fighting fire with fire

Yesterday's excursion got me to thinking...

We visited Caesarea Phillipi, northernmost in Israel, and the site of Jesus' conversation with his men about his identity. (Matthew 16:13-20). This location was significant, for although an official Roman outpost, it had also been the site of worship to the Greek god, Pan, for almost 300 years. At the site is a cave that once housed a great spring which flowed from nearby Mount Hermon. The opening was thought to be an entrance to Hades, the underworld. It was known as the mouth of Hades. People would sacrifice both animals and babies here, hoping to engage the favor of the gods. And it was against this backdrop of foremost paganism and worldliness (both Greek and Roman) that Jesus initiated the discussion regarding his actual identity to those closest to him.

What initially struck me was the idea of power and power locations. It seems that there were, in Jesus' time, areas that evoked greater measures and demonstrations of spiritual power. I know there are such issues in all places, but some seem (for reasons I'm not always sure of) to be of even greater concentration. The focus of of such pagan spiritual fervor and activity here undoubtedly created such a nexus in Caesarea Phillipi. The area of the Gerasenes (Mark 5) may be another location of similar spiritual power.

Whenever and wherever Jesus encountered these kinds of power centers, he met them with like (and overcoming) power. I believe he gave particular time, effort and personal attention to the people and situations in these places, and demonstrated a power greater than what was enslaving those being held captive. Therefore, truth rang out even more loudly in the centers of spiritual deception, people troubled and tormented by evil spirits found release from their captors, and those crippled by disease were released from its grip. People discouraged and defeated in life battles found victory about which they may have only dreamed, and those stumbling in spiritual darkness discovered new light for their paths.

All this to say that the fiercer your battle, the greater the opportunity for the power of Jesus to be unleashed in your life. The more spiritual forces seek to pound and pulverize you and your walk with Jesus, the more intensely his presence and resources are at your side to gird you for victory. The more you face temptation and trial that would pull you under, the more his grace empowers you to overcome. It's never a matter of if those battles will take place, but rather when. Peter knew that: "When the fiery ordeal arises among you to test you, don't be surprised by it, as if something unusual were happening to you." (1 Pet.4:12)

Remember, Jesus meets power with power. The greater the attack, the greater the response. Just make sure you go to the source, so you're not trying to fight the fire on your own. And know that there is always more at stake than meets the eye. 

It is, after all, a spiritual battle.