Can I Trust My Bible?

 PSALM. 12:6; 19:7

Psalm 12:6, The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Psalm 19:7, The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.                                                                        

SUBJECT: The Credibility Of The Bible

                       

THEME: today we will learn that the inspired books of the Bible are completely reliable and credible.  We will also endeavor to set forth the Bible’s credentials by other well-known established facts.  In doing this, we will avoid circular reasoning, that is using the Bible to prove the Bible’s accuracy.  Instead we will construct empirical (experimental or observable) evidences which further support the biblical truth of inerrancy by using external proofs.

           

RELEVANCY: many times our arguments from the Scriptures are discounted by skeptics and unbelievers because they reject the authority and accuracy of the Bible. How then can we convince a “doubter” that the Bible is indeed a credible source of information?  If we grasp this lesson well, we will have the ammunition we need to answer the skeptics and prayerfully win them to our Lord Jesus Christ eventually.

INTRODUCTION:

1) The Revelation in the Bible Is Accurate (John 17:17), Progressive (Heb. 1:1), and Purposeful (2 Tim. 3:15-17).  The root problem with liberals and skeptics is their failure or refusal to believe the Bible. No man who has humble, unwavering faith in the Bible is a liberal!

Why do we believe the world was created in six literal days? Or that Jonah was swallowed by a great fish prepared by God?  Or why do we accept the teachings that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin and walked on water and rose from the dead the third day?  Why? Simply because the Bible plainly teaches this! The Bible destroys liberalism and liberalism seeks to destroy the Bible.

2) Scripture Should Be Taken For What it Says.

Primarily, two approaches exist as to the credibility of the scriptural revelation.  One Camp (Fideists) insists that “the Scripture and the revelation it contains is self-authenticating, or that they validate themselves” (that is, autopistic). Of course we believe in the infallibility and the inspiration of the Scripture.  In addition to these, the Holy Spirit Himself accredits the Word by placing His endorsement upon it. This should be enough for any Christian, simply the fact that God said it in the Bible ought to be enough to settle any issue in life. (Ryrie)  

This is clearly the position the Lord Jesus took, in that He never questioned the Bibles content, claims, and statements.  Remember it was Jesus who said, “If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;” (John 10:35). Our Lord also said on a different occasion that,

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

3) Scripture’s Claims Should Be Supported By Various Evidences.

Then there are those (Empiricists), on the other hand, who stress the natural (intrinsic) credibility of the Bible as being worthy of belief, (that is, axiopistic). “The Bible's claim to authority is not in itself proof of its authority; rather there exist factual, historical evidences which constitute the Bible's credentials and validate the truth of its message.” (Ryrie) 

         a) This Is Not an Approach of Unbelief Necessarily, but Rather a Position That Seeks to Prove What the Bible Claims. This kind of insight can be incredibly valuable when dealing with skeptics and those who generally discount the Bible’s message.  They can be won over by proving how the Bible’s message is verified in nature, real science, history, and by experience. 

ILLUSTRATION: The Apostle Paul used this basic approach while on Mars Hill in Acts 17:22-34, to witness and reveal the UNKNOWN GOD to pagans and skeptics. Paul used General Revelation that which all men have as common ground. His basic argument is from Creation, Geography, and Science.

         b) I Personally Believe That There Is Truth in Both These Approaches So That Both Can and Should Be Used Especially With Critics.  Therefore, we will look to both methods today as we examine the credibility of the Bible. Why? Because of a Biblical mandate:  1 Peter 3:15, clearly states, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:".

God in His great wisdom requires that the Christian be able to skillfully defend the Faith when questioned or even discounted because of an apparent lack of credence.

4) The Reliability of the Bible’s Content Is Assured by the Lord!

Psalm 12:6, The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Psalm 19:7, The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

       a) It Is Commonly Held That the Bible Is Full of Historical Errors, Scientific Impossibilities, and Misstatements. Let us understand that there are many things in the Bible about which we need fuller light; but let us also state confidently that the Bible is accurate and reliable. Over and over again, what seems to be discrepancies are cleared away after careful and prayerful investigation. Psalm 119:160, states, "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."

