Everything is Contested
Everything is contested.
Look around, you will see evidence of it everywhere.
There is a contest for people’s hearts. There is an ongoing moral contest in our culture. Every temptation you face is a contest, and every advance of the kingdom of God is a contest because it takes more of the enemy’s territory. Whether you like it or not – you were born into a contested space. You live in a war zone.
The earth has been a contested space for thousands of years. You can trace the origins of the contest right back to the fall of humanity in Genesis 3. At the fall the devil tempted Adam and Eve with the idea they could be their own gods. They took the bait, made the call to separate from God, and everything began to unravel. God could have abandoned the human project right there and then. But he didn’t. Alongside the first sin came a promise that someone would someday crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). That moment signalled his intention to fight back against the evil in the world. He would contest it – and contest it he has.
There are three key opponents in this contest: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
The devil was around in the beginning and he is still around now. He is a strong opponent (Ephesians 6:12) and is committed to wrecking anything good. He wields enormous power (1 John 5:19) over a second opponent of yours: the world. In the Bible the world is the sin-fractured culture you live in and the people who influence you. People in the world manipulate you, attack you, criticise, persecute, and tempt you. Sneaky marketing makes you think evil is good – it can seduce, trick, and bankrupt you. Your final key opponent is the flesh. The conflict between what your flesh wants and what the spirit wants can be the strongest contest of all (Galatians 5:17). It is your flesh (or sinful desire) which wages war against your soul (1 Peter 2:11).
If you keep your eyes peeled, you will find the fingerprints of the world, the flesh, and the devil on every test and temptation. Take this scenario: It’s been a hard week and you’re tired. You have just poured yourself a cold drink and are headed for the couch. Then one of your kids winds up. ‘STOP IT!’ they yell at one of their siblings. In that moment there is a contest going on for the hearts of your children, and it’s about to spread to your heart. What you do next is critical. The devil won’t want you to intervene and bring goodness to this situation. He will lie and tell you it is not your problem, the world will tell you that you have earned it and deserve the break (hundreds of ads have discipled you into that way of thinking), and your flesh will want the comfort of a drink, the couch, and the TV. This is a contested space.
Some of you may push back on this notion because your life just doesn’t feel like much of a contest.
But be careful. If you cannot hear the sounds of battle in your life it may be because you aren’t fighting for anything good. Your situation may be worse than you think – after all, a dead fish always goes with the flow.
If we live in a war zone and everything is contested, then how we handle ourselves is critical.
We want to be people who live well and are not duped by either the world, the flesh or the devil. The scriptures are filled with help for those who want to walk well through contested spaces. Start with Psalm 27. Here we learn how David maintained his poise and direction amid enemies, foes, and false witnesses. Check out this amazingly steady statement:
When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
These four activities helped David to be stable in a contested space:
David locks his gaze on God. “That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD” (Psalm 27:4) He knows that there is a connection between his view of God and the size of his enemies. When our enemies loom large, we need our vision of God to loom larger – only then will they assume the correct size.
He talks to God – out loud. “Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud” (Psalm 27:7) There is no need to overcomplicate it. If you are in a contested space and you are getting tired, if you are wondering how you can go on or how long you can withstand your enemies, cry out to God. Let him know what is on your heart. And do it out loud. Speaking out loud often neutralises some of the mysterious power of unarticulated thoughts and feelings.
He looks to God and his revealed ways to teach him how to walk through a contested space. “Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies” (Psalm 27:11). Jesus is an expert at walking through contested spaces and we would do well to learn from his Word and imitate him. When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples, he told them it was as though he was sending out sheep amongst wolves. He then advised them to be as cunning as serpents and innocent as doves (Matt 10:16). The only way through the minefield of a contested space is to walk the way Jesus walked.
Finally, David waits upon God. “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14) If you don’t already have it, you need to develop the fine art of waiting. David knows God does as he pleases. He knows God has a plan and purpose, and it’s always good – even when it’s different to his own. So David waits. And it’s not a lazy, do-nothing kind of waiting. It is an active waiting where he stays connected to God and anticipates his activity.
How do you steady yourself in a contested space?
What do you do?