THINK ABOUT what might work against you spiritually. What’s the best way to give the enemy an advantage? You lose when you don’t live by your convictions. You lose when you don’t live by truth. If you say, “God is love,” but your behavior is contaminated with anger or resentment, then you’ve already lost the battle. If you make excuses for a bad character, then the enemy wins.

Now don’t get me wrong. It’s not about acting good; it’s about being good. Your inner spiritual life will inevitably be expressed in your real life. No, you can’t win heaven just by good behavior. You will never reach perfection. But it should be easy to discern a life full of the Holy Spirit. When the mercy and love of Christ are at the center, everything else flows from that life giving source.

It’s not easy to resist something when “everyone does it”, even though it’s wrong. It’s hard to face our own selfishness. It may be difficult to resist joining an angry mob that appears to agree with your convictions. It wasn’t easy for Jesus to go to the cross. It wasn’t easy for him to forgive his killers that crucified him. But with these observable actions, Jesus’ testimony laid the foundation for the greatest spiritual victory of all time.

Your testimony is revealed in the concrete actions of your everyday life. It’s showing up on time. It’s being loyal and doing your part. It’s being where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there. And your testimony when nobody is looking is the critical piece of the puzzle. Leading a double life equals corruption and lies. And any hidden motive or dishonesty translates into a spiritual loss. A huge part of faith is being faithful.

The ability to say ‘no’ is an all-important weapon. Remember when Jesus faced Satan in the desert? The evil one offered Jesus many temptations, but the Lord resisted. He stood his ground. He didn’t give in to desires of the flesh, worldly power, or an easy way out. Instead, he remained faithful in his worship of God. Due to Jesus’ obedience and humility – and through his testimony – the Holy Spirit was revealed in the fullest expression possible.

Now, if you struggle with hidden harmful activity, don’t give up. There is always hope. If anything, God’s message is this: there is always a chance to change. As long as you live and breathe, you can try again. God will always forgive you and receive you. It could be drugs, alcohol, pornography, infidelity, greed… when your heart is divided, you know it. But remember this: your sin is not you.

Do not confuse your identity with the action. Instead, take a look at what’s going on with an attentive mind and heart. And invoke God’s Spirit to give you the conviction and strength to overcome the challenge. Appeal to his goodness. This may require going back for even deeper healing first. And even if you fail again and again, don’t give up trying. Hold on tight to God. In your effort, nothing goes to waste as the Lord forms your character along the way.

The battle is fierce. It can be messy, even bloody sometimes. Be careful not to choose the wrong fight. Don’t get distracted by culture wars and campaigns that have nothing to do with your life. Instead, seek to root out the corruption on the inside. Stop taking the easy way out. Stop taking advantage of something dishonest because everyone does it. Don’t compromise your convictions, strengthen them instead. Take full charge of your responsibilities and stand your ground. And once that battle is fully fought, others will unfold before you.

Like Jesus, don’t fear journeying into the desert to prepare yourself. Win the inner war first, then go out to the world. The battles you win – and even the ones you lose – will give you strength and courage to face greater challenges. The choices you make are what matters. Your convictions will be tested when it truly hits home and exposes your deepest motives. Money, family, work, status… many temptations are found there. Read that last sentence again. Think about how each one might affect your actions. Then learn how to rely on heavenly forces to be victorious.

And pray hard. Remember, the battle is fought on your knees. Then afterwards, in your everyday life, the victories are realized. There is no way around this. Without prayer, without communion with God the Father, there is no way to grow spiritually. There might be good people out there that never pray. But if you believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – if you believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ – and if you desire his Holy Spirit to fill your life – then you must pray. Your strength as a spiritual warrior comes from this. Ask the Lord to help you trust more and love more. Pray for the Holy Spirit to heal, free, and fill you with his presence.

If prayer is the spiritual exercise that prepares us for the struggle, then God’s Word is the fuel we need to remain strong. Study the scriptures to understand what God shows us about holiness, justice, and mercy.

Finally, your good conduct is not a reason to place yourself on a pedestal. You don’t rise above everyone else to be judge and jury about human behavior. That’s not what it’s about. Instead, it’s coming down lower, like God did when he became man. He lowered himself to our level, eye to eye. He came down to heal and to serve. Jesus came down to share the Good News and wash the feet of sinners, even of those who would betray him. And upon this powerful, impeccable testimony, the authority of Christ was established for all eternity.

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