Term 1 | Lecturer: Ps Mervin Jayaseela
Review: The First Four Weeks#
Week 1: We explored Genesis 1-3 and saw that God had a wondrous and powerful purpose in creating humanity. Men were created first to be a foundation - formed to establish the presence and altar of the Lord, to tend and guard the space God entrusted to them, especially within the family.
Week 2: We addressed the silence of Adam. In his silence, Adam failed to reflect the strength, image, and purpose of God. Because of this passivity, the enemy stepped in and the devil seized authority, bringing the human race under his influence.
Week 3: We spoke about the search for identity - cultural, social, and contemporary - and the confusion that surrounds what it means to be a man. Many men struggle today to understand their purpose amid conflicting messages and distorted definitions of masculinity.
Week 4: We began to look at Jesus and other biblical men to gain revelation of what it means to be a godly man in a fallen and confusing world. We confronted the patterns of fallen manhood: fear, hiding, lies, secrets, shame, and passivity. Again and again, we returned our focus to Jesus - how He handled pressure, temptation, and the cravings of the flesh, and how He lived as a true man who overcame the world.
Every Man Needs a Battle to Fight#
“A man must have a battle to fight, a noble mission, and a cause that not only involves but also transcends home and family. More important than living a mediocre life, he must have a cause worth dedicating his life to, even unto death.”
Men have always loved the fight - the battle, the war, the competition, the sports team, the challenge. From boyhood, we turn sticks into guns and swords. There is a warrior in every boy. Every man carries a warrior within him, though the decision to fight is his alone.
The warrior is not the only role a man carries. We have spoken of being a leader, a teacher, a cultivator, a provider, and the foundation upon which a home and life are built. Yet the warrior is essential to masculine integrity. It is hardwired into every man.
“And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” - Nehemiah 4:14 (KJV)
“They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one hand wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.” - Nehemiah 4:17 (KJV)
This is why God created men as allies - to join Him in advancing the King and His Kingdom. This truth is evident from the beginning: Adam’s calling was to tend and protect the garden and his family. There is an aggression, a ruthlessness in every man meant to fight for what is good, right, and true - once he understands who his real enemy is.
The fallen man, consumed by anger and bitterness, turns on those he is meant to protect. Blinded by rejection, shame, guilt, and failure, he attacks himself, his family, and even his God.
The Call to Die Daily#
“Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” - Mark 8:34-37 (KJV)
This is more than a willingness to die for Christ - it is a daily dying. It is choosing Jesus and true life over the self-protection and preservation strategies inherited from Adam. Every man must choose his battle: will he fight to protect himself and his way of life, or will he lay it down for his family and for Christ?
Do we become men after the order of Adam - who pushed his wife forward to face deception and destruction - or do we follow Christ, who laid down His life for us?
So much of life is spent striving or indulging - fighting for personal ambition, pleasure, reward, or recognition. But the mark of a true warrior is the willingness to fight for and serve a purpose greater than himself, a cause larger than his appetites. This is the secret of the warrior heart of Jesus Christ.
Jesus the Warrior#
In Matthew chapter four, Jesus enters the battle - His ongoing conflict with the serpent. After a forty-day fast, the Holy Spirit leads Him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Our battles often follow the Master’s footsteps.
A Battle Against the Flesh and Appetites#
“And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” - Matthew 4:3 (KJV)
Knowing Jesus was hungry, the enemy tempted Him to use divine power to satisfy His appetite - implying that God could not be trusted to provide.
“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” - Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
Jesus declared that the Word of God mattered more than satisfying an appetite. Adam remained silent and failed to speak. Jesus spoke up and stood firmly on the Word.
When King David - God’s warrior - failed to go to battle when he should have, he became vulnerable to temptation. Bored, isolated, and seeking entertainment, he indulged his appetites (2 Samuel 11:1-5). When we fail to rise and fight our appointed battles, we create space for the enemy.