  

       b) There Is Not One Single Proven Inaccuracy in the Whole Bible. The Bible is accurate historically, geographically, genealogically, scientifically, psychologically, typologically and verbally.

       c) Bible-believing Baptists Approach Doctrine from the "First Truth" That the Bible Is Truth.  Jesus said “thy word is Truth” (Jn. 17:17).  Many unbelievers; however, will not accept this premise, so it becomes necessary to actually prove the Bible for what it claims to be. (R. Sargent)

THE QUESTION IS: "Is the Bible Narrative Trustworthy?"

THE TEST IS:  Compare Bible Statements with Known Facts.

Lesson:

I.  HOW DOES ARCHAEOLOGY TESTIFY TO THE ACCURACY OF THE BIBLE?

Not one archaeological find disproves accounts in the Bible and many confirm the historical accuracy of the Bible.  This significant area has continued to prove the Bible’s accuracy!

Many of the attacks on the accuracy of the Bible occurred prior to modern archaeology. However, beginning with major excavations in the Holy Land in the mid-1800s, archaeological evidence has confirmed the Bible's historical accuracy time and time again.   As travel became easier and scholars more curious, archaeologists began to peel away the earth's surface to reveal ancient cities, painted tombs, solid gold likenesses of rulers, jars, money and items needed for the afterlife, tablets of stone and clay telling the story of a people or a city, and so on. As these artifacts piled up, references to biblical places and people surfaced. In a number of cases, people or places which skeptics had written off as fanciful mistakes in the Bible were instead confirmed as authentic. In fact, many things that eighteenth-and nineteenth-century scholars questioned have now been verified as factual, such as cities and things in those cities, rulers, and important people.  Perhaps the greatest of the external proofs of the trustworthiness of the Biblical narrative are derived from the archaeologist's spade. (Anders)

 A.  ARCHAEOLOGY HAS CONFIRMED BIBLE PERSONALITIES.

    1. King Belshazzar (Dan. 5): Belshazzar, named in the book of Daniel as the last king of Babylon, was nowhere to be found in Babylonian records: all known Babylonian records listed Nabonidus as the last king. Then, archaeological records revealed that Nabonidus left Babylon for ten years and went to Arabia. In his absence, his son Belshazzar ruled as king in his place during the time of Daniel. In this way, archaeology explained the apparent discrepancy between the biblical record and the previous Babylonian record (Paul Little, Know Why You Believe 95).

     2. Sanballat (Neh. 2:19; 4:1):  Clifford Wilson, a committed Christian and retired archaeologist at the University of Sydney in Australia, tells of evidence of a man named Sanballat, found during the time of Alexander the Great (356 – 389 BC). A man named Sanballat is also found in the book of Nehemiah, before Alexander the Great’s time. Critics often cited this as proof of historical error in the Bible. But then it was discovered that there were three Sanballats, and that one of them lived during the time of Nehemiah. The Bible was right after all (“The Bible: Fable, Fraud or Fact,” Coral Ridge Video Ministry, January 4, 1994).

B.  ARCHAEOLOGY HAS CONFIRMED BIBLE HISTORY.

William F. Albright, recognized throughout the world as a leading Palestinian archaeologist, attests that there is little doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historical accuracy of Old Testament tradition.

    1. King Solomon’s Extravagant Wealth.

For example, higher critics of Scripture doubted the Bible’s description of King Solomon’s wealth. But archaeologist Henry Breasted, between 1925 and 1934, unearthed the remains of one of Solomon’s “chariot cities” at Megiddo in northern Palestine (2 Chron 1:14; 2 Chron 8:6; 2 Chron 9:25). Mr. Breasted found stables capable of holding more than four hundred horses and the remains of barracks for Solomon’s chariot battalions which were stationed to guard a strategic trail that ran through Megiddo.

Nelson Glueck, another archaeologist, found the remains of a huge refining factory for copper and iron, two metals Solomon used when bartering for gold, silver, and ivory (see 1 Kin. 9:28; 10:22).

     2.  The Existence of the Hittite Clan.

Critics of Scripture also doubted the existence of the Hittites (Gen. 15:20, Jos. 1:4) a people the Bible refers to some forty-eight times. Archaeologist Hugh Winckler excavated the Hittite capital of Boghaz-Koi and recovered thousands of Hittite texts, as well as the famous Hittite code.

