Three "Cs" The Bride Battles

There are 3 dangerous “C” words that plague the Body of Christ and at least two extremes to which I’ve seen Christians fall prey.

1)      Ignoring the fact that we’re in a spiritual battle and only seeing things through a carnal (earthly perspective).

OR

2)      Seeing EVERYTHING as the result of demons, and blaming the devil for every bad thing in their life.

Somewhere in the middle, is the real Bible believing Bride of Christ. The Bride knows that the enemy wants to ensnare her. She knows that her Beloved, Jesus, has conquered the power of the devil.

Why then, you might ask, does the Bride not show any signs of victory, display His power, or live continually a life without spot or blemish?

Because the enemy of the Church is summed up in these three words:

•  Complacency  •  Compliance  •  Compromise

Complacency is where the cares of your own selfish life have taken precedent over the call of God. It’s where debt keeps you up at night. It’s where decisions needed to be made cause confusion, and where the lack of intimacy with Jesus through worship & prayer, have made you weak in faith and double-minded. It’s the silent killer of dreams, the anti-spirit of  evangelism! It keeps you focused on the temporal, while everyday you let someone pass you by that could spend eternity in hell if they don’t repent, and your attitude is “not my problem”, “not my gifting”, or “I’m too busy”.

Compliance– Listen to the definition:

• The act of conforming, acquiescing, or yielding.
• A tendency to yield readily to others, especially in a weak and subservient way.

Christians comply to the will of the enemy everyday…when we don’t stand up for God’s Word! When we don’t BELIEVE that God’s Word is true despite our circumstances – walking by sight and not by faith – which is the opposite of what God has commanded us to do! (2nd Cor. 5:7)  We comply with our culture (allowing it to shape our views and beliefs as opposed to the unchanging Word of God!) The Bible says not to be conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2). We comply when we cave into “spiritual peer pressure” and we’re afraid we might look too radical if we obey what   God’s calling us to do at times. We comply when we adopt a “hang on until Jesus returns” attitude that keeps us in “survival mode”. Where is the victorious Church? We’re too busy acting like we can’t do anything about it, so we just lie down and take whatever comes our way. Compliance is a total slap in Jesus face as we ignore the very authority He purchased for us on the cross!

Compromise – Often the most subtle, yet most damaging tactic of the enemy to the Body of Christ. The ways of the world are always calling, and we know our flesh is weak. Only by God’s grace, and continued spiritual disciplines (worship/prayer/study God’s Word) can we stay  on track. We may think because we’ve given up our old way of life, which for some included what I like to call “outward sins” (obvious sin as seen by our actions), that we don’t have to deal with temptation. The truth is “inward sins” are always lurking in our hearts – sins of attitude, fleshly desires, ways in which we need to align our will with God’s, but haven’t quite surrendered yet. This is why the Psalmist prayed “Lord, search me and try me, and see if there be any wicked way in me.” (Psalm 139:23) The enemy will always come to tempt you – to see if you’ll “take a bite of the apple”. No one is above it, remember, even Jesus was tempted in the wilderness (when He was weak from fasting) yet He did not sin. Compromise is much more than dealing with temptation – it’s when you give in or give up a little at a time. When I think of compromise, I think of the way they used to fight in the Bible times. They had forts surrounded by large gates. The enemy would use a large battering ram and slam it against the gate, over and over and over again…until it weakened. This is a perfect picture of compromise. The problem is, once you give an inch, it takes a mile! You give in just a little, and then a little more, and then a little more – until you’ve agreed to full blown sin. Compromise makes you inconsistent. It’s an open door to the enemy to take control of that area of your life.

The answer to the 3 “C’s” are not hidden like a secret. It’s not found in some “new revelation” from the latest Bible guru, and it’s nothing new…in fact, it’s more of a return to the beginning (your first love).

In the book of Revelation, the letters to the churches provide insight to us today as to what God expects of us. There is a letter to a “compromising church”, and letter to a “loveless church” and a letter to a “Corrupt Church”, to name a few. The lesson learned from the compromising & corrupt church are to be aware of the things of the world that come in and “seduce” the people of God into mixing Christianity with idolatry (the ways of the world/the ways of the devil). We see from the letter to the “loveless” church that they uphold the truth, stand in judgment against un-righteousness, but they fail to do “right” in love. Have you ever been right in principal and wrong in spirit or attitude? God calls us to uphold His character both in holiness and in love.

So, fight against:

Complacency

• By asking God to give you a “heavenly perspective” – thinking on eternal things,
•  Understanding that you are not your own, you’ve been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20). The Bible says we should take up our cross daily (Acts. 17:11)
• God has a plan for our lives – seek Him to find out what He wants, knowing that it’s better than anything we can come up with on our own.

Compliance

• Recognize that Jesus has given us authority in His name and we don’t have to settle or be reactionary to our circumstances
• Greater is He who is in us, than He that is in the world!
• Pray against and break any stronghold from  the “fear of man”  We’re going to live to honor and please God, not man. (Prov. 29:25)

Compromise

• Seek first the Kingdom of God and let all other things be added unto you! (Matt. 6:33)
• Be serious about purging yourself from anything that could cause you to stumble. (Matt 18:8-9)
• READ, PRAY, LIVE Psalm 119:1-15!!!

 “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!” – Psalm 119:1-7 (NLT)