Easy Targets

Christians are easy targets.

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/target.htm

Actually they're easy targets for just about anybody these days, but I'm specifically talking about the devil.

We are such easy targets for satan and his legions. I wish I knew why. I wish I had a magical answer to combat the sin that lives in us.

My only comfort at times is knowing that everyone else is a sinner as well. Not a single person who walks this earth is perfect and without sin. The only man who could ever claim that was Christ and he paid my penalty!

If you're not a Bible reader, though I hope you are, take comfort in the words of Paul (one of the "founding fathers" of the faith). He too struggled with sin in his life. If the chief apostle, Paul, struggled himself, what makes us think we are immune to having satan's target drawn on our backs? We're not.

Romans 7:14-25 NIV

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Even Paul saw sin - he saw it a mile away, he saw as he approached it and he saw as he went right along with it even though he knew in his heart it was the wrong thing to be doing.

My pastor talked about this verse yesterday and I remember thinking how appropriate it was...but then again, I think this particular passage would be appropriate for any person at any time of life. We all struggle to get the devil's mark off our backs.

Pastor Greg gave us two simple points to remember:

1. By Grace our sins are forgiven and forgotten. Paul asks who will save him from his wretchedness...Jesus Christ. He knew the answer already and we do too! 
2. It's not about trying harder to stop our cycle of sin, it's about trusting more. Trust God more with your life and He will see you through.

No, being a Christian is not easy. It's no cake walk. And the closer you draw the God the more the enemy will attack you and try to pull you away.

Take the target off your back. Or, if you can't reach it, ask for help.

You may ask if this post is aimed at anyone in particular - no. It's not. But we all fall short and only have Grace through Christ's blood shed for us. This is aimed at myself as much as anyone else. Striving to be a Christian living in God's will every day is hard. I need help with it and blogging about it helps me to strive for what God wants in my life. I hope it will help you too. God bless!