding something exciting and new in a book so old, but yet so forgotten by my soul this week. Opening to 1st John I read verse 9, which coincidentally I had heard just that morning.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

I am now made righteous in his sight.

Then I read chapter 2, and verses 12-14 stuck out to me:

"I write to you dear children,

because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

I write to you, fathers,

because you have known him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, dear children,

because you have known the Father.

I write to you, fathers

because you have known him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you are strong,

and the word of God lives in you,

and you have overcome the evil one."

I wanted to know what was the relation between being "young men" and "overcoming the evil one." And I thought then about how in wars, the most able, young, strong men were called to serve. Children would be too little, and fathers too old. Therefore the "young men" (and women of course) make the most impact, because they are in their prime ages to fight.

So in a battle with the evil one, it is the young men who fight, because they are able too. The children understand the name of the Father, the fathers have wisdom of the ages, but the young men fight. They fight with strength, fervor and passion. They also overcome evil.

And so I sat on my bed and realized that in coming to the foot of God, admitting my sin, and asking for forgiveness, that I was fighting. I was overcoming the evil one. See Satan sits there and hopes that we'll either feel too guilty, too ashamed to come to God with our sin. He throws lies at us that God won't love us unconditionally, and that we instead need to run and hide just like Adam and Eve did in Genesis. But the reality is, that in a battle, you have to stand up and fight to overcome the enemy. If you run away they capture you and you can never find freedom.

So the irony in confessing our sin, is that it's really a fighting technique. And I learned today that when I stand my ground, firmly planted back in the Father, I do win the battle, and I do overcome the evil one.

And praise God for that.