Building Christian Character in a Hostile World
Becoming a Christian is often portrayed as a blissful arrival, a moment of instant transformation where all struggles magically disappear. However, the reality, the World, flesh and devil as R.C. Sproul eloquently points out, is far more nuanced. It’s not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a lifelong pilgrimage, a battle against forces both internal and external that constantly challenge our spiritual growth. This article looks into Sproul’s insightful perspective on building Christian character, highlighting the obstacles we face and the resources we have to overcome them. There is great value here for any believer who is wanting to understand more of the battle we ‘must’ face. At the end of this article are some questions to reflect on. Be encouraged to read and reflect, we all need to, as the world, self and the Devil are always at our heels trying to trip us up.
From Paganism to Pilgrimage: Understanding Spiritual Growth
Sproul recounts his pre-Christian experience of singing hymns without truly understanding their meaning. This resonates with many who may be familiar with religious practices but haven’t yet grasped their profound implications. Upon conversion, he realized that being a Christian wasn’t about instant perfection but about continuous growth and striving for maturity in Christ.
- The initial zeal and excitement of a new believer can lead to unrealistic expectations.
- Simplistic evangelism promising a problem-free life after conversion is misleading.
- Becoming a Christian often brings a new dimension of complexity as we become more aware of our shortcomings and the gap between where we are and where we are called to be.
The Rose Garden Analogy: Christian Life as Warfare
Sproul uses a vivid analogy of growing roses to illustrate the challenges of the Christian life. Just as nature seems to conspire against the rose gardener, so too do various forces conspire against our spiritual growth.
- Growing roses is not recreation; it’s warfare.
- It requires daily attention and effort to combat weeds, parasites, and infections.
- Similarly, spiritual growth requires constant vigilance and disciplined struggle.
The Three Fronts of Spiritual Warfare: World, Flesh, and Devil
Sproul, drawing from Martin Luther, identifies three primary obstacles to Christian growth: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Abraham Kuyper echoes this sentiment, framing the struggle as one against fallen nature, fallen humanity, and fallen angels. This threefold war demands our attention and understanding.
1. The World: A Fallen and Hostile Environment
The world, though beautiful and reflecting God’s glory, is also a place of terror, death, and destruction. Nature itself, affected by the fall of man, resists our efforts.
- God has willed that nature resist man until the final redemption.
- We are called to have dominion over the earth, but we must also struggle against the forces of nature for our sanctification.
- The fallenness of mankind manifests in warfare, interpersonal conflicts, and the general hostility towards spiritual growth.
2. The Flesh: Our Internal Enemy
Perhaps the greatest obstacle to spiritual growth is our own fallen nature, the “old man” that continues to battle against the “new man” created in Christ.
- We are our own worst enemies, intimately aware of our weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
- The “flesh” represents our pre-regenerate desires and dispositions for sin.
- This internal warfare is a daily struggle that requires constant vigilance and self-discipline.
- Sproul uses the analogy of a headless chicken to illustrate the persistent, chaotic nature of the flesh even after regeneration.
3. The Devil: A Potent and Deceptive Adversary
In an age where belief in the devil is often dismissed as unsophisticated, Sproul emphasizes the reality of Satan as a potent and deceptive adversary.
- Satan is a creature, not omnipotent, but he has legions of fallen angels at his command.
- His primary tactic is deception, either convincing people that he doesn’t exist or making them overly preoccupied with him.
- He seeks to slander, corrupt, and tempt us, leading us to ruin.
- We must pray for deliverance from the “evil one” and seek God’s protection from temptation.
Withstanding the Enemies: Resources for Spiritual Growth
Despite the daunting challenges, we are not left defenseless. We have powerful resources to withstand these enemies:
- Christ and His Holy Spirit: The ultimate source of strength and guidance.
- The Church: A community of believers providing support, accountability, and encouragement.
- The Means of Grace: Practices such as prayer, Bible study, and sacraments that nurture our spiritual growth.
Conclusion: Embracing the Struggle and Seeking Growth
Building Christian character is not a passive process but an active and ongoing struggle. By understanding the obstacles we face – the world, the flesh, and the devil – and utilizing the resources available to us, we can persevere in our pilgrimage of faith and grow into the fullness of Christ. Don’t be discouraged by the challenges; embrace them as opportunities for growth and rely on God’s grace to guide you every step of the way.
Call to Action: Reflect on the three obstacles discussed in this article. Identify specific areas where you are struggling and commit to implementing practical steps, such as increased prayer, Bible study, or seeking accountability from a trusted friend, to overcome these challenges and grow in your Christian faith.
What is the fundamental understanding a Christian should have regarding growth?
[00:23] Spiritual growth is not automatic after becoming a Christian. It’s a lifelong process of maturing in faith, requiring disciplined struggle and effort. It is not a passive experience where one simply ‘lets go and lets God,’ but rather an active participation in working out one’s salvation while God works within. Expect complications and increased awareness of your own shortcomings as you grow. [00:37] Early zeal can lead to unrealistic expectations of rapid progress. [02:52] There is no magic in the Christian faith, it is a birth into maturity. [08:31] Growth in the Christian life does not come easily.
According to Luther and Kuyper, what are the primary obstacles to Christian spiritual growth?
