At War!

We are at war!

 Right now, in this very moment we are at war. The enemy seeks to plunder and destroy the foundation of Christianity, the foundation of each of us, to discredit us. To misuse our own teachings against us and to focus our thoughts on things that do not matter. A lot of times people forget to think about that matter. A lot of times people forget to acknowledge the fact that as Christians we are fighting a war.

Our first hint of this comes in 2 Timothy3:12

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution

Those who desire to live a God driven life will suffer persecution This is because we are at war. We are each soldiers in God's army. If you have ever been in a war or in the army then you know that no soldier goes through that without suffering of some sort. Luckily, just as basic training does for soldiers every where we are taught in the Bible how to fight this war.

The first thing we need to know about this war is that it is not new. Ecclesiastes chapter 1 verse 9 tells us that all things that have been will be again. Nothing is new. Christians have been fighting persecution since the dawn of our religion. Stories through out the Bible tell us this. Two familiar stories are in Daniel. Chapter 3 tells the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Who suffered because they refused to worship anything other than God. In the end their faith delivered them from a fiery death. Daniel Chapter 6 tells the story of Daniel as he is cast into the lions den for praying. Here to his faith was strong and he was set free from his captors. The Bible is rife with the stories but the truth is, we simply need to know that the war we fight is not new. It has been on going since the days of Christ.

The second thing we need to know about this war is that it is not a physical war, and can not be won in a physical way. We can not load a weapon and fire it at our enemy. Our enemy is unseen, he hides behind lies and misdirections.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 tells us:

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

We can not fight a battle with regular weapons of warfare, no we must seek other weapons. Luckily God provides those to us as well.

Ephesians 6:11-13 tells us:

"11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;"

We are to gird our waist with truth, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. We are to understand the Gospel of peace, and carry with us our faith as a shield, and the word of God as our sword.

Satan knows the word of God, and he subverts it to his own designs, but if we study it every day, if we learn it, and if we understand it, if we carry it with us in our hearts, he can not defeat us. This is the most powerful weapon against Satan that we have. Understanding and knowledge of the Bible, Faith in our savior, these are the weapons we need to rely on every day to battle in this war.

Sometimes it will be hard. Satan will look for weak points to attack you. Perhaps you have a physical ailment, and no matter how hard you try it just gets no better. Perhaps you have a bully, perhaps your love life is not what you want it to be. Maybe your friends are not Christians and you are afraid that you will offend them. Maybe you are faced with poverty every day. Whatever the circumstance these are things Satan can use against us if we are not careful.

1 Peter 5:8 tells us:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

So we must expect these attacks, and we must work to fight against them. Not by physical means but how? Through the word of God, and the Shield of Faith. These are our weapons of war.

2 Timothy Chapter 2 verse 1-13 tells us:

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure[a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things 8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11 This is a faithful saying:
For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.

So our road will not be easy, and the war will rage on for our life time, but there is one more thing we need to know about this war. The most important part of it.

We have seen now in scripture that there is a war going on. We have seen how to fight it, and what to expect from it. The final peace though is the one thing Satan wants us to forget. The most important part of it all. The outcome of this war is already determined.

In John 16:33 Jesus tells us:

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

No matter how hard we have to fight, and no matter how hard Satan pushes us. We can not lose. Jesus has overcome the world and promised us here that we will too. What's more if you read Revelation, you realize that at the end of it. Satan is cast into the burning pit forever and ever. So do not lose heart. We may be soldiers in a great battle, but it is one that we WILL win.