THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE
What is the answer to all the troubles in the world? There are so many bad things happening and
the media is full of stories of crime, corruption, and terrorism.
Why do we have such a fascination for sensation? Surely, bad news sells newspapers. That is why there are so many profitable
businesses in the media industry.
There was an article on the Internet about the 6th
anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and I was once
again reminded of the extremists who perpetrated this terrorist attack.
The debate about who was right and who was wrong will continue for many more
years but what struck me was the fact that a spiritual war continues right
across the world.
The reality is that maybe we need a wake up call. There are those who are not in Christ who
view us as being ineffective and maybe even a little odd. The media will hesitate to put down other
religions and yet it’s OK to print what they want about Christians. There is a TV program currently running which
tells of the daily trials and tribulations of Doctors working in an emergency
hospital. One of the Doctors is
portrayed as being a Christian, a bumbling and ineffective person who is prone
to making mistakes. Is this
acceptable? Imagine the outcry there
would be if it was a Muslim person!
Are we the wimps that we are portrayed as?
Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms.
It cannot be ignored; the war against Christianity extends into our
daily lives and daily consumes the souls of those who are not yet in Christ and
attacks those who are in Christ. To do nothing is the same as
allowing these types of things to happen.
1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
When I was first saved, one of the things that almost caught
me off-guard was how the devil tried to pervert those very same good things
that I was doing. He cast doubt in my
mind as to the effectiveness of what I was doing and even tried to show me that
all good has an evil side to it. It was
only when I realized that the devil was doing this because he saw me as a
threat and that he feared the good works that I was doing. I thought about how Jesus was tempted and
offered boundless earthly wealth and about how all you had to do was to deny
the devil like Jesus did.
Hebrew 4:12 For the word of God is living and
active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing
soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges thoughts and attitudes of the
heart.
Any thoughts about being
ineffective should be recognized as being put there by the devil because he
wants to bring us down to his level.
We must never forget that our God has already triumphed over the devil
and his evil ways; that when we accept Christ into our lives we have direct
access to the same Godly power that David had when he faced the Philistines.
1 Samuel 17:45
David Said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear
and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God
of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
David was not
deterred by the size of the massive Philistine, or by the seemingly powerful
weapons that he had to use against him.
He trusted that God would provide him with the power that he needed to
overcome his enemy with ease. We all
know the end of the story how David not only defeated the Philistine but also
used his own weapons to humiliate the Philistine army.
Personally I
truly believe that God is just as powerful today as he ever was and that we can
call upon his support whenever we need to.
Being a
Christian does not mean that we automatically loose the power to be assertive
and to defend our faith.
In Luke 10:19
Jesus told his disciples,
“I have given
you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power
of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
And one of my
personal favorites: -
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or
famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
I know that God
in his wisdom and power has used this message to impart a special personal
message to all of us. I find that
knowing that God is able overcome anything that the devil may try and trap us
with provides me with a constant feeling of strength and being protected. Not only that I have an awareness that all
the attacks that the devil may make upon me are an indication that I am growing
closer to God and I rejoice in that knowledge.
1 John 5:18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin;
the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm
him.
Prayer
Our Loving
Heavenly Father, we come to you with heads bowed and in humility. We know that we may have fallen short of
your expectations of us and that you love us in spite of this. Thank you Lord that you have come into my
life and that through your blessed Son Jesus Christ, you have provided a way
for me to be forgiven of all my sins and to be filled with your loving and
reassuring presence. Thank you Father
for helping us to recognize when the devil attacks us and tries to harm us, we
know that you will always provide a way for us to overcome all these things
with your help.
And now dear
Father, we call upon the name of you most precious Son Jesus to bless us, to
watch over us and to fill us with his power and glory.
Amen.