Other examples of how archaeology confirms the authority of the Bible could fill several dozen books. Archaeology helps us see clearly that our Christian faith rests on facts (actual events) not mere myths or stories.

     3.  Statement From Archaeologist Nelson Glueck.

More than a century of biblical excavations at over 25,000 sites have repeatedly confirmed the accuracy of the Bible.   After working in the field for many years, noted archaeologist Nelson Glueck said, “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted (contradicted) a biblical reference” (quoted in Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict 1:65).

C.  ARCHAEOLOGY HAS CONFIRMED BIBLE CHRONOLOGY.

Archaeological discoveries of contemporary societies have given much supportive evidence to Biblical events, the order of events, and the circumstances involved.

The Gospel of Luke has often been attacked for historical inaccuracies, especially relating to the birth of Christ. Discoveries have now shown the Romans had regular censuses every 14 years, that Quirinius (Cyrenius) was the Governor of Syria at around 7 B.C. (Luke 2:1-3) and that Roman procedures for conducting a census (outlined on a papyrus document discovered in Egypt) required the return of people to their homelands. (R. Sargent)

D.  ARCHAEOLOGY HAS CONFIRMED BIBLE LANDS AND TERRITORIES.

Topography has to do with the layout of the land. It is evident Bible localities are where the Bible says they were; times taken for journeys were feasible.

     1.  The Five Cities of Gen. 14.  (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, Bela)

The discovery of the Ebla Tablets in the 1970's relate to a kingdom existing around 2,300 B.C. One tablet actually lists the 5 cities mentioned in Genesis 14:2 in the Biblical order! Until then, the existence of these cities was doubted by Higher Critics. (R. Sargent)

      2. The Plain of Jezreel.

Any visitor to the Holy Land will find desert where the Bible says there is desert, mountains where the Bible says there are mountains, etc.

The Plain of Jezreel (which figures in Bible prophecy and the coming Battle of Armageddon) actually exists, and is a plain, which forms a strategic passage from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan valley without having to cross mountains.

To be completely candid, we must assess what all this means. By itself, this does not mean that the Bible is the word of God. It does mean that the Bible has never been proven wrong on any point of history or geography.

However, the historical-geographical test must be passed if we are to conclude that the Bible is the word of God. Mistakes in the record would cause us to doubt the Bible as the word of God. Since there are no mistakes in it, it passes the historical-geographical test and allows us, on that ground, to conclude that it is the word of God. Whether or not we decide it is the word of God is ultimately a matter of faith, but we would not be able to make that conclusion if we found the Bible riddled with error.  Thank God it is not!

II. WE WILL CONTINUE OUR STUDY ON THE CREDIBILITY OF THE BIBLE IN THE NEXT LESSON.

Today we have reaffirmed that the inspired books of the Bible are completely reliable and credible. We have also set forth the Bible’s credentials by means of archaeology.  In doing this, we have avoided circular reasoning, that is using the Bible to prove the Bible’s accuracy.  Instead we have begun constructing empirical (experimental or observable) evidences which further support the biblical truth of inerrancy and trustworthiness.

   

Many times our arguments from the scriptures are discounted by liberals, skeptics, and unbelievers because they reject the authority and accuracy of the Bible. By using external proofs we can perhaps convince the “doubters” that the Bible is indeed a credible source of information. In any event the Spirit of God must be free to work powerfully in the heart of men. If we have rightly grasped this lesson, we now have some ammunition to answer the skeptics and prayerfully win them to Christ eventually. Now, seek to give an answer to every man concerning your confidence in the Scriptures.                     

Psalm 12:6, The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Psalm 19:7, The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The weight of this argument could enable a person to believe that the Bible is the Word of God. It takes a mind gravely prejudiced against the supernatural not to agree that the evidence for the Bible being the Word of God is strong indeed. So to the question: Can I Trust My Bible? The answer is absolutely!

Know Where The Battle Is!

