May 29, 2022 CALLED TO WAR
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For tough we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”
Ephesians 6:11-13 “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
In the last blog, ‘Set You Mind,’ we were reminded that there is a battle taking place and we talked about the importance of setting our mind on the things of God. Continuing that thought, we cannot deny that we are daily in the midst of a war. The Old Testament is a physical or natural picture of the spiritual in the New Testament; as you read the Old Testament, you discover that God is a God of war-He fought against the enemies of His kingdom. (He is also a God of peace.) The war we are in has two major fronts: one is the battle of the flesh and the Spirit, and one is an attack from the devil. First, let’s look very briefly at the battle of the flesh and the Spirit. The word ‘flesh’ as used in the New Testament refers to that part of us that seeks its own way and rejects the ways of God; the flesh is self-centered-not God centered. The Spirit of God who lives in us is always leading us to live according to the ways of the Lord. The battle is all about who we choose to yield ourselves to-the flesh or the Spirit. We must understand that we have the power to choose to whom we yield ourselves. The other war that we are in is one of resisting and standing firm against the schemes of the devil. There is presently a war taking place the spiritual realm-and amazingly, we as believers are the battleground. The devil is out to get back at God and he is convinced the best way to do that is to in some way harm and ensnare the people of God. Satan is a deceiver and he has many schemes up his sleeve that he wants to use against believers. (Beware-he can appear as an angle of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14) The good news is that he has been defeated and we have the power to resist him-when we resist him, he flees. This is a broad subject for sure; but let us choose to yield to the Spirit of God in us and let us walk according to the Spirit and not according to our flesh. Also, let us be alert to the schemes and deceptive ways of the devil and let us resist him on every front-standing firm. Let us put on the armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:13-17. So, let us not be AWOL, but let us be engaged in the war, remembering that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places-and know that the ‘weapons of our warfare are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.’ We must not forget that we have been transferred to the kingdom of God, and as a member of His kingdom, He equips us to do warfare against all that opposes His kingdom, knowing that we are always victorious in Him. Be a good soldier and stand firm.
Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”
1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Blessings, Buddy
RSS Feed