Fighting the unprofitable battle by Lady Evang. Ogunbayeje

Lady Evang. Esther Ogunbayeje

“Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”  Ephesians 6:11

It is not funny how some Christians live their lives, they get involved in what they should not and waste their strength, time and resources on the unnecessary, they leave undone things that should be done and do the unnecessary or what can be avoided or neglected.

Some have even made themselves prey for the wolves in sheep’s clothing while some have entangled themselves in webs they find hard to come out from all because of wrong priority about some certain things.

It is not only an individual person that fights the unnecessary battles but even some couple do and even funny enough the ministers. It is not funny that some couples that are supposed to enjoy themselves together within the short allotted part of eternity given to them on earth are spending their lives bickering as if they have together the whole eternity on earth. Some couples only realise their folly after they have separated, divorced or when one of the couple is lost to death, which shouldn’t be. “Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun- all your toilsome days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labour under the sun” Ecclesiastes 9:9

In some churches, there are more strives and anger towards one another and even among the ministers more than preaching the gospel, evangelism or planning good things and what they termed preaching is done  with envy and underline anger or hatred towards one another.

In fact, some ministers and members see strife and bickering as part of normal service God has called them into. They fight more than they pray and when they pray, they pray against one another forgetting that a city that is divided against itself cannot prosper. Some assembly members fight more than fellowship in harmony forgetting that there is hardly a record of progress in any place where peace and harmony is absent.

In fact, in life:

●      There are some battles that are irrelevant and should be neglected or rejected

●      There are some battles that are insignificant and should be avoided.

●      There are battles that are avoidable.

●      There are some battles that are unnecessary.

●      There are some battles that are unprofitable- to God and His kingdom, to others and to you.

Why?

●      Engaging in some battles waste your precious time that can be used for other tangible or profitable things or endeavour.

●      Engaging in some battles sap your strength and leave you empty, depressed or exasperated.

●      Engaging in some battles defocus you from your God-given goals.

●      Engaging in some battles expose you to more battles- making you to move from war to war or battle to battle.

●      Engaging in some battles robe you in problems you should not have involved in.

●      Engaging in some battles will not bring you reward but God’s judgement  etc.

People get involved in unprofitable battles for different reasons, some are understandable and some for mere ignorance, selfishness or foolishness. 

 Some of these are:

1.     To show superiority or to be in charge or in control over others.

●      To put them in the class they feel their victim should be.

●      To have the feeling of being in control and no one else.

●      To proof their victim wrong

●      To revenge any wrong done against them.

2.     For the mere pleasure of seeing people at logger heads or for selfish reasons.

●      Some people derive pleasure in atmosphere of acrimony and chaos.

●      Some people believe they can only thrive when there is chaos or can easily manoeuvre or have their desires or aims achieved when there is chaos and such will always cause fracas.

●      To fight the devil, the arch enemy (There is nothing bad in fighting the devil because he is a stubborn enemy and the originator of all evils). The problem however is how people go about this. Sometimes doing the ridiculous or the incredible all in a bid to be free.

3.     Desire to make it- People get involved with different means to stand out or excel.

4.     Lack of love for others- People fight because they hate.

5.     Lack of understanding of God and understanding of His word. If we truly understand God and His words, there are many things we do that we will not do and we will rush to do some things we leave undone.

How then do people fight unprofitable battle?

People fight unprofitably when they fight blindly, wrongly, foolishly, unjustly and without cause etc. Some of these ways are: 

1.     Concentrating on the enemies and their activities more than God e.g.

●      Spending the time of worship of God on fighting and kicking the enemies as if they are stronger than God or as if they overcome by their own strength and wisdom rather than the power of God.

In some churches’ programmes or services, the time spent on fighting the enemies is more than that given to the praise and exaltation of the Jehovah God, who is the Most High and even some people fear the enemies and what they can do more than they revere God and what He can do or has promised to do.

●      Seeking for solution from all corners, moving Churches and seeking for prophets here and there forgetting that satan is always causing problems but God’s power is able to give victory.

●      Concentrating more on the power of the enemy more than the grace available to them in God.

●       Elevating satan’s work and worth above God.

2.     Fighting against one another, coveting and bickering. How?

●      Concentrating more on the weakness of others more than their strength and using these against them.

●      Gossiping and criticising destructively.

●      Envying and jealousy of others’ gifts.

