“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!
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.
ReplyDeletehttps://maxevangel.blogspot.com/2015/02/know-where-battle-is.html
#JesusChrist #Power #Strength #Victory #God #Fight #Battle #MaxEvangel
We can be Winners through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteBy 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.
https://maxevangel.blogspot.com/2015/02/know-where-battle-is.html
#JesusChrist #Power #Strength #Victory #God #Fight #Battle #MaxEvangel
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.
ReplyDeletehttps://maxevangel.blogspot.com/2015/02/know-where-battle-is.html
#JesusChrist #Power #Strength #Victory #God #Fight #Battle #MaxEvangel