The battle is real. I am not talking about the battle currently happening with Ukraine and Russian, although we need to pray over the people of both nations and their leaders. I am talking about the spiritual battle that takes place every day.
You and I have the understanding when we choose to follow Jesus that our enemy, who is very real, is set to be against us, distract us or discredit us. That was the case in the message that I shared with our church yesterday from Nehemiah 6 as the people opposing Nehemiah and God’s people did all they could to stop the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. But the enemy failed.
And our enemy will fail too if we take the appropriate steps headed toward victory and not defeated, listening to God rather than the enemy. Listen in…
Ephesians 6:10-13 NLT
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
How will we win the battle? The answers from these four verses seems very precise, and I suggest that is the case if we are going to trust God.
First, admit that there is a battle going on. If you were in the country of Ukraine right now, you might hear explosions or planes flying over head. It is obvious that a battle continues, but it is not so easy to see in the spiritual world. Yet the battle goes on. Admit it when you see it.
Second, understand that this battle is one fought in the spirit world and not always in the physical. Our enemy uses all tactics that show up in the physical but they are deep in our soul, heart and even in our minds.
Third, know that the enemy stands against anything that God does and anyone who pursues God. That is most like you and me. The battle continues because the moment we choose to follow Jesus there has been a target placed on our lives notifying the enemy that we are in for the fight.
Fourth, we can put on the armor that God offers us. Not our armor. But it is His armor. Each piece has a special place in our lives to guard our hearts and minds.
Fifth, the armor gives us the ability to resist the enemy. What does it mean to resist? It could be saying no to the depiction that our enemy throws our way. It might mean simply coming to understand the plans of the enemy and how those involve us. What we for sure know is that resisting the enemy is tied to putting on the armor.
Sixth, the only way to stand firm is to stand with God. Sometimes that means God standing for us when we cannot stand on our own. The truth of standing has much more to do than just the strength of our legs or the ability to keep our bodies upright. It really means having eyes to see, ears to hear and a mind and heart turned toward God.
Seventh and finally, know that the strength we need is from God. It doesn’t come from our own ability or our own action. All of the this strength is a gift from the one who loves us most, the one who promises to fight for us and the one who died in our place.
Know that the battle is raging, but know too that God has a great plan to protect us and keep us going while the war and battle go on.
Have a great week. Stay in the battle!
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