The Weapons of our Warfare – Tactics 5 – Obedience and Humility

Coming to a world that strove to impress and control others with displays of power and might, the obedience and humility of the Lord Jesus cut right across all the power structures of that time. Peter says that He left us an example that we should follow His steps (1 Pet. 2:21). It is a path of suffering – the world could not cope with it then, and it cannot cope with it now – rejection and crucifixion is always the lot of those who stand against worldly power.  But ultimately it is a path of glory beyond any imagining!

And it was a tactic that completely fooled, and ultimately destroyed, the powers of darkness! What does this mean for those who claim to be followers of this Jesus? Can we, should we, use any other tactic? “Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus” Paul says in Phil. 2, going on to speak of Yeshua’s total submission to His Father’s will, with all that that involved. Have we thought of the contrast, almost an oxymoron of that statement above – the humility of the Lord, ruler of the totality of everything!

I am beginning to realise that obedience and humility are crucial to our Spiritual Warfare. But what does that involve? In human warfare, the troops have to obey the orders of their commanding officers. How much more so in spiritual warfare, where we can’t see the enemy and can be so easily blindsided by his tactics. As the old saying goes, the One above sees all! How much does it make sense then to follow the instructions of the One who can see the whole battlefield from above.

Humility is like a cloaking device – makes us invisible to the enemy. As David Andrew has said on a number of occasions, humility brings us in below hell’s radar!

1.     Humility

Tapeinos G5011 lowly, cast down Jesus describing Himself Matt. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

• We are not to ignore in pride those who are lowly, but to associate with them Rom. 12:16, which is exactly what Jesus did (seen in Phil 2)
• God gives grace to the humble Jas. 4:7, 1 Pet. 5:5 (quoting Prov. 3:34) – what is that grace? His presence! Psa. 138:6 “For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.” cf. Isa. 57:15; 66:2

Tapeinoo G5013 to bring low, humble (self) as Jesus did Phil. 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

• We are instructed to do the same Matt. 18:4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14)
• It is something that we can learn Phil. 4:12 I know how to be brought low
• It is the path to glory Jas 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:6

tapeinophrosune G5012 Humbleness of mind, a mindset for humility Phil. 2:3 but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

• we are to be clothed with; 1 Pet. 5:5
• Our walk to be characterised by Eph. 4:2, Col. 3:12
• Paul’s example Acts 20:19

epieikēs G1933 gentle, moderation, patient

• Exemplified by Jesus 2 Cor. 10:1
• Our gentleness should be obvious to everyone Phil. 4:5
• It is characteristic of divine wisdom seen in our lives Jas. 3:17
• It is a requirement in those who lead the church 1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 3:2

praotēs G4236; gentleness; by implication humility: – meekness.

• Exemplified by Jesus 2 Cor. 10:1
• A fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5:23 (doesn’t grow on a proud tree!)
• To characterise believers Gal. 6:1; Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12; Titus 3:2
• Essential for Spiritual Warfare 1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:25

Gospel humility

Why are obedience and humility so hard? Rebellion and self-interest are in our DNA as children of Adam! But we have been reconciled to God and we’ve been given new DNA – the ‘sperma’ of God 1 Pet. 1:23.

The Trinity has been described as the Three Persons loving and joyfully serving one another in mutual submission. This is our God! Not the mean-spirited God of the lie that Satan sold to Adam and Eve in the garden!

Discuss Phil. 2:1-4

Phil. 2:1-4 (Msg) If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favour: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Or as Paul says in Rom. 12:10 “Practice playing second fiddle”.

Tim Keller: C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity makes a brilliant observation about gospel-humility at the very end of his chapter on pride. If we were to meet a truly humble person, Lewis says, we would never come away from meeting them thinking they were humble. They would not be always telling us they were a nobody (because a person who keeps saying they are a nobody is actually a self-obsessed person). The thing we would remember from meeting a truly gospel-humble person is how much they seemed to be totally interested in us. Because the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.

V. 2 Eugene Peterson hasn’t quite got the translation right – agree with each other. It should be ‘be like-minded’, be of the same mind – you can agree but still be disunited. You can disagree and still be united. Yes – you could agree together about something that is morally or legally wrong! Wouldn’t be the right sort of unity. Power of agreement – seen at Babel.

This is to have the same thought process, disposition, affection – same as what? One-another to start with, but Paul quickly qualifies it in v.5 the same mind as Christ.

The church is made up of people who won’t agree on everything – agreeing on everything is the mark of a cult! You can retreat into a virtual world on the Internet where you can find loads of people who have the same interests as you and agree with you, but church? We’d never have acquaintances and friends amongst the people we’re in church with, apart from our common bond to Christ.

And that is the beauty of God’s plan for the church – Derek Prince makes the same comment regarding marriage! God deliberately places us where we have to work out our relationships in the spirit of unity and humility, which cuts across our selfish desires (for a quiet life if nothing else!)

Discuss Phil. 2:5-11

What is the mind of Christ? (which we already have 1 Cor. 2:16 but different word – understanding, the ability to think) Seen in vv.5-8

Not minded to grasp at, or grasp to Himself, what was truly His, – He was certain in His identity (John 13:1) and thus was free to serve – but minded to give it all up, pouring out His life, becoming a man, a slave, a sacrifice! The One who had been served for all eternity but the hosts of heaven, was minded to serve.

Glen Scrivener: “When we see Him wriggling in the manger as a baby or writhing on the Cross, we see the very nature of God – not a departure from the Divine Glory, the essence of Divine Glory pouring out itself on behalf of others.

“The Fountain of Life is expressed as it flows outwards, with every drop of His blood. You have never seen anything so divine as Jesus Christ dying for sinners. That is what true divinity looks like!” He goes on to say:

“We are a fractious bunch, we human beings. But here’s the solution. Have your mind changed by Jesus. Look again to Him and see: humility is greatness, service is glory, sacrifice is divine. When we really think like that we will esteem each other better than ourselves.

“You see the old saying is wrong. It’s not great minds that think alike. It’s the opposite: humble minds think alike.”

Discuss Col. 3:12-14 for application (cf. Eph. 4:2)

Why is humility so hard? It cuts across self – what I want, my preferences, biases, opinions, background.

2.     Obedience

Is it right to say that you can’t be truly obedient if you are not truly humble?

• Phil. 2:7-8 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
• Heb. 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
• John 5:19 Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.

hupakoē G5218, hupakouō G5219 and hupēkoos G5255 (root word akouō to hear – acoustic, echo); to hear under (as a subordinate), that is, to listen attentively; by implication to heed or conform to a command or authority: – hearken, be obedient to, obey (Phil. 2:8). Reflecting the Hebrew “sh’ma” listen and do.

• Used of the wind and sea obeying Jesus’ command (interesting that nature obeys God, but man is rebellious!)
• Of Jesus’ obedience Heb. 5:8
• Of people believing the Gospel Acts 6:2; Rom. 1:5 Rom. 10:16; Heb. 5:9; 1 Pet. 1:22 (NB faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10:17); not believing in 2 Thess. 1:8;
• Of believers not submitting to the dominion of sin Rom. 6:12, 16, 17; 1 Pet. 1:14
• The strategic objective of our Spiritual Warfare – bringing every thought captive to obey Christ 2 Cor. 10:4-5

Why do we have to obey?

Because Jesus left us an example that we should follow His steps. Heb. 5:8 again He learned obedience. He who ever was and is the supreme Ruler of the Universe, Whose will angels rush to do, in becoming Man learnt what it was to obey the will of another – His Father – and so became the only one ever to experience the fullness of manhood and deity! And in that, to become obedient to death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8). What an example!

Because His will is perfect (Rom. 12:2) unlike the British generals in the Crimea in the 19th century

“Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die.”

Tennyson ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’.

We are the light brigade “You are the light of the world Jesus said to his disciples and to us (Matt. 5:14). But, unlike the poor soldiers of the British Light Cavalry Brigade who were sent in as a result of a blunder in the chain of command by officers remote from the field, our Commander goes before us! John 8:12 and His strategy is always perfect! Rom. 12:1 As our minds are renewed they will conform more and more to the Mind of Christ.

But more than this, we obey because we love Him. 1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us

• A promise John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” John 15:10 “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
• It’s an instruction 2 John 1:5-6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.
• A test of our love John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”

I can hear someone shouting “We’re not under law, but under grace!” To which I would answer, the demands of grace are much higher than the demands of the Law (10% vs. whole of life!). But grace comes with its own equipping Rom. 8:3-4.

• His law is written on our hearts under the New Covenant (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10; 10:16)
• His grace is empowering as it is God Who works in us. As one paraphrase of Phil. 2:13 puts it “God will continually revitalize you, implanting within you the passion to do what pleases him.”

What do we have to obey?

The Father’s Will! Again, Jesus example – notes from John’s Gospel. But how do we know what His will is?

• General revelation in Scripture – obey what you already know – requires study
  • Know the context – OT/NT?
  • Is this for you? (random texts not a good idea!)
  • Is this for now?
• Specific revelation in our lives – Subjective, so needs to be tested – requires discernment
  • What is the source? In order of reliability: can be from Scripture, other believers, circumstances
  • Assess against what you know of Scripture and God’s character
  • Consult other believers who you trust and know to have wisdom
  • Will following it produce good fruit (don’t ask “What harm in it?” – that already suggests that it is a bit dodgy! If in doubt, don’t!)
  • Does it reflect your giftings or your burdens?

Obey what you do know and trust that the Lord will lead you to the rest – “I, being on the way, the Lord led me” (Gen. 24:27)

What do we know from Scripture?

There are over 1000 ‘commandments’ in the New Testament! (I’ve a list of 1050 to be precise, but some of those are repeated – so it’s only 788 unique commands). I’ve done a quick pass through the whole list and think that they can be summed up in eight major categories, which together with the greatest commandments that Jesus identified – Love God and Love your neighbour – makes a neat 10! But these are not to be taken as a new version of the 10 Commandments, but as an aide memoir of the major elements of our sanctification, becoming like Jesus. The categories (with samples) that I’ve identified are:

Love God	Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.	Matt. 22:37-38
Love your neighbour	And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.	Matt. 22:39-40
Love of the disciples for one another	I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you should also love one another.	John 13:34-35
Follow Christ (discipleship)	And He said to all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.	Luke 9:23
Abide in Christ (fellowship with Him)	Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.	John 15:4
Be filled with the Spirit	And do not be drunk with wine, in which is excess, but be filled with the Spirit,	Eph. 5:18
Be holy	But according to the Holy One who has called you, you also become holy in all conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”	1 Pet. 1:15
Be transformed	And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,	Rom. 12:2
Pray	Pray without ceasing.	1 Thess. 5:17
Tell others	And He said to them, Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation.	Mark 16:15

Keeping His commandments should be a delight, as with 2 lovers delighting in pleasing each other. (1 John 5:3)

But it’s also strategically effective in our Spiritual Warfare. Our Commanding Officer came to ‘undo the doings of the evil one’ (1 John 3:8) so we follow His steps as we call souls out of darkness to that ‘marvellous light’ that has thrilled our souls and captivated our hearts and is working it’s life-transforming power in us to re-create us in the ‘image of God’s Son’!