(by Lorie Codispoti)
“There are two wolves at war within me.” said the grandfather to his young grandson.
He went on to explain that one wolf is good (reflecting truth and love), and the other is bad (reflecting lies and hate).
His grandson asked, “Which wolf wins the war, Grandfather?”
“The one that I feed.” replied the wise old man.
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Christians, we’re at war!
The Apostle Paul explains that “The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (Gal 5:17)
Fighting the good fight involves many things, but two tactics we must employ include:
1) Resistance. It’s critical for each of us to realize that we have a propensity for developing a taste for war - a propensity we must resist. (The bad wolf craves the blood of its prey.)
2) Feed. At the same time, we need to cultivate and feed our guts for engagement. (The taste buds of the good wolf are being transformed, reordering our cravings.)
RESIST
Ancient Roman history records the story of one its greatest gladiators, a young Jewish Syrian, named Flamma. After being captured and enslaved, his fighting skills were noticed and he was trained as a gladiator. Although the lifespan of an average gladiator was four battles, Flamma won over 20. Four times he earned his freedom, yet he turned down each offer. Why? For one, he had developed such a taste for the sport and a love for the enormous cheering crowds his fame attracted, that he preferred slavery over freedom.
Like Flamma, if we fail to recognize that we can be drawn to the wrong table, we may fall into the same trap and exchange our freedom for bondage.
A modern day example of this is our online presence. I continue to see people who start out with the right motives in their posts and comments - standing up for what’s right and trying to be a voice of reason in a sea of lies and deceit - but then they become so intrenched in the discussion/debate that they forget who the real enemy is. Their posts and comments begin to take on a demeaning tone, as they target their opponent with word bullets wrapped in quick wit and sarcastic humor. Fueled by the attention, they begin picking and engaging in all kinds of fights. They go from someone with a legitimate concern and influential voice to someone consumed by a ravenous desire to draw blood.
What happened? They fed the wrong wolf.
FEED
In the world of wellness a healthy gut is critical for fighting disease.
Right now I’m trying really hard to like green tea. It’s part of the protocol for strengthening my gut. I like most things, but this stuff tastes like grass. Developing a taste for what’s good for you can be difficult, so one has to be proactive in order for the good wolf to thrive.
So, how does one starve the bad wolf into dormancy, while simultaneously cultivating and feeding the good one to action?
FIVE STRATEGIES
~ PICK your fights carefully. Know when to walk away and when to engage. If you find yourself tired, angry, or discouraged, walk away.
Sanballat attempted to lure Nehemiah away from his mission, but Nehemiah was on to his tricks and refused to take the bait (Neh.6). In a world of Sanballats, be a Nehemiah.
~ PETITION God for His wisdom. James 3:17 tells us that God’s wisdom is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” Col.4:5-6 tells us to “Conduct yourselves with wisdom towards outsiders…” By implementing this strategy, we invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, who feeds us with the ability to starve out ravenous canines.
~ PREVENT your emotions from taking over. We are instructed to set a guard over our hearts (Prov.4:23), and to be slow, not quick ,to speak (Jms.1:19). The ability to control our impulses is a discipline that any soldier worth his salt will put into play, no matter how heated the battle becomes.
Sometimes we need the strength of the pack (other believers) to help us with this. I remember the day I was about to go off on an instructor who was belittling my son in front of the whole class. My friend literally grabbed my arm and stopped me from shredding him. She saved all of us.
~ PREPARE by doing your homework. If the issue is worth engaging then it’s worth your investment of time. You are not called to be a lone ranger, so understand that part of your preparation involves seeking and gleaning from those who can arm you with both the knowledge and the experience needed for your engagement.
~ PRAY for those who oppose you. They are not your real enemy, and your goal is not to draw blood. Your goal is to be a conduit for infusion. Paul Washer said, “If I cannot speak to men about God, I will speak to God about men.” The battle is not over simply because your opponent gets ugly and shuts the door in your face. All that does is change the battlefield as we contend for them on our knees.
Bad wolf. Good wolf. Which one are you feeding?
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