- Mar 5, 2024
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Bringing Passion Under Submission, Part 2
You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. (2 Timothy 2:3-4)
As shared in Part 1, sometimes Christ's soldiers can develop a strong attraction to one another, especially those called to serve the Lord together. In the midst of being called to fight side by side in the spiritual war, members of the opposite sex can find one another immensely attractive, particularly when their partnership is leading to great spiritual success.
Is it a natural thing? Yes, but there are dangers which need to be accounted for. The cover image for this set of devotionals was taken from a movie called Allied, staring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. It told the story of two spies in World War II who had been assigned to infiltrate a NAZI organization and take out its leadership. Both were professionals and good at their job, but in the midst of having to play "husband and wife," they developed a very real attraction to one another to the point where they were no longer acting. The movie was not for children, and there is one scene in particular that is "steamy" by any standards. But the question is, to what extent should soldiers in the spiritual war view such things, or allow their minds to drift in such a direction? And what should they do if they start developing similar feelings for someone they are called to work with? Everything depends on context, and how well they have brought their own passions under control.
Numerous are the stories of Christians who have unfortunately taken things too far. As a friend once told me, feelings can develop even between people in the highest levels of the church. "I had an issue with a pastor once, and I tried to explain to him that the crush he had on me was not soulish (not of flesh and blood) as long as you do not view it with your soul. God was using us powerfully in worship, and this can easily be misinterpreted. When you worship with another person, a link happens, a bond occurs."
If such passions are not viewed purely spiritually, however, the results can be tragic. I was on the worship team of a church once, and shortly before I left, a new keyboard player showed up. The pastor's wife was their worship leader, and for months I had been sensing a discontent, an emotional need in her. She was very unhappy in her marriage because despite being charismatic, her husband was something of a control freak and not a very loving man, and the need in her was creating a very strong attraction between us.
Well, I behaved, but things did not go as peacefully with the new keyboardist. After I left, I heard those two eventually ran off together. They moved to another city to worship together at another church, and word is they are still happily married to this day. On the bad side, however, she left the pastor with four kids, and having to remarry to another woman to start all over again.
What are the applications in the spiritual war? The spirits which can drive men and women to commit sins like adultery are demonic. It is evident in how scripture says the act itself is incited by spiritual "uncleanness," or in other words, unclean and demonic spirits.
1 Brethren... this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust even as the Gentiles do who know not God; 6 that no man transgress and sin against his brother in a matter, because the Lord is an Avenger in all such things as also we forewarned you and testified. 7 For God has called us not unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7).
The same thing was taught by the apostle Paul in Colossians, where he likewise urged the believers there to:
5 Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and sexual covetousness, which is idolatry; 6 for which things’ sake will come the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience: 7 in which you also once walked when you lived among them. (Colossians 3:5-7)
"Passion" and "spiritual uncleanness" again show up in tandem here, this time in the context of it potentially leading to a type of idolatry, where the solder of Christ begins elevating the other person to the level of an idol, much like what people in the world sometimes do, because they failed to bring their passions under submission.
Is it a sin to watch movies with scenes that depict romance and passion, or to listen to songs on the same kinds of themes? It's a question of context, and the effect it will have on the believer. Certainly God created such things to be "received with thanksgivings" as Paul once stated, albeit inside the marriage covenant. But if romantic passion obsesses the mind to the point where dangers are involved, the Christian should recognize a threat when he sees one and take steps to ensure the enemy doesn't gain an advantage over him. In the things of God, passions and attractions are going to be there sometimes, but they must be accounted for by the disciplined soldier of Christ, and fully brought under submission if he is to properly fulfill the calling God has placed on his life.
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden In Him
________________________________
For another devotional on a similar theme, see the following:
You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. (2 Timothy 2:3-4)
As shared in Part 1, sometimes Christ's soldiers can develop a strong attraction to one another, especially those called to serve the Lord together. In the midst of being called to fight side by side in the spiritual war, members of the opposite sex can find one another immensely attractive, particularly when their partnership is leading to great spiritual success.
Is it a natural thing? Yes, but there are dangers which need to be accounted for. The cover image for this set of devotionals was taken from a movie called Allied, staring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. It told the story of two spies in World War II who had been assigned to infiltrate a NAZI organization and take out its leadership. Both were professionals and good at their job, but in the midst of having to play "husband and wife," they developed a very real attraction to one another to the point where they were no longer acting. The movie was not for children, and there is one scene in particular that is "steamy" by any standards. But the question is, to what extent should soldiers in the spiritual war view such things, or allow their minds to drift in such a direction? And what should they do if they start developing similar feelings for someone they are called to work with? Everything depends on context, and how well they have brought their own passions under control.
Numerous are the stories of Christians who have unfortunately taken things too far. As a friend once told me, feelings can develop even between people in the highest levels of the church. "I had an issue with a pastor once, and I tried to explain to him that the crush he had on me was not soulish (not of flesh and blood) as long as you do not view it with your soul. God was using us powerfully in worship, and this can easily be misinterpreted. When you worship with another person, a link happens, a bond occurs."
If such passions are not viewed purely spiritually, however, the results can be tragic. I was on the worship team of a church once, and shortly before I left, a new keyboard player showed up. The pastor's wife was their worship leader, and for months I had been sensing a discontent, an emotional need in her. She was very unhappy in her marriage because despite being charismatic, her husband was something of a control freak and not a very loving man, and the need in her was creating a very strong attraction between us.
Well, I behaved, but things did not go as peacefully with the new keyboardist. After I left, I heard those two eventually ran off together. They moved to another city to worship together at another church, and word is they are still happily married to this day. On the bad side, however, she left the pastor with four kids, and having to remarry to another woman to start all over again.
What are the applications in the spiritual war? The spirits which can drive men and women to commit sins like adultery are demonic. It is evident in how scripture says the act itself is incited by spiritual "uncleanness," or in other words, unclean and demonic spirits.
1 Brethren... this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust even as the Gentiles do who know not God; 6 that no man transgress and sin against his brother in a matter, because the Lord is an Avenger in all such things as also we forewarned you and testified. 7 For God has called us not unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7).
The same thing was taught by the apostle Paul in Colossians, where he likewise urged the believers there to:
5 Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and sexual covetousness, which is idolatry; 6 for which things’ sake will come the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience: 7 in which you also once walked when you lived among them. (Colossians 3:5-7)
"Passion" and "spiritual uncleanness" again show up in tandem here, this time in the context of it potentially leading to a type of idolatry, where the solder of Christ begins elevating the other person to the level of an idol, much like what people in the world sometimes do, because they failed to bring their passions under submission.
Is it a sin to watch movies with scenes that depict romance and passion, or to listen to songs on the same kinds of themes? It's a question of context, and the effect it will have on the believer. Certainly God created such things to be "received with thanksgivings" as Paul once stated, albeit inside the marriage covenant. But if romantic passion obsesses the mind to the point where dangers are involved, the Christian should recognize a threat when he sees one and take steps to ensure the enemy doesn't gain an advantage over him. In the things of God, passions and attractions are going to be there sometimes, but they must be accounted for by the disciplined soldier of Christ, and fully brought under submission if he is to properly fulfill the calling God has placed on his life.
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden In Him
________________________________
For another devotional on a similar theme, see the following:
