The Enemy Within: Chapter 12

One of the assumptions of The Enemy Within is that if a Christian knows the schemes / methods of his "enemy" (i.e., his sinful flesh), he will have victory over it. In this chapter, Lundgaard exposes our flesh's scheme of peace, specifically that our flesh can trick us into thinking we have peace with God after we've sinned when we really don't.

This is the Christian, like me, who "when their consciences are pricked by their sin, they too quickly declare their own inner peace before God has done his work in them" (133).

When there are sins in my life that I put off dealing with, my flesh tricks me into thinking they're dealt with because "Jesus died for all your sins," or "You confessed this so move on," or "God loves me," when, deep down, my conscience is screaming "This has not been dealt with!" So, how do I respond? In the exact ways this chapter outlines.

First, I speak the gospel to myself, then think I have peace when I don't because I don't hate the sin I'm speaking the gospel to. It's a sin I really don't want to be rid of. True hatred for sin is seen when "your heart weeps with self-hatred" (136) for the offense it is against God, not for the consequences that sin brings.

Second, I gain a fake, temporary peace when I have to argue Scriptures against my feelings of guilt, and the guilt still doesn't go away. No matter what I know is true about my sin, the feeling that I'm still guilty doesn't leave because I also know I need to do more than confess and repent of my sin for the true peace to come.

In other words, I can speak the gospel to myself about the sin I've committed against a person, ask God to forgive me for the sin, commit to turning from it completely, but still not have peace. Why? Because I know true peace will only come when I confess to and ask forgiveness from that person. Only then the peace I get is peace from God.

Lundgaard writes that this kind of peace not only won't last, but it "doesn't give sweetness and contentment to the soul" and it ultimately "doesn't change your life" (138).

The peace given to the Christian after he sins is from God when it lasts. It is a peace that seasons the soul, making it sweetly rest in God. It is a peace that ignites lasting change concerning that sin.

This, and only this kind of peace has lasting effects because this is the only kind of peace that comes from God, not our own deceptive, scheming, con-man hearts.