Enemy Within Us

The greatest enemy of humanity is their own-self. There are countless voices that could make human shrink and lost their guts and as the author of Untethered Soul display the consequence of this inner voice which I believed shared by many, yes indeed, "we cannot sleep!" The voice inside keep on talking always, disturbing us every time and everywhere (you cannot do it, you are useless, you are nothing compare to A, B, C). The author called the voice with a quite comical calling, "inner-roommate" and the sad news are, our inner room-mate are very talkative and also always never kind. This is the reality of being human and it is normal, so we need to accept it, and mantain it as Micheal A Singer in his book more or less proposed.

In Judeo-Christian World, this inner-voice was not seen as the the normal part of being human (God original plan) rather, It is a normal part of being a sinful human, after fall. In Judeo-Christian Worldview, we know that this troublesome inner-roommate is one of the part or the consequence of having the "indwelling sin" that is very active in us. 

Apostle Paul best expounded this truth of indwelling sin in Romans 7. And Reading Romans 7, Kris Lundgaard describe four theological truths that he could drew, 

First, sin is real.

Second, sin indwells us.

Third, indwelling sin tempted us (even when we are at our best).

Four, Indwelling sin never stop on working. 

Because of this indwelling sin is at work constantly, no wonder there is a time our sinful inner voice speak very loud and as the result that voices influence us so badly. To borrow the language of Cryil Cannolly, this indwelling sins will "sucks us down like the law of gravity." Sometime the inner voice tempt us, the other time it judge us severely. This is one of the most annoying effect of having the indwelling sin working in our sinful being. In the New Testament, Paul describe this inner condition as the tension between "flesh" and "spirit" (Galatians 5:17). Sady, our flesh is powerful to control (Mark 14:38). So, in our lives, it is possible tnat no matter how good we are now, we feel like what Lundgaard feel. He asked a question to each and every one of us, in which I believe we all could relate, "do you think that often time you are like Mr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?" (These famous story written by Robert Louis about people who having two distinct personalities: Benevolence and malevolence).

The feeling of inner-contradiction is universal. Even if we do not notice it, other people might be able to notice. Our actions does not matches our words, our mind are far from our living. So, if this were the case, thus for certainty the greatest enemy is primarily within us not outside us. As far as I concern, the only enemy that sticking close to us the longest and deadliest is ourselves. Sometimes, out of familiarity we are forget that we have been attacked by it or we are so preoccupied by it and became hopeless. The big question to ask, how to deal with the enemy within then? Back again to Romans 7 whereby Apostle Paul posted us the answer. He wrote, 

"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, in the members of my body, waging war agents 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." 

For Apostle Paul, it is clear that the only way we can deal with the enemy within, the inner-roommate, indwelling sin is one and only and it is Jesus Christ the Lord. The title Lord attested to Jesus here show how Jesus owned our being completely. The Lordship of Christ rule over our life and directs our destiny. Our part truly is to surrender to Him completely. In reality, when enemy within start to invade us, It is easy for us to grab as much as possible many helps from the world outside, ironically, apart from Jesus. Maybe those thing outside of us can help us in some extent in dealing with the enemy within but it deals mostly with the damage caused by the main enemy by doing only repairing and healing works, but never about destroying the main problem. This could impressing to be seen by others but in actuality, we are far away from being truly impressive in dealing with the enemy within. We are helpless, aren't we?

However, If we really surrender to Jesus, Jesus will deal with the core problem, the main enemy. The indwelling sin will be defeated, and will be tramped under the divine feet of Christ. The enemy will be completely gone at the eschaton (Revelation 21:4). The rhetorical question posted by William F Kecuher in his book, An Exodus for the Church sum this reality well, 

"Has the enemy within your lines met his match in Jesus Christ? Until you accept his acceptance and live with his fortifying within you, you must continue to be "Man against himself."