After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. — John 13:21-26

So this is a chilling spiritual moment with Jesus. While eating His last meal with His twelve closest companions, Jesus's spirit is troubled about something happening in the room. It's unseen but will soon be realized; therefore, Jesus calls it out.

And here's the issue. Everyone in the room, except Jesus and Judas, is confused about it. Because of this, there is this interchange that is understood by two men, but it's rather cryptic and confusing for the other ten.

I think we sometimes forget the implications of being created in the image of God. We are created by God in the flesh with a spiritual feature that sets us apart from every other creature in creation. We possess a spirit. This spirit craves spiritual fulfillment. We can either find this fulfillment from God in the Holy Spirit or from Satan in the works of the flesh. Yet because we live in the flesh and are reminded of our flesh daily, we are tempted by our flesh regularly. Sometimes the things of the flesh are so visible and evident that's all we see. Therefore, we reason with fleshly minds about fleshly things and become increasingly insensitive to the Spirit, like the ten men in this room who are confused about what's happening. All they see is what is evidenced by the flesh, so they have a confused response to what Jesus is talking about and who the betrayer might be.

Then there's Jesus. Jesus realizes His divinity, His calling, His purpose, and His design. He is totally in tune with the Spirit, to the point He recognizes that something evil, despicable, and satanic is happening in the room. It's so evident to Him that His flesh trembles and His soul is troubled. He even calls it out, knowing everyone else will be confused by it.

So here's the takeaway. We need to remember we are designed as spiritual beings. We are clothed, temporarily, in flesh. And as believers, we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit that empowers and directs us. Therefore, we need to be sensitive to this Spirit moment by moment, not letting our flesh distract or dictate our actions. Because this is the case, we need to become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and reject the spirit of the flesh. We need to be more aware of the spiritual battles happening moment by moment in our lives because these interactions are not surface-level interactions. There is no such thing. All interactions are spiritual interactions. And if you start seeing things this way and living this way, then your flesh is going to respond more like Jesus's did here when the spirit of Satan enters the room.

ASK THIS:

1. How can we cultivate sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our daily lives and resist the distractions and dictates of our fleshly desires?
2. In what ways can we deepen our understanding of spiritual battles and recognize the significance of every interaction as a spiritual interaction?

DO THIS: See everything from a spiritual and respond and respond accordingly.

PRAY THIS: Dear Lord, help me to be attuned to Your Holy Spirit, that I may resist the temptations of the flesh and discern the spiritual battles unfolding around me, so that my actions may reflect Your truth and love. Amen.

PLAY THIS: Holy Spirit.