Experiential Truths of Spiritual Warfare

Posted: 14 Apr 2012 04:55 AM PDT

For the last four years I have taken a keen interest in the law, which I feel many Christians overlook for various reasons. Usually there is a mistaken impression that the law has been done away with, so why bother understanding it. Well the religious leaders who assembled the bible felt it expedient to add Leviticus and the law was intended to make us conscious of sin. Why should we feel it necessary to overlook that which makes us conscious of sin? In my opinion, not being well versed in the law, contributes to ignorance and does not aid our understanding of where we go wrong or why.

There is something which has been bothering me lately concerning the law, which I feel I would like an explanation for. I have prayed into it and I would appreciate feedback from followers of this blog on my opinions. It relates to the impurity laws which state that emissions of semen and the female monthly menstrual flow are sins. Why does a just God who is good, righteous and loves us, create a human being with the capacity for love and sex, only to make the origin of procreation sinful? It makes little sense and it means that the root of all evil is sexual desire and the natural workings of the body to deal with childbirth. If the law applies to all humanity, then it would mean the first time Adam ever experienced a sexual release, then that was sinful. How can this be possible?

For the most part, male creative thought is directed at sexual fulfilment, assisting in the procreation of the human species. Much of our instinct has a sexual foundation. Sex is good for us and we enjoy it. Why then does our good God reveal a law which hinders the spread of humanity and goes against the very ethos of "be fruitful and multilply"? Then similiarly for woman, a law is put forth which states that the female monthly menstrual flow is sinful.

The cyclical cleansing of the uterus, which one would think is a natural process designed by God, is strangely a transgression of the law. How utterly paradoxical, perplexing and peverse. Paul in Ephesians helpfully tells us the law is "righteous holy and good".

I am passing through a phase in my faith walk which is opening my eyes to Satan´s attacks on human sexuality. Apart from one "ïntimate" encounter, I have lived as a celibate since since early 2002. I took time off to deal with depression, which I have managed to overcome through a severe spiritual struggle. Now I am facing a returning libido which presents a challenge to chaste living. Quite literally, I feel the best years of my life are going to waste.

Lately I discovered that in accordance with the Mosaic law, there is nothing which outlaws sex before marriage. I feel that passing this information on is liberating. I would like to challenge disagreeing readers to present me with scriptural eveidence which proves contrary to my findings. A man takes a wife, is joined or united to her and the two become one flesh. The word marriage is not specifically mentioned. Yes there are biblical marriage in the bible, such as the wedding at Canaan, but for the most part, there is little said about what exactly constitutes marriage. We have a religious ceremony passed down to us where vows are made before God and rings are exchanged. Does that have anything to do with the spiritual union God intended?

Researching marriage on en.wikipedia.org revealed a number of different types of marital arrangements which can be entered into today. An example is the marriage which allows a woman the benefits of a roof over her head, in exchange for sexual favours. There are other arrangements such as polyamoury, poligamy and especially group marriage. These are obviously not for everyone. I am neither a latter day saint nor a mormon, but I am intrigued by the idea of variety in marriage. For men who have a tendency to marital infedelity, wouldn´t two wives be a more open and transparent option than concealing an affair?

Personally I feel that if you love someone from your heart, that is satisfactory to God. How many perfectly good relationships are ruined by poceeding to marriage? Surely marriage has become important because humans have acquired property, which was not a feature of primitive man´s hunter gatherer existence. When primitive man fell out of love, he moved on to the next love interest. There weren´t any material possessions which could be handed to the wife as compensation. These days, married women have much more material security, perhaps on account of the fact that Satan has made man into a materialistic creation.

Lately I have been considering that our human selves are predominatly sexual and we don´t always want to fall in love and marry. We would prefer to focus on love, but love isn´t always something worthy of pursuing, because it can cause untold heartache when rejected. In between episodes of love, there is a desire and a need for sex. The animalstic side of human sexuality is what we have become adept at repressing in "civilized" society. The mere mention of it does not enjoy expression in church circles. Humanity has has elevated itself above the animal kingdom, but I feel that God is humbling us to understand that through sciences like genetics, we are more apelike than previously thought and less monogamous than we would be comfortable accepting. Yes I am a believer in creation, but I also know that apes are alot more intelligent than we give them credit for and are more like us than previously thought. Humans are very often behaving in a fashion which makes them appear less human than many simians in their natural habitat. You only have to switch on your TV and observe people protesting and in mob gatherings to recognise this. As custodians of the animal kingdom, how superior are we, when so much has been revealed about the rate of planetary animal extinction.

