Spiritual Arsenal #2: The Right Attitude

In my effort to arm you for the good fight of faith, I'm pointing to the real tools needed for your spiritual battle. Today I want you to consider taking on the right attitude as an important tool in fighting the forces of darkness.

I recognize there are many "fights" we face in life. Folks struggle with finances. They face conflict in the workplace or family. People fight to lose weight, to break free from addictions, or to earn a degree. Some feel as if life is one never-ending battle—and that they’re losing. On top of all that, it's tough to ignore the latent hostility in our country and in the world—people are fighting for various ideals and against one another. All these fights can makes us feel battle-weary. They may leave you unwilling to enter any new conflict.

As a Christian, however, your primary battle is not against any one of these particular things. Rather, as Paul's words reveal in Ephesians 6:12, "our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." You have to take up this spiritual battle. And to do so, you need adequate equipment for this fight. It’s not an easy battle, and it’s especially impossible if you don't gather up the proper armor and weapons.

Believe it or not, your attitude—the way you carry yourself and the lens you use to interpret things—is one of the most important defensive and offensive tools that you can carry. But what kind of attitude should we have?

I got a big ribbing Sunday morning from our crew who prepare coffee in the church foyer. I recently bought some tea bags for our candlelight service and just stuck the unused packages out by the coffee pots to use on Sundays. Well, this particular package of tea was apparently too hilarious. It gave them the chance to joke with me about giving folks the right attitude to listen to my sermons. I said, "They don't really need to drink that tea to get sleepy, do they?"

An attitude of sleepiness might be preferable to some others: hostility, judgmentalism, etc. And it does describe the level of enthusiasm some Christians seem to display about faith and life.

But luckily for us, Paul's letter clarifies what kind of attitude he has in mind for the church. The Philippian church apparently needed an attitude adjustment. Perhaps they didn't understand the seriousness of their situation or the perilous nature of their fight. With strong language at the end of chapter 1, Paul tried to open their eyes to the gravity of their struggle:

"Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel. . . Stand firm in one spirit. . . Strive side by side with one mind. . . Don’t be intimidated by your opponents. . . You have the same struggle as I have."

Then Paul went on to equip them with the attitude necessary for this fight. What he described in Phil 2:1-5 is not rooted in pop psychology or parenting. It's not about winning one for the Gipper or rallying around a fallen comrade. The right attitude for our spiritual battle is humility. This attitude is rooted in the actions of Jesus. Humility runs unmistakably counter to what you might expect. To wage the spiritual battle, you have to learn to fight as Christ fought. By humbly looking out for the interests of others, you can gain the necessary attitude to win the fight.

There is nothing natural about the attitude of humility. Everything in our world trains us to promote ourselves and to fight for our own rights. Toddlers fight each other for toys. Countries seek to outmaneuver one another for the upper hand. Businesses ruthlessly try to corner the market by promoting themselves and belittling their competition. Workers must sell themselves in order to get hired and promoted.

Sadly, even churches play the game of self-promotion and self-assertion. I know church leaders right here in Fresno who openly recruit members away from other churches. Many churches seem to primarily be in the business of marketing, promotion and sales in order to get people to come to their churches and donate money.

What attitude does all this promote? It certainly doesn't engender a spirit of humility. Is it any wonder, therefore why so few Christians take on the right attitude (humility) in their spiritual arsenal?

C.S. Lewis wrote, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less." To be humble is to put aside your personal agenda. In the Christ hymn that follows (Phil 2:6-11), you learn that the attitude of humility is one of the greatest tools a Christ-follower can have. Without humility, Jesus would not have defeated death. Without his self-emptying love, you not be able to rejoice in victory over the powers of sin and darkness. 

Being humble does two amazing things. First, it opens the possibility of true collaboration. As long as you are insisting on your own way, then you can't have true cooperation with your brothers and sisters. The attitude of humility, therefore, produces unity and unleashes the power of the church. Second, humility opens the door for God to step in. As long as you are self-sufficient, what need do you have for a Redeemer God? When you fall on your knees before your King, however, you unleash the power of God who works through weakness and lifts the humble.

So what attitude are you putting on? Will you follow the self-serving, arrogant way of the world? Or will you take on the right attitude of humility as part of your spiritual arsenal?