“Sooner or later every believer discovers that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground, and that he faces an enemy who is much stronger than he is—apart from the Lord.” —W. W. Wiersbe

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  (Eph. 6:10-13, KJV)

The power of God is not resident in the pieces of armor. Where is the power? What is the source of our strength?  (Eph. 6:10) 

The Source of Our Strength in the Spiritual War Is God Alone.  Eph. 6:10, says, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.”

We cannot control a flood with a flamethrower.We cannot douse a forest fire with floodlights.We cannot stop a hurricane with bullets. And we cannot fight supernatural battles with natural strength. Natural power has no effect whatsoever on spiritual things.(Anders)

If we could ever get that through our heads, we would change the way we do things. Instead of relying on hard work and creativity and shrewdness and politics and money, we would rely on prayer and Scripture and godliness and spiritual unity and sensitivity to the Lord.

Our Power, Our Strength, Is Only That—Ours…Natural.

It is quite puny against the onslaught of Satan and his demonic army. Of course we should work hard, be creative and shrewd, and use politics and money. But we must not depend on these things. Our true strength, our real power, does not lie within ourselves. It is in the Lord.

This Is Extremely Difficult for Us to Accept at First.

We may be very strong physically, accustomed to relying on our physical strength to achieve our goals. Or we may be highly skilled business executives, very talented artists, or shrewd negotiators, and we may depend on these talents to make our way through this world. So it is hard for us to lay those abilities at the foot of the cross, admit that in spiritual warfare they are useless and we are powerless, and say, “Lord Jesus, help me.” But until we come to that point, we are thoroughly duped—and we will remain thoroughly defeated. (LAC)

In spiritual warfare…

God does the work of God,Man does the work of man.Man cannot do the work of God,And God will not do the work of man. (Unknown)

God's Work—spiritual Warfare—has to Be Done God's Way.

The work of humans is to learn and employ God's tactics and rely on God—and God alone—in the spiritual war.

For the life of us, however, we cannot get this straight. We insist on trying to do the work of God while neglecting the work of man. Then we wonder why things aren't going so well.

“If we are not 100 percent with Jesus in battling our adversary—if we are relying on any other source of power apart from that of the Holy Spirit of God—then we are actually against Jesus and our efforts at defeating Satan will fail.We cannot defeat the devil with our intellect.We cannot defeat the devil with our clever reasoning.We cannot defeat the devil with our hatred of him.We can defeat the devil only by relying totally and completely on Jesus Christ to work in us and through us and on our behalf. There is no successful warfare against the devil apart from Him. He authorizes our war against the devil, even as He empowers us to win it and gives us the courage to engage in it.”  — C. Stanley

The power that raised Christ from the dead empowers God's people as we prepare for the spiritual battles we must face in this life. We will need it, because the struggle occurs in the spiritual realm and must be won with spiritual weapons. While the victory is certain, the battle still must be waged. Paul's words are all in the plural, addressed to the church at Ephesus, who, like a warrior, needed to put on the complete armor of God. Of course, this combined effort calls for each member's fullest participation.

“TRAINING.   If you want to complete a marathon, you have to run hundreds of training miles. If you want to learn a foreign language, you have to spend some hours memorizing declensions and conjugations. If you want to play the piano, you have to learn the scales and how to read music. And if you want to accomplish anything for God, you have to spend time with the spiritual disciplines: Bible study, prayer, church involvement, fasting, and serving. Being a Christian is not a learned skill or discipline; it's a living relationship with our living Lord Jesus. But like any other relationship, if you want it to be deep and meaningful—beyond the superficial and empty formalities—it takes time and commitment. Do you set aside time for spiritual training?”  —LAC

What Are the Three Battlefronts in Spiritual Warfare?

The Three Battle fronts in Our Spiritual Warfare Are the World, the Flesh, and the Devil.

As Christians, we face these three enemies (Eph. 2:1-3). Spiritual warfare occurs in our everyday lives in different ways, sometimes blatantly, but often very subtly. The Bible shows that this conflict rages on three battlefronts. These fronts are the world (1 John 2:15–17), the flesh (Romans 7:14–25) and the devil (1 Peter 5:8).

"The World" Refers to the System Around Us That Is Opposed to God.

The World caters to "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:15-17). "Society apart from God" is a simple, but accurate, definition of "the world."

The “World” Does Not Mean the Material Planet. This physical world was created by God, and he pronounced it good (Genesis 1). Yes, it has been corrupted by sin, but it will be redeemed and made new (Romans 8:19–22; Revelation 21:1) and be totally good again. That is one wonderful result of the salvation God is performing today.

But “World” in its Negative Sense Is the World System of Values. It is the present evil order and arrangement of things that began, not with creation, but with the spoiling of God's good creation by sin (Genesis 3). The world is the social battlefront, where believers battle sin and evil confronting them from “without.” It is a battleground of external powers, values, influences, and temptations.

In this Battle, the Bible Admonishes Us to Be in the World, but Not of the World. We are to resist the pressure of unredeemed society that would force us into its mold (Romans 12:1, 2). The Apostle Paul wrote of our conflict with the world in 2 Corinthians 10:4–5, where he describes worldly convictions, habits, thoughts, and affections held by society, by a culture, by humanity as a whole. These are worldly because they oppose God, deny God, or attempt to exist apart from God. Overcoming these forces in our own lives, as well as helping others to overcome them, is part of the war we wage against the fallen world in which we live. We are to disengage ourselves from the ungodly elements of the world value system, while at the same time influencing the world for the cause of Christ (Matthew 5:14–16; 28:19–20).

"The Flesh" Is the Old Nature That We Inherited from Adam.

It is a nature that is opposed to God and can do nothing spiritual to please God. The “flesh” does not mean our skin, meat and bones, nor does it refer only to sexual desire.

These are part of God's good creation. Rather, “flesh” refers to an inherent bent toward sin that every human being inherits from Adam. It refers not just to actions (sex, money, and power), but also to attitudes (lust, greed, and all kinds of selfishness). The flesh is the personal battlefront, where believers battle sin and evil “within” themselves, a battleground of internal powers, values, influences, and temptations.

The apostle Paul writes of the flesh in Romans 7 where he says that “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. [19] For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. [20] Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” Romans 7:18-20

This passage describes a spiritual civil war raging within the heart of each Christian. Because of the new birth in Christ, the Christian wants to do the right thing, but the flesh is not redeemed and continues to pull us down until Jesus returns or we die (Romans 8:23). So we must war against this tendency, a kind of unhealthy gravity, within ourselves pulling us against the will of God. In this battle, the Bible admonishes us not to let sin rule over our physical bodies. Instead, we are to actively present ourselves to God as instruments to be used for His righteousness (Romans 6:11–14). (Wiersbe)

We can be Winners through Our Lord Jesus Christ.

By His death and resurrection, Christ overcame the world (John 16:33; Gal 6:14), and the flesh (Rom 6:1-6; Gal 2:20), and the devil (Eph. 1:19-23). In other words, as believers, we do not fight for victory—we fight from victory!  The Spirit of God enables us, by faith, to appropriate Christ's victory for ourselves.

Who Else are Believers at War With? 

How does God describe him? (Eph. 6:11-12)

The Importance of Intelligence

The intelligence corps plays a vital part in warfare because it enables the officers to know and understand the enemy. Unless we know who the enemy is, where he is, and what he can do, we have a difficult time defeating him. Not only in Ephesians 6, but throughout the entire Bible, God instructs us about the enemy, so there is no reason for us to be caught off guard.

The Leader-the Devil- the Enemy (Eph. 6:11-12)

The “devil” is not the little man in red tights, with hoofs, horns, and a pitchfork. He is an extremely powerful fallen angel, evil to the core, and absolutely set against God. The “devil” refers to a supernatural battlefront where believers battle Satan and other evil supernatural beings, whom the Bible identifies as the source of evil. Satan and his allies use the world and the flesh to keep us from doing the will of God.

The enemy has many different names. Devil basically means “accuser,” because he accuses God's people day and night before the throne of God (Rev 12:7-11). Satan refers to his adversarial role; clearly he is the enemy of Almighty God. He is also called the tempter (Matt 4:3), the murderer and the liar (John 8:44). He is compared to a lion (1 Peter 5:8), a serpent (Gen 3:1; Rev. 12:9), and an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:13-15), as well as “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). All of these titles and descriptions afford us insight into his dark character and strategies.

