"Not So Unusual"

"Mine Enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me." (Psalms 102:8)
Besides dealing with what we are meant to be doing, we must also deal with the darker elements of this world, those that make it their business to take us out and cause us to fail. I have a sneaking feeling that the church has somehow let this one go unnoticed and have instead been looking at the battle from a personal standpoint instead of the spiritual. The personal battle does not take into consideration the spiritual ramifications, which is the ripple effect that takes place outside of their doors. There is a very real battle being waged all around us, and what we allow to slip by, not only causes us harm personally, but it moves outside of our own personal battle and into the spiritual one. Our little battle is just part of a much larger one; one that is waged against the church; and when I say the church, I mean the body of Christ, which is the church as a whole. We would like to think this little thing we have going on within us is just all about us; my little problem is only effecting my life, and it really isn't hurting anyone else. But if we are truly a member of the body of Christ, then that little problem is not so little anymore. And the more members that are dealing with little problems, the more the body of Christ is being effected. The other part of having our eyes wide open, is to be diligently aware of the battle waging around us; which requires spiritual discernment and the understanding that our battles are not our own. This verse could easily apply to Christ, as He was taunted daily and continually by the powers all around, both spiritual and physical. But the thing He realized and tried to make aware to those who followed Him, was that they were all connected; the Jews which were sworn against Him were being driven by the power of the devil. They might not have even had a clue of what was motivating them to take His life; but they were blinded by their own personal interest and ambitions, so it never even dawned on them to look outside themselves. On that note; if we are being driven to do anything against another member of the body of Christ, then we seriously need to stop and take a spiritual evaluation of what we are doing; even if what is taking place is coming through someone else. This is especially important when it comes to going against the leadership of the church. The devil loves to cause division and he is very good at what he does. This is an area where I truly believe that we need to stay diligent and ready; this is really not just a complaint, this is being aware of what is going on: the enemy is sworn against us...
"We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn't live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, "The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen upon me." Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled. May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as it is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together in one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:1-6) NLT