●      Discouraging others, mocking and pulling them down.

●      Manipulating one another especially those in authority in other to win their favour.

Take note:

●      Fighting unnecessarily will waste your time, energy and other resources and more so there is no reward from God.

●      God will reward you for what He asks you to do that you do; He will reward you for what He asks you not to do that you do not do.

●      God will not reward you for the number of people that you pull down instead of being raised up.

●      God will not reward you for scattering His Church.

●      God will not reward you for being a stumbling block for those who would have stood strongly for God that you make to backslide or those you prevent from coming into the Church, rather He will judge you for these.

But God will be pleased if you can:

●      Serve Him and be more committed to His work.

●      Appreciate His greatness and worship Him more.

●      Trust in His word and cling to this no matter what the devil may be doing.

●      Bear good fruit that abides – win souls, uplift the weak, encourage others to good works and prosper greatly in His good will etc.

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to everyone according to his work.”  Rev 22:12 

Therefore, do not engage yourself or stop engaging yourself in battles that do not;

●      Increase you or others spiritually.

●      Bring glory to the name of God.

●      Foster  or promote peace and harmony in the Church

●      Make the weak to become strong and the strong to become stronger.

●      Increase the numbers of those that come in to the fold.

●      Help you to move on to succeed or fulfil your destiny in God.

But do these:

1       Focus on God than you do satan and your problems.

●      Focus more on God’s abiding presence.

●      Focus more on His promises

●      Focus on His faithfulness, credibility, dependability and all about God.

●      Trust Him in all circumstances of life and please take note of these:

●      Those who refuse to trust Him have made themselves prey to the wolves in sheep’s clothing in their attempt to have quick fix.

●      How many of your battles do you think you can fight alone? If God fights for you in a second, it is more than your years of fighting on your own.

●      Do you think you know all your enemies? How many of them do you think you know? Sometimes, we judge wrongly, we accuse wrongly, we fight blindly, and those we think or assume are our enemies might not be.

  Also, we only fight the battle we know but what about the unseen ones that satan is always mustering against us and which God always fight on our behalf without our knowledge?

Sometimes, we think we are victorious because we are prayerful, holy or righteous but no one prevails by strength alone but by God’s strength.

2       Don’t be partners in crime to strife, bickering, and gossip or to the pulling down of others. Psalm 1. Be a man or woman of peace, don’t be a trouble maker. Heb 12:14

3       Learn to be more tolerant – which is graciously putting up with, and valuing people with whom you disagree. Do not be somebody that is easily offended or that easily pick pins- picking on what others say or do not say, on what others do or do not do. Do not be the person who quickly read the actions and inactions of others like you read books. Do not make yourself very hard to please because you believe everybody should be or behave like you. Remember that Jesus was a man of peace and even though God was described as a man of war (psalm 24:8c) yet He does not fight blindly, wrongly, unjustly and unprofitably.

4       Learn to appreciate others rather than tear them or pull them down. Learn to behave maturely rather than like children that are involved in sibling rivalry. Remove envy and jealousy, and appreciate the worth, the gifts and every good thing in others. Encourage others to grow, develop and mature. God has created each of His children uniquely differently and bring them together in a church to complement one another. You will benefit by embracing others. Remember that iron sharpens iron.     

5       Leave the devil that is outside first and deal with the one within. How? Fight the inner enemy that refuse to yield to God’s word, fight indiscipline and lack of self-control. Judge yourself and stop being a judge to others, Stop being critical and fault finder. Some people have never been on the wrong, they have always been right while others have always been wrong. They are above correction and when they are wrong they never admit it, these type of people always make life hard for others and quarrel will always be wherever they are. Watch out and don’t be one of them.

Finally, if there is any battle to be fought, make it the good fight of faith, “Fight the good fight of faith”  1 Tim 6:12which is not letting go of your faith to anything  but holding on to God  to the end. Also, don’t forget that in a peaceful atmosphere, many good things can be easily and quickly achieved, maintained and enjoyed. War destroys, kills and devastates. Avoid unnecessary, irrelevant and unprofitable battles but live peaceably and in harmony with others. “follow peace with all men and holiness” Heb 12:14 May the Lord of peace abide with you.

Shalom

Lady Evang. Esther Ogunbayeje

Christ Apostolic Church, Surrey Docks District, London

Email: estherami18@gmail.com

Number: 07988672933