Where did he come from, this spirit-creature that seeks to oppose God and defeat His work? In the Creation, he was “Lucifer, son of the morning” (Isa 14:12-15) and that he was cast down because of his pride and his desire to occupy God's throne. Many mysteries are connected with the origin of Satan, but what he is doing is not a secret. Where he is going certainly is not a mystery either! Since he is a created being, and not eternal (as God is), he is limited in his knowledge and activity. Unlike God, Satan is not all-knowing, all-powerful, or everywhere present. Then how does he accomplish so much in so many different parts of the world?  The answer is in his organized helpers.

Satan's Helpers

Paul called them “principalities ... powers ... rulers ... spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).

We Are Not in a Battle with Human Foes Alone.

But with demonic forces, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark world, battalions of fallen angels, powerful evil spirits that is, with the spirit forces of evil challenging us in the heavenly battles. These can be compared to the differing degrees of authority, such as presidents, governors, mayors, and aldermen on a human scale. It is not godless philosophers, crafty priests, Christ-denying cultists, or infidel rulers. Such individuals are mere pawns in Satan’s game for lives.  

This suggests a definite army of demonic creatures that assist Satan in his attacks against believers. Do I really believe in the existence of evil spirit beings? Yes, I do! The Apostle John hinted that one third of the angels fell with Satan when he rebelled against God (Rev 12:4). Daniel wrote that Satan’s fallen angels struggle against God’s holy angelic hosts for control of the affairs of entire nations (Dan 10:13-20). Does it surprise you to learn that demons direct certain countries and greatly influence others? A spiritual battle is raging in this world, and in “high places” or the sphere of the heavenly/spiritual realm, and you and I are part of this battle. Knowing this makes living victoriously a vitally important matter to us…and certainly to God.

The important point is that our battle is not against human beings. It is against spiritual powers. We are wasting our time fighting people when we ought to be fighting the devil who seeks to control people and make them oppose the work of God. During Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, a riot took place that could have destroyed the church (Acts 19:21-41). It wasn't caused only by Demetrius and his associates for behind them were Satan and associates.   Certainly Paul, and the church prayed, and the opposition was silenced. The advice of the King of Syria to his soldiers can be applied to our spiritual battle-. “Fight neither with small nor great save only the king” (1 Kings 22:31). (Wiersbe)

As we consider this great invisible war in which the devil and his hosts engage us, we must concentrate on two realities. First, we are to be alert to his evil intentions, to his strategy to deceive and destroy us. Secondly, we must recognize that it is God alone who can make us victorious in this great invisible war. His resources, His strength, His ministry to us are what allow us to keep from being destroyed in this battle. We must develop the conviction and habit of turning to Him, depending on Him, obeying Him so that He can win the battle for us.

I realize that this is strange talk in our nuts-and-bolts world of computer chips, flash drives, and space shuttles.  We are not used to thinking about invisible foes and celestial combat. Yet if we are not careful, we will be duped into thinking we are merely battling people and circumstances, when all the time things are being orchestrated by a mastermind behind the scenes. This evil instigator of darkness is intelligent and powerful. He makes the terrorism of Ben Laden look like a quite stroll through the park! If we pretend he is not there, or if we try to do battle with him in our own intelligence and strength, we are doomed to failure. Every Believer in Christ Jesus needs to understand that we are in a deadly battle against powerful forces and enemies. Most of all remember the Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the world, crucified the flesh, and destroyed the works of the wicked one, Satan. We are real victors in Christ! Our Lord, dwelling within us, is definitely more powerful than Satan who seems to presently dominate this world system. Be of good courage child of God knowing we fight from victory instead of for victory. Yes, the greatest battle was won for us at Calvary over two thousand years ago. Always bear in mind, your battle is in the spiritual realm just as intensely as it is in the physical realm. If the entire truth is told, it is often far more forceful, precarious, and lethal in spiritual war! Your real enemies are not the individuals or people, but Satan, the flesh, and the world. Beloved, this is where the battle is. We must employ spiritual weapons and strategies to win such battles!