TUG-OF-WAR

Ever since God created mankind, there has been an ongoing tug-of-war for his soul. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, the soul is immortal; the seat of morality, emotions, and behavior; the life force of man; it is his identity, that is, who he is as an individual. And according to the Word of God, Paul, in writing to born again believers, recognized them as a trinity consisting of body, soul, and spirit (1 Thes. 5:23).

In Genesis 2:7, we are told that God formed man from the dust of the ground, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and as a result, man became a living soul. Although we are not told how man's spirit came into being, we know that Adam was "in (God's) image and likeness," and therefore, a triune being and spiritually alive (Gen. 1:26). We also know that when Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, he died; since his body and soul obviously remained alive, he had to have died spiritually (Gen. 2:17; 3:5). This is confirmed by the discussion Jesus had with Nicodemus (Jn. 3:1-8), where Nicodemus is told he needed to be born again of the Spirit.

When a person is truly saved (born again), he is QUICKENED or MADE ALIVE SPIRITUALLY by God (Eph. 2:1, 5). He receives the Holy Spirit, Who influences his spirit, so that he is able to perceive and understand the things of God (1 Cor. 2:12). The born again man no longer "hides from God," but he longs to be in His presence (Gen. 3:8; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:21-23). Paul, in speaking of the Lord's return to remove believers before the Tribulation, says, "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort ye one another with these words" (1 Thes. 4:17-18).

But unfortunately, while born again believers wait for the Lord to fulfill the promise to return for God's children in John 14:1-3, we are in a war, a tug-of-war, between God and Satan. There is a battle going on, heavenly warfare, for the influence of our souls (Eph. 6:12). God wants us to stand strong as a light to the lost world, and Satan desires to deceive and discourage us (Eph. 6:10-18).

In addition to that battle, believers have a battle going on within themselves. Paul wrote that he struggled with the conflict going on between his mind and his body; his mind wanted to please God, but his body wanted to please itself (Rom. 7:15-25). And so, the tug-of-war goes on between two sides: the world, the flesh, and the devil on one team, and the Word, the Spirit, and the Father on the other. If you cannot feel yourself being "tugged upon by each team," then I guarantee you that you are not born again.