[11:12] Luther identifies the three main obstacles as the world, the flesh, and the devil. [12:33] Kuyper describes these as the fallenness of nature, the fallenness of our own humanity, and the fallenness of spiritual beings (fallen angels). These represent the external pressures and temptations, our internal sinful desires, and the active opposition of Satan and his forces to our spiritual development.
How does the ‘world’ act as an obstacle to spiritual growth, and what is our role in relation to it?
[13:30] The world, characterized by its fallen nature, presents obstacles to spiritual growth through suffering, sorrow, death, destruction, disease and violence. [14:39] Nature itself is fallen, resisting man due to the curse placed against sin. [17:31] God has willed that nature resist man until the final redemption. [17:52] We are called to fulfill the creation mandate, to have dominion over the earth, to make our land safe, and to conquer disease and famine, but also to recognize the struggle inherent in this task.
What is meant by ‘the flesh’ and how does it hinder spiritual growth?
[20:11] The biggest enemy of spiritual growth is our own fallen human nature. [21:10] The ‘flesh’ refers to the pre-regenerate desires and dispositions of the old man, not simply the body. [21:17] After conversion, the old man is put to death, but its death is not instantaneous, it dies daily. [21:36] This old man puts up a death struggle with the new man. [22:41] The flesh fights and resists the newborn principle in you all of your days. [23:58] The capacity for almost any thinkable evil still exists in your heart.
What role does the Devil play in hindering spiritual growth, and how should Christians view him?
[25:54] The Devil, or Satan, is a potent reality and a personal being, not merely a concept. [26:28] He seeks to deceive people either by convincing them he doesn’t exist or by getting them preoccupied with him. [27:22] He is not omnipotent but has legions of fallen angels to assault, slander, corrupt, and tempt. [27:52] We are to pray for deliverance from the evil one. [29:06] Satan is an intelligent, personal, created, fallen being, far more powerful and clever than you, who goes around masquerading as light, seeking to seduce you throughout your life.
Listen to R.C. Sproul’s excellent message below. May the Lord continue to guide us all by his ‘free’ grace.
Questions & Answers
Improve your understanding of this real battle with the following Q&A
What is the main theme of this lecture series?
A. The main theme is building a Christian character, focusing on practical steps for spiritual growth.
What song did R.C. Sproul remember singing before becoming a Christian?
A: He remembered singing “Lord, I Want to be a Christian,” specifically the lines “Lord I want to be more loving. Lord I want to be like Jesus.”
What realization did R.C. Sproul have after becoming a Christian?
A: He realized that becoming a Christian was a new birth, and he was called to maturity and to grow up into the fullness of Christ, not to remain in childishness.
What expectations did R.C. Sproul have to adjust early in his Christian life?
A: His expectations of rapid, uninterrupted spiritual progress, realizing that there would be impeding moments and that becoming a Christian brought a new dimension of complication to his life.
Not Easy
What analogy does R.C. Sproul use to describe the Christian life?
A: He uses the analogy of growing roses, explaining that it’s not recreation but war, a daily struggle requiring constant attendance.
What does R.C. Sproul say about the idea of “easy-believism” and “quietism”?
A: He criticizes the “easy-believism” and “quietism” a mental kind of belief that suggests one only needs to “let go and let God” because the Bible also teaches that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
According to Luther, what are the three principal obstacles to Christian growth?
A: According to Luther, the three principal obstacles to Christian growth are the world, the flesh, and the devil.
How did Abraham Kuyper translate Luther’s concepts?
A: Abraham Kuyper translated Luther’s concepts as the struggle with the fallen nature around us, the fallenness of our own humanity, and the fallenness of spiritual beings who are called angels.
How is nature described in the lecture?
A: Nature is described as both a beautiful place reflecting God’s glory and a place of terror with death, destruction, disease, and violence. It is also said that nature resists us and hates us because of the fall of man.
What does R.C. Sproul say about the struggle with the fallenness of mankind?
A: He says that the fallenness of mankind affects spiritual growth through the hostility and insensitivity of others and that the biggest enemy of spiritual growth is oneself.
The Old Man
What analogy is used to describe the “old man” after regeneration?
The analogy of a chicken with its head cut off is used to describe the “old man” after regeneration, emphasizing that it is technically dead but still puts up a fight.
What point does R.C. Sproul make using the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
A: R.C. Sproul uses the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to illustrate the dreadful struggle that goes on within a person, emphasizing the capacity for evil that still exists in the heart of a Christian.
The Devil
What does R.C. Sproul say about the Devil?
A: He says that the Devil is a potent reality, a creature with legions of fallen angels at his command, seeking to slander, corrupt, and tempt people. He is not omnipotent but is far more powerful and clever than humans realise.
What does R.C. Sproul suggest about the phrase “deliver us from evil” in the Lord’s Prayer?
A: R.C. Sproul suggests that the phrase “deliver us from evil” should be translated as “deliver us from the evil one,” referring to Satan.
What is needed to withstand the enemies of Christian growth?
A: To withstand these enemies, all that is needed is Christ and His Holy Spirit, and His church, and the means of grace. Seems easy yet is it? Beware the Devil, the world and our greatest enemy, that being the old nature within. (J.Daly)