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Spiritual Warfare
March 4, 2019
"I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS"- Matthew 28:20
War is always destructive. The consequences of war are never beneficial. Humanity has seen many battles in history. The effects of wars have been catastrophic: loss of lives, instability, destruction of property and historical treasures, and physical and emotional devastation. Jesus said that you would hear of the wars and the rumors of wars. Many parts of the world are still going through physical battles.
But as a believer in the Lord Jesus, every Christian is also on the battlefield. We have many identities in Christ: the ambassador of Christ, the children of God, the priest and many more. Also, we are soldiers of Christ. Jesus makes it clear that our war is not against this world. In John 18:36 Jesus's answer to the Pilate is notable, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence."
Paul writes about this war and speaks openly about this. 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 (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, we are not in the war against flesh and blood but against the power of darkness. The weapons are different; the ways of battle are different. How can we fight this battle?
"Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand"(Ephesians 6:13).
The answer is clear. We need to take all the weapons that have been provided by God. A soldier without armament will be trounced in the battle. If we want victory over the power of Satan, we should be equipped with the armors of God. God has not only sent us in the battle to fight, but He has provided us the best weapons also.
Further in Ephesians 6, Apostle Paul mentions about these weapons:
"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"(Ephesians 6:14-17).
"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"(Ephesians 6:14-17).
These are our weapons: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel, shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the last one is the sword of Spirit which is the Word of God. If we are equipped with all these weapons, we will be triumphant over the power of Satan.
You and I are in this battle, but it is not our battle. It belongs to our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. He already has won the primary contest. He fought the fight in Calvary and won this fight at the tomb. Death is a bitter reality which is the ultimate fate of human beings. Jesus got victory over death. Anyone who believes in Him also will gain victory over it and have eternal life. Satan was crushed right at that time. The first prophecy in the Bible was fulfilled when Jesus rose from death (Genesis 3:15).
Our captain is Jesus Christ. Jesus is victorious. He will lead us in this battle. The conversion of Apostle Paul is a significant event in the Bible. Jesus said important things to Saul when He called him. And he said, "Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.'" (Acts 9:5). Saul was persecuting the Christians, but Jesus asks why do you persecute me? If that persecution can be against Jesus, then our Lord will fight this battle with us. We are not alone; Jesus, our Savior, is with us. He is by our side. We need to ask for help with him.
Fight the good fight of faith(1 Timothy 6:12). The commander Jesus is with us. The battle is his. We are his soldiers. We have to do one thing: we should fight the good fight. The Lord's presence will be with us. His guidance will follow us. We have his promise, "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:19). Jesus was with us; He is with us and will be with us forever. We need to be aware of this battle. We should put on all the heavenly armors. The Lord is with us. It is His battle, and He will be with us in this battle to fight against the power of darkness.
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