A Battle Against Self-Glory#
“Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” - Matthew 4:5-7 (KJV)
Jesus was tempted to use His power for His own glory rather than to remain in relationship with the Father - to listen for God’s plans and purposes, and to do and speak only what God told Him, even when it was not what He wanted.
The temptation is to do what we want and then demand that God come and rescue us. This is a deeply worldly temptation: to promote ourselves, our success, and our glory instead of trusting God’s way.
A Battle Against Greed, Power, and Wealth#
“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” - Matthew 4:8-10 (KJV)
The enemy fights fiercely for your soul and your family. His aim is to lure men into passivity and submission so he can destroy generations.
Jesus responded with holy authority: “Get thee hence, Satan!” He clearly declared who would be worshiped. This is the pattern men must establish in their homes - refusing silence and passivity, and standing firm as spiritual leaders.
The Traitor Within#
“Our flesh and ego are the traitors within each of us, residing in our hearts, ready to side with every temptation and withdraw into hiding. Since Adam’s silence, men have struggled with a part of themselves that resists accepting responsibility or going the extra mile, preferring instead to give up and run.”
This traitor shows itself when we refuse to speak up, when we either withdraw or attack instead of listening and caring for our wives and children. It appears when we avoid involvement unless success or personal benefit is guaranteed. When this happens, the false self reigns - not Christ within us.
Scripture calls this the flesh, the old man, the sinful nature - the fallen Adamic self. It seeks the easier way out. It ignores a wife’s struggle, avoids hard conversations with children, and resists sacrifice and service.
Simply put, the flesh is selfish, immature, and self-serving.
The battle is to overthrow this traitor within and restore the man God created - one who rules, protects, cultivates, seeks God, and stands courageously in the calling entrusted to him.
The Battle Against the Flesh#
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:” - Romans 8:2-3 (KJV)
Who will deliver us? Christ.
But this is not a passive battle. Our will must actively cooperate with the Spirit of God. We must not resign ourselves to the flesh, to moods, impulses, or old patterns. It is the Holy Spirit who sets us free from addiction, pornography, lust, anger, accusation, and self-preservation.
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” - Romans 8:9-11 (KJV)
The resurrection power of God - the very life of God - lives within you, giving life to your mortal body.
Crucifying the False Self#
The false self must be crucified. Cowardice must die. Self-preservation must die. The warrior is willing to fight even unto death. Walk into the situations you normally avoid. Speak when you would normally stay silent. Kill the flesh.
Put on the whole armor of God. Pray. Fight. Become the warrior you were designed to be - on the front line for your family, your brothers, and your God.
The flesh is the traitor within. It works against you, turning you against yourself. This is self-sabotage: the deliberate suppression of your true strength as a man, choosing instead to live a false life.
If you do not recognize and yield to the deep, powerful, and holy authority that God has placed within you, you will not win this battle. And if you cannot defeat the flesh, you will not stand against your other enemies - the world, the devil, and the gates of hell.
You need a fierce, righteous anger - for justice, for good, for truth, for God, for family, and for the vulnerable. If you continually suppress this God-given strength, you will begin to believe you have none. You will search for substitutes - false forms of power and aggression often directed at the weak: bullying, control, temper, shouting. You will sell yourself cheaply to thrills that do not satisfy.
But the true warrior does not borrow strength from sin.
He lives by the Spirit, fights by the Spirit, and stands as a foundation, a gate, and a living portal to God for those entrusted to him.
Group Discussion Questions#
- Where do you most clearly see the battle between the flesh and the Spirit in your own life right now? What situations, habits, or reactions reveal whether you are living from self-preservation or from the life of the Spirit?
- What does “crucifying the false self” look like in everyday, real-world decisions? Can you identify moments where silence, avoidance, or passivity has been easier than obedience, courage, or leadership?
- How can we fight this battle together rather than alone? What practical steps can this group take to help one another walk in the Spirit, stand firm against temptation, and live as men who protect and serve their families and communities?