Warriors for Battle

The very thought of battle is never pleasant, as it reveals itself in victories and costly defeats.  The idea of an enemy set out to slay us is fearful and even paralyzing.  Those that are in the battle faithfully can teach us many things about warfare. By refusing to acknowledge a battle is taking place, or by failing to prepare for it does not excuse us from entering the battlefield.  Yet, all enjoy the freedom and benefits that come through victory. Victory is sweet and precious!  According to Scripture, Christians should plan for battle each day and walk in confidence that they can have the victory through Jesus Christ.

There are some challenges that believers encounter when it comes to standing for Jesus Christ.  First, according to Ephesians 6:10-20, we were never intended to walk the Christian life alone or to combat Satan on our own.  In fact, we can plan on being defeated if not destroyed by Satan if we are not preparing with Christ.  Believers are told to be strong "in the power of His might" (v. 10).  Christ said in John 15:5 that "apart from me you can do nothing".   With that said, how could we ever think we could live a Christian life not empowered by Him each day?  This is one of the first lies we believe from Satan.  Should we wonder why we live in defeat when we walk apart from Christ?

Second, we often fail to see who the enemy really is.  Many of us believe it is our employers,  our spouses, our ex-spouses, our families, and even our fellow church members.  This is also a lie accepted from Satan to sidetrack us from the battle that he is waging against us.  If Satan can cause us to focus on the wrong enemy, then he can hinder us from taking the Gospel forward. Too much physical, emotional, and spiritual energy is spent on fighting the wrong enemy.  Satan causes God's people to turn on one another and to destroy one another.  Over the years, his strategy has proven successful in destroying families and church families from being what God created them to be.

Third, believing the TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD is essential to defeating Satan (v. 14a).   Trusting God's promises and His character is necessary if believers are to experience daily victory.  In John 17:17, Jesus prayed for His followers, "Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth."  This means believers MUST study God's Word and know how to apply it for daily living.  On the contrary, Satan is identified as a liar and the father of lies, he attacks with lies (John 8:44).  Without knowing and living God's truth, Christians are highly vulnerable for defeat and destruction.  Most Christians who walk strong through crises do so because they understand the truths of God's Word.

Finally, victory in battle comes to those who walk in righteousness.  Those who yield to God's Spirit and walk in godliness will experience victory over  Satan.  Those who are living for Christ, those who are practicing the truths from God's Word are a real threat to Satan and he struggles at taking them down.  It is much easier for him to go to the next unprepared soldier.

I desire to be a warrior for Christ that poses a real threat to the enemy.  However, it means doing battle with Christ, understanding who the enemy really is, and walking a life that is consistent to God's ways.  Let's fight and win the battle together over the real enemy!