Making War

When I first came across this video, I was a little uneasy. Being Mr. Nonviolence, I was like, “Say what now?” But when I pushed play, I learned that John Piper here is NOT talking about declaring war on others, but on ourselves.

Our addictions.

Our hatred toward others.

Our apathy towards injustice.

Our sinful nature.

“My greatest enemy is not Satan,” Piper says. “My greatest enemy is John Piper.”

Lately I’ve been thinking about this video and what it means. There’s definitely an battle within me, but mostly I don’t fight back. I just surrender and let the darkness take over. Then the darkness tortures me with guilt and shame.

I like to think of myself as a lover, not a fighter. But I think it’s time to get my war on.

How do I do this? I think the first step is actually another form of surrendering . . . but this time it’s surrendering to Jesus. I’m not strong enough to fight my sin on my own. I need to let the Holy Spirit do the fighting for me.

How do you make war?