Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
All my life, I have been in various competitions. The one thing about competitions is you learn to obtain, or at least you should. While emulation (trying to outdo another) is a work of the flesh and is to be controlled, there is one thing about competition. People who compete do so to win and they learn what they must do to win. Paul uses this as an example showing us we have to structure ourselves in spiritual things to win and we have to run the race in spiritual matters correctly.
Paul says: I Cor. 9 ... Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
In spiritual matters, we have to run the race correctly. Jesus said: the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Jn. 4
Our goal is to overcome through God. We will overcome every time we turn to God with a problem and wait on HIM to show us what to do and then do what HE shows us.
Jesus always overcame the world. Non-spiritual people might not see it this way. Jesus went to a cross and died on a cross. How is that overcoming? It is overcoming because it was the will of God for Jesus to do this. Three times Jesus prayed that "this cup" (the cross) be removed from Him. But He laid down HIS life and suffered death on a cross because it was the will of God for HIM and it fulfilled the scriptures. Jesus was intent in fulfilling the scriptures. Mt. 26:53 ... Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? So Jesus chose death on a cross to fulifll the scripture. No man took Jesus' life. He laid it down to fulfill the scriptures.
We must run our own race ... that set before us. This requires that we hear from God by HIS Spirit and that we do what HE instructs in the specific issues of this life.
We, who belong to God, should be able to discern between the Spirit of God and the spirits of devils. This is part of our "training" for the race.
The voice of God is "gentle", "easy to be intreated" ... James 3:17
Devils push at us and torment us and try to force us to take action, usually with violence and threats toward the other person.
James 3 ... But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Jn. 16:33 ... These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I (the Word) have overcome the world.
We overcome the world each time we hear from God concerning the issue at hand and do what God shows us to do. (But we have to know the voice of God and discern between God and devils for both bring thoughts to our minds.)
And we can't half halfheartedly enter the race ... (Remember the example Paul gave of the race ... I Cor. 9) We have to set our mind to win the race. We train ourselves in a proper way to win the race. There is no other goal but to win the race. Unless we have this fervor, we will likely fall back and explain away losing.
I am training daily ... to win the race ... How? ... I am focused daily on making my mind think of that which is lovely ... as Paul said to do in Phil. 4:8 ... Even before getting out of bed in the mornings, I lie there and recall something "lovely"... training to win ...
Anytime we do a scripture, we train to win the race set before us and escape the flesh and the ways of the world.
And we must stop our tongue from giving negative reports about secular matters. Each time I start to say, "I don't like ..." , I catch myself and try to stop my tongue. Negative reports about secular matters can damage the other person without cause. Am I just trying to be wise in my own eyes?
Certainly if the person is in some form of danger, I would want to bring the warning. But to just bring a negative report based on my own preference can be damaging with a reason for the report.