Category Archives: Hostilities

Bible, Flesh, Holy Spirit, Hostilities, Romans, Scripture

WHO ARE YOU AT WAR WITH?

ROMANS 8:7

“because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,”

Wars have been present almost since the creation of mankind. After the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, man began to lash out at each other. The first record of this is when Cain killed his brother Abel. It has continued through the generations. The chief war is the one with God, when man refuses to bow the knee to the Creator of the universe and fights against the One which he will never defeat.

Paul says very powerfully in today’s verse that when we set our minds on the flesh we are “hostile toward God.” The word used here for “hostile” is echthra. This word is only used six times in the New Testament and refers to hostility towards God and towards others. It can be translated as enmity or hatred. It’s not just a simple little hate. It’s a “personal hostility or deep-seated opposition.” (Topical Lexicon).

APPLICATION

If this is present in your life, whether it is directed toward God or others, you need to take a look at yourself. Is your mind set on the flesh or the Spirit? In James 4:4 we read, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” This is so illustrated in the story about a British porn star who claims to be a Christian but refuses to stop her career in the porn industry. You can reconcile those two. You can’t claim to love God and continue to do the very things His Word says to stop.

Echthra is listed in Galatians 5:20 as one of the works of the flesh. Here it is referring to the personal conflicts we have with one another. Now, listen to me. Sometimes you can’t avoid conflicts with others. I understand that. This word is talking about those persistent conflicts. We are called to be peacemakers whenever possible. Don’t blame your conflicts with others on your temperament. That won’t hold water.

The good news is Christ abolished this enmity. Look at Ephesians 2:15-16. “by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility.” If Christ has abolished it, has put it to death, why do we hang on to it. Give up the hate! Give up the hostility! Allow the Spirit of Christ to transform your mind and focus only on Him.

O Lord, it is only through You that I can truly lay down the enmity of my flesh toward others.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Attributes, Bible, Choices, Flesh, Hostilities, Idols, Jealousy, Scripture, Strife, Witchcraft

DEEDS OF THE FLESH, PART 2

GALATIANS 5:20

“idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions,”

We continue today in the list of things Paul named as “deeds of the flesh.” Hang on with me. Don’t let me lose you. Some of these words really get defined well when we look at the Greek word. Mark this blog down as a word study. I believe these words are here for a reason for us today.

Verse 20 begins with “idolatry” which is just a worship of idols, false gods. While most of us have not been exposed to that directly, there are still billions of people around the world who are engaged in this practice.

“Witchcraft” is the Greek word , pharmakeía, which comes from pharmakeuō, “administer drugs”). It refers to drug-related sorcery, like the practice of magical-arts.

“Hostilities” is literally hatred. God hates hatred. Does that sound ironic? Listen, God is repulsed by our hatred towards one another.

“Strife” means to quarrel. It’s a readiness to quarrel (having a contentious spirit), affection for dispute. We all know people like that, right? I pray none of us are like that.

“Jealousy” is burning emotion (inner feeling boiling over, boiling from heat.” This word can be used both positively and negatively. You can be jealous for God. You can have a godly zeal for Him. But most of the time, jealously is not a good thing.

When “outbursts of anger” is used of people it indicates rage (personal venting of anger, worth). This flaw is completely absent of the Lord expressing (inspiring) intense anger. It is used of God’s perfect, holywrath in Revelation 14:10,19,15:1). This anger is directed against sin with intense opposition and without sin. [Only the Lord exercises righteous wrath, so we must depend solely on Him as we experience or express anger.]

“Selfish ambition” is acting for one’s own gain, regardless of the discord or strife it causes. 

“Dissensions” is used of divisions which wrongly separate people into pointless (groundless) factions. Used here and in Romans 16:17. “Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.”

Finally, we have the word “factions.” The term stresses the personal aspect of choice. It was how being a Sadducee (Acts 5:17) was sharply distinguished from being a Pharisee (Acts 15:5; 26:5). We form factions over the smallest disagreements. We are told preserve unity, not factions.

None of these fleshly attributes should be used to describe us. We must represent our Lord in all that we do. Most of these mentioned in today’s verse are sins against others. Would you go through this list again and pray against them so they will not be present in your life?

Father, keep me walking in the Spirit and away from these deeds of the flesh.

(Most of these definitions today came from HELPS Word-Studies)

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