Battles are a
way of life. And, battles for the Christian are part of following Christ. We wage
war with principalities and powers because our enemy is doing everything in his
power to thwart God—not that he is going to be successful, but he is giving it his
all. The enemy can’t win your soul but he can cause you to become discouraged with
his schemes.
It’s good to
understand that battles can come from different sources, so let’s take a look
at some examples from Scripture.
Different Kinds of Battles
Battles can be…
From Fatigue
Elijah – runs from Jezebel in 1
Kings 19 - The enemy attacks after a great victory.
From Sin
David - 2 Samuel 11&12, Psalm 51
- David silently battled after sinning with Bathsheba.
Prodigal – Luke 15:11-32 - The
Prodigal struggled until he “came to his senses.”
Saul – Acts 8:1 – 9:22
For a Larger Purpose
Jesus – He suffered so that He could
save people from sin
Mary – Luke 2 - She bore the shame of
her circumstances to raise the Messiah
Esther – She was taken captive so she
could save her people
Joseph – Genesis 37:18-28, Genesis
45:4-8
For Our Character
Israelites wander in the wilderness
– Numbers 14:22-23
Jacob – working for his uncle, Laban
- Genesis 27-29
Joseph – in prison, Genesis 37:2-11
From Doing God’s work/Doing the Right
Thing
Paul –Acts 23:11
Daniel – Praying 3x day/lion’s den –
Daniel 6
Meschach, Shadrach, Abednego – Refuse
to bow – Daniel 1-3
Job – Job 1, 8
Stephen - Acts 6:1-6, 8-15, 7: 1-60
Expected – 2 Chronicles 20:12-22
Unexpected – Exodus 17
While investigating
these Scriptures, identify some of your past or present battles. What is their source?
In hindsight, can you see a purpose for them?
Stand Firm! Trust in your Victor, Jesus
Jeanne
* This is an excerpt from the Bible Study called, Battle Worn, Battle Weary: Finding Victory in Surrender
