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Welcome to war - soldier up When we hear the term spiritual warfare it is interpreted in different ways depending on what you have been taught or experienced. In the Bible we read of our world as a battlefield, the Devils kingdom opposes God’s and the chess pieces on the board are you and I, mankind. He is after your soul, which is man’s greatest possession. We are contending in spiritual warfare every day in various ways. Influences are all around us toward those that do not believe being convinced, to those who do believe to have us act contrary to our new nature from Christ. We either react in our old nature, or in the new which gives us victory over his influence. We begin to enter a war in our mind that wants to solicit the heart, the flesh wars against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; that is our personal spiritual warfare. But the whole world is now in the battle like never before. This warfare can show up in relationships, where the enemy wants to divide. When we get wrong thoughts about a person we know or respect, it can either be our flesh or the devils fiery darts. If it persists after you decide it is wrong, then you know it’s not originating from you. Satan continually interferes with the believers who are at work serving the Lord, not those in neutral, he leaves them alone to do their own thing. If one says everything is always fine in their life then they may be in neutral not active in God’s kingdom. One of the biggest threats to his kingdom is one who is praying accurately, someone who is active, willing to serve the Lord, in any capacity they can. It can be influencing young children in Sunday school, being a good witness at work, or praying for Jesus to be made known to specific people. These people become the enemies targets to confuse, hinder or stop their work. This battle first began when you became a believer and switched sides. Eph. 2:2 “you once walked according to the course of this world.” Eph. 5:8 “ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Col. 3:7 “ the works of the flesh in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them .” Now Satan and his kingdom is our enemy because we no longer living in or for our fallen nature. He wants us neutralized, so he, through ideas and concepts political, ideological, and spiritual tries to undermine the truth that we learn in Scripture, this is done even by bible teachers that DO NOT KNOW the Scripture. This is where false doctrine is introduced and can persuade a believer. He knows that we now have the Scripture as our basis, so he distorts it, has us interpret it wrongly to not live in the truth. TWO kingdoms are always in conflict. One kingdom wants to keep man captive in their fallen state, the other, the kingdom of light, wants to free others through trusting in God’s Son. And we are the ones that carry the message. But if we are not proficient in it we will not be effective. The world is at war and we know where the real war is operating. It’s not won on the battlefields of men by man, only we have the weaponry; which is spiritual, the Word and prayer. Satan’s war is done invisibly, and wants to keep it that way. By our showing people the truth he is exposed in his lies. It is about the believers standing against the devils influences by doing God’s will. One person’s prayers, if they are consistent and according to God’s will, can be answered and change the course of a person’s life. ‘Choose you this day whom you will serve’ was spoken by Joshua who led the people into the promised land (grace after the law) after Moses. His name in Hebrew is Yehooshua the same derivative as Jesus. It is Gods grace that will give us the victory no matter what happens. |
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