“I shouldn’t have to ask you a third time, Ava.” Her mother’s voice dropped an octave. “It’s your turn to wash the dishes. Do it now, I don’t want to see a pile of dirty dishes left for the morning.”
Ava heaved a dramatic sigh. “But Ma, I’ve got to finish typing up my Modern History report and then I’ve got to study for a big Physics exam.”
Her mother’s eyes looked pointedly in her direction. “You should’ve been doing all of that instead of wasting time on your phone.”
Unruffled by the laser beams radiating from her mother’s pupils Ava gritted her teeth. “You’re not getting it. I have a million things to do, Ma. Right now, dishes are a pretty low priority.” She stormed off, not giving her mother a chance to respond.
Ava cursed under her breath.
She slammed the door to her bedroom with such force that her framed photo of BTS shuddered against the wall. Ava threw herself onto her bed and poured all her rage into her pillow.
She couldn’t even blame her disproportionate flare up on PMS—she wasn’t due for another fortnight. Could she pin it on teenage hormone fluctuations?
Already, the guilt from treating her mum with such contempt was needling her. That on top of the unflattering pics of Charlotte she deliberately posted on Instagram.
It seemed like a good idea at the time. It was payback. Charlotte had made her feel self-conscious by calling her ‘Toothpick’ in front of the year 9 boys.
Her eyes began to leak, and she curled herself tight into a ball, sobbing.
Where was the feeling of invincibility when she trusted Jesus to save her at the High School Camp a few months ago?
She’d confessed every sin she could think of by the camp fire, determined not to do them again. She would follow Christ forever, she’d said.
Now she had doubts. Was she even truly saved?
Instead of eating at lunch break today, she was frantically copying out answers to the revision questions for Music class. She’d meant to do her homework, but ended up bingeing on Netflix all night instead.
Congratulations, Ava. You’re at War.
Did you know that baby Sand Tiger sharks fight to the death?
That doesn’t sound too strange until you discover that the war rages within the womb. That’s right, you heard me correctly.
Now, before you start breaking out into the Baby Shark song—Baby Shark do do do do do do—chew on this fact.
Sand tiger shark embryos will battle it out in the uterus. The strongest sand tiger shark will devour its weaker siblings.
The victor wins the right to be born.
This vicious intrauterine cannibalisation by sand tiger sharks serves as a vivid illustration for the internal struggle experienced by every Christian.
The apostle Paul describes it this way,
Galatians 5:16,17
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
According the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, flesh here refers to
Mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from the divine influence and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God; accordingly it includes in the soul whatever is weak, low, debased, tending to ungodliness and vice.
The Spirit is the Holy Spirit, which lives within every believer the moment he or she exercises saving faith in Christ.
So, all Christians are in a perpetual state of war.
The internal battle rages between the old sinful nature and the new divine nature.
Which shark will win?
Like Ava, new Christians often feel discouraged and defeated because they yield so easily to temptation, and find themselves hurtling headlong into sin.
Dr Larry Crabb describes this battle so eloquently in 66 Love Letters.
‘Standing in Your grace seems more resistible than falling into my own selfishness. It feels as if a compulsive force within me takes over my mind with lies, my heart with self-serving affections, and my will with unrelenting strength.’ (2009:225)
When our sinful nature wins, our lives are characterized by misery. A long list of the works of the flesh is listed in Galatians 5:19-21.
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lascivious ness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sedition’s, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, rebelling, and such like.
This list is not complete. More sins that arise from our sinful nature aren’t included because the list would be too long and exhaustive.
If you’re honest, you are acutely aware of the wrong desires and sinful actions that trip you up.
Ancient writers commonly used lists of vices. Pagan writers would promote avoiding excess or overindulging in vices. The apostle Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is bolder. He speaks of putting our sinful tendencies to death.
And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Galatians 5:24
When we do give into the flesh, we mourn. The guilt and grief serve a purpose.
True freedom develops in fierce battle.
Listen to the words of Puritan pastor, John Owen.
The Christian may be like a ship tossed in a storm. Nobody on board may be aware that the ship is making any headway at all. Yet it is sailing on at great speed.
Great winds and storms help fruit bearing trees. So also do corruptions and temptations help the fruitfulness of grace and holiness . . . Corruptions and temptations develop the fruit of humility, self-a basement and mourning in a deeper search for grace by which holiness grows strong.
But only later will there be visible fruits of increased holiness. (Crabb 2009:259)
The civil war that rages within our hearts enables us to recognise our own weaknesses and dark impulses.
The great news is that God in his infinite goodness has equipped us with what we need to have win the battle.
Bibliography
Crabb, L. 2009, 66 Love Letters, Thomas Nelson. Nashville, Tennessee.
Nuwer, R. 2013, ‘Baby Sand Tiger Sharks Devour Their Siblings While Still in the Womb’, Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 23 March 2021 from
Unger, M.F. 1988, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Moody Press, Chicago.
Walton, J. 2000, The IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament, IVP Academic, Illinois.
Very good, the battle to do what is right, is very difficult.
Such a relatable post! Love that you address the hard parts of Christianity and ways we can deal with it. As always, I love it ♥️
Can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks for all your support and encouraging words, Mel.