New Year’s resolutions. I think all of us at least think about something we would want to change or improve about ourselves when the new year begins. I certainly remember in my early years after all the partying of the holiday season I would resolve to drink less. It would be a stoic determination. “This is the year that I cut back! No more drinking during the week, just a few on Friday and maybe Saturday.” And maybe I would carry through on it for a week or two. But as the year progressed will power and determination were never enough. The first rough patch I would hit, out would come the bottle no matter what day it was. Why was it so hard? By the time I reached 30 I gave up on resolutions all together. In fact, my failures at upholding them led me to believe I would never be able to stop drinking.
It took me years and the grace of a loving God to find I had it all wrong. Resolving to ‘stop drinking’ was an exercise in futility. No, there is nothing wrong with the intention, it is a positive thing in a very negative world. But for the most part ended up a hollow effort because the addiction was stronger than my will power. Alone in the battle I failed, and that failure led me to believe I could never win. I had been there and done that for close to 45 years. One good intentioned failure after another.
My real problem was that I did not understand that my personal battle was part of a much bigger war that has been going on long before the fall of man in the garden of Eden. A war that started in heaven, “Now a war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer a place for them in heaven.” (Revelation 12:7-8) A war in heaven? Maybe you have never heard of this before. Angels fighting? A dragon? What is all of it about and why does it matter to us? I think we can find the answer in the very next verse, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world- he is thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” (Revelation 12:9) The war didn’t end there Satan set up camp here and soon was tempting Eve with the forbidden fruit. Mankind now entered this spiritual battle. And if it ended there all hope would be gone, but it does not.
Right after Adam and Eve were deceived, God throws us a life line, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush your head, and you will bite his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) A promise that Satan might win the battle, but he won’t win the war! One will come that will crush his hold on us but in the process that one will suffer. It is the promise of Jesus Christ.
It wasn’t until I understood that we were in this battle with spiritual forces that I could see the futility of my efforts to overcome one of Satan’s weapons to keep me in bondage, addiction. The apostle Paul says it powerfully, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) But understanding that a battle was taking place was not enough. I needed to know and believe that the promise of Genesis 3:15 was true. Satan no longer had control of this place, he was defeated by a Savior willing to die under the weight of my sin, all sin, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) When I believed I could live to righteousness, I found a strength I did not have. My personal battle could be won.
It did not happen all at once. My struggles continued for two years after I accepted Jesus as my savior. You could say Satan had a strong hold on me. But gradually I began to see a life without the bottle. The more I delved into God’s word the more power I found to release me from the grip. Finally, in October of 2010, one day after another I did not drink. I had made no resolutions, I had no intention to stop drinking. But as my life was changed by the power of the Spirit living in me. The battle was won.
So as this new year begins, I do have resolutions, things I want to do better for myself and others, but I have learned to turn them over to Jesus and trust that, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Even with the war raging around me I can have confidence and hope today. I pray you can also, don’t resolve to do it alone. I have read the end of the book, Jesus wins! So, can you!
Blessings John.
1/8/18
So well said. Praying for many readers.