In his sermon series on getting rid of things within us that are not of God, our pastor has been preaching about lust. Sexual desire for another person is one type of lust, but any strong desire for money, power, things, etc. can be another type of lust. This reminded me of a Native American fable I’d heard:
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”*
Or, to put it as our pastor did, “The one you feed will grow.”
Many of the characteristics of the evil wolf – anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego – are things over which I have some degree of spiritual control in my flesh. But there are times when one or another will rear its ugly head and then I have to decide whether to “feed” it. Thinking about it obsessively or talking it over with someone who actually pours fuel on the fire are great ways to feed the wrong wolf.
I am slowly learning tools that can help me not feed this wolf, the primary one being to “take every thought captive and make it obedient to God.” For example, when one specific thought struggle comes to mind, I just pray over that person, “I bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Then, I go on. I do not feed the thought. I do not give it any energy, time, or space in my head. I take it captive to the Lord Jesus Christ. This helps to not feed the evil wolf within me.
The Apostle Peter urged us to get rid of evil desires and to crave the things of the Spirit so we can abstain from sinful desires that war against our soul.
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good…..Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.” (1 Peter 2:1-3, 11 NIV)
Thankfully, Jesus has shown us how to “feed” the good wolf within us. When our lives are under the lordship of Jesus Christ, led by Holy Spirit, our “good wolf” is fed. We have joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The fable tells us that, “The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.” But the goodness-consuming energy of the evil wolf can be tamed when we feed our good wolf.
God of the Universe,
Thank you for the Spirit you place within each of us when we know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Help us to fan into flames that Spirit’s “fire” so that we become more and more like you. Help us to choose you and the Right in our minds and actions. Help us to take every thought and action captive and to remember that your Spirit gives us divine weapons to demolish strongholds. In Christ’s name, Amen.
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV)
*https://www.urbanbalance.com/the-story-of-two-wolves/