Devotionals

Fights and Quarrels

by Jennifer Woodley 
12/30/23
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'What causes fights and quarrels among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?' James 4:1 (ESV)

Every sin is an inside job. Internal pride and selfish ambition rises within our heart demanding its own way and all that is opposed to God. A person with an unhealthy heart, spiritually speaking, is never at peace with God, themselves or their fellow man. If we battle within ourselves, we will battle with those outside of ourselves. Though we may lay the blame on circumstances, the issue is a heart one. Jeremiah spoke well when he said, 'The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.' (Jeremiah 17:9). When the desires of our heart are wrong, then that which flows from the heart will be equally wrong.

As a believer sin no longer reigns in our heart, but its presence still remains. The same grace that reconciles us to God and enables us to overcome, antagonises the evil one, so that we find ourselves in a war with our archenemy. However, the enabling of the Spirit and the instruction of the Word equips us to be free from the clutches of Satan and our flesh. Let's remember that the Spirit that dwells within our heart is greater than the evil spirit in the world. As we resist the Devil, abide in Christ through humble prayer and seek the ways of the Lord through study and meditation upon His Word, we will grow in strength to overcome the evil desires in our heart that bring about fights and quarrels.

'Father, help me to stand strong against the enemy. Create in me a deeper love for you and your Word. Amen.'