Battle Stations

A soldier on the front line is always on alert—they are ready for an attack—prepared with equipment and survival skills they work as a well trained team to face whatever the enemy launches at them.

In the same way, we as Christians are in the battle trenches of spiritual warfare. When we belong to God we face a daily enemy who seeks to thwart everything that God does. The enemy has lost us to the Light of the World, but this doesn’t stop him from trying to disrupt God’s purposes. The enemy will try his best to discourage and distract us from living as God intends…abundantly and with effectiveness.

As we discover what Scripture says about our enemy and about God, the One who is already victorious over Satan.  We learn that God has a plan for us and everything that happens to us, Romans 8:28 says, will work for our good. But the enemy will try to take those same things and work them for his own purposes—Ephesians 6:12 says he schemes against us. So it is important to see and react to things with God’s perspective with the knowledge of His working it all for good so that we don’t fall prey to the enemy’s tactic of discouragement.

We get weary from the stuff that goes on in our lives—physically and spiritually. But we will discover that there are things that we can do in the midst of the battles that will help us turn our eyes to the Lord and experience His deliverance. And, we will see the enemy routed by God’s mighty power.

Look at Ephesians 6:11-12 – Stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood…but against spiritual forces. 

Look at Jeremiah 29:11 – He (God) knows the plans He has for us… 

Look at Romans 8:28 – He (God) causes ALL things to work together for good...

Battles are part of the Christian’s walk because we are treading in the spiritual realm. We belong to God and the enemy is not happy about it. So he will do anything to thwart God’s work through deception, discouragement and distraction.

Just like those soldiers on the frontlines, we need to work together as a team to encourage and hold one another up, especially when facing intense battles. We have the weapons. We have the survival skills. And we have a Victor in Jesus Christ—who won the battle on Calvary’s cross.

Next time, we will take a look at some sources of our battles….

Until then, Stand Firm!!

Jeanne

* This is an excerpt from theBible study called, Battle Worn, Battle Weary: Finding Victory in Surrender