We ought not to forget that the human spirit which God created before life on earth, is an instinctual creation. The feeling and emotion component of the heart are subject to social and cultural norms and social boundaries, but the spirit has desires which are legitimate and we are supposed to live in societies which allow us to satisfy those desires in a healthy way. Are we not entitled to have our sexual needs fulfilled? Do you think sexual fulfilment is something God hinders or would you say that Satan is responsible?

1 Cor 7:32-38, Paul tells us that an unmarried man is is concerned about the Lord´s affairs - how he can please the Lord. A married woman is concerned with the affairs of this world - how she can please her husband. The married man is also concerned with the affairs of the world - how he can please his wife. Interesting how Paul presents marital union as a type of relationship which exclude God´s affairs.

Paul then goes on to say, an unmarried woman or virgin is concerned with the Lord´s affairs. Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. Paul speaks of the man who has settled the matter on marriage in his own heart, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin - that this man also does the right thing. He who marries the virgin does right and he who does not marry her does even better. Paul does not specify that the virgin will remain a virgin once with the unmarried man. Merely, that the virgin or unmarried woman is the preferred partner to those serving God. Doesn´t this stand in contrast to Paul´s advice for men who can´t control themselves and who burn with passion, to marry? 1 Cor 7:9

Perhaps if this message were to be more widely preached in churches there would be less sexual frustration amongst Christians. I would say that our sexual freedoms and ultimate fecundity are not stymied by God, they are deliberately thwarted by Satan who relishes frustrating God´s creation. Rom 820-21 tells us "the creation was subject to frustration not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in the hope that the creation itsself will be liberated from the bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." The question is, who subjects the creation to frustration? God or Satan. Are we not told, if Christ sets you free, you will be free indeed?

In the interests of sexual freedom, I recently carried out an interesting "social experiment" on a popular adult contact website. My main discovery was that majority of members trolling for casual relationship encounters were Christian women. Many of them for the sake of social acceptance, state that they are married or only seek dalliences with married men. The main reason of course is that a man who says he is married presents a "prequalified" mate that has been "accepted" by other women and who also may be less likely to want to get involved emotionally.

The Social boundaries governing out lives, present a tougher challenge for the Christian male. By exploiting relationship tactlessness common to men and by amplifying the fickleness of women, Satan delights in frustrating Christian men sexually.

It is not uncommon for older single men to need a sexual outlet. This is something which has no doubt let to the historical rise of the "oldest profession". Women should not be put out by this or see it as a threat to their emancipation, as current evidence is revealing that more and more professional working women are opting for male escorts instead of bothering with the highs and lows or complexities of conventional relationships. Perhaps it can be taken as an omen of greater male fickleness, which will hopefully balance out the equilibrium. As a man who is good looking, well-maintained and self sufficient, I have battled inexplicable situations on dates and nights out, which result in added frustration and can only be the work of Satan hindering my search for a suitable partner.

Do you think I was able to find a wife when I thought I needed to find a long term companion? No! and believe me, it wasn´t for want of trying. My desire is for a godly, attractive, woman and I feel that patiently waiting for 10 years is long enough. For sure there are woman who could be likely candidates, but I am shy more than anything else and having narcolepsy is of no help. I am starting to feel angry with God and I am sure that I am not the only Christian man who has experienced this feeling.

Interestingly, there is nothing said in the scriptures on sexual frustration being part of the sufferings of Christ. Beatings and blows, torments, persecutions and humiliations, but not sexual frustration. Surely this is against our Godly composition? Are we not sexual beings and created for the enjoyment of ourselves in a way that is mutually caring, supportive and ultimately loving which does not harm others? Was the creation not establisehd on the principles of love, sex and the promotion of human well-being? Doesn´t psychology tell us that sex and love which help a person to feel belonging, are middle order needs on Maslow´s needs hierarchy?

Now the scripture says, "flee from sexual immorality" and I agree that chastity and virtuous living are something we should uphold as Christians. But I feel that the desire for sex is driving me to break my celibate phase. I used to care about being cast into the lake of burning sulpher? But seriously, as long as there are other souls there to keep me company, wouldn´t that be a permanent solution to frustration? The growing anxieties of alonenes and the desire for companionship is making me wonder if God is so extreme in dealing with his creation.

When I was in my 30´s I used to feel proud that I had never paid for sex, because I knew that many of my friends and peers had done so. In all honesty I never knew that an educated, attractive guy like myself would find it so difficult to find the right person. I never struggled before I became a Christian, now every effort I make is laced with a sense of pending gloom. Should I continue to wait patiently, or should I concede that it may be a humbling experience which could be good for me?

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Saturday, April 14, 2012

Experiential Truths of Spiritual Warfare

Experiential Truths of Spiritual Warfare

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