Some believers focus so much on fighting the devil that they tend to lose sight of Christ and what he accomplished when He died on the cross. Others do not really understand spiritual warfare and so they tend to avoid the issue. The Bible uses the imagery of war a great deal and Paul states clearly that believers must war against the sin in themselves and against the evil one.
Many do not realize just how different this spiritual battle is from the kind of wars to which we are accustomed. It has different enemies, different weapons and instead of an unknown outcome, believers have the assurance of victory. Christ has already won the battle. Instead of carnal aggression, the means used to overcome evil and manifest this victory are the authority of God, discernment and unwavering faith.
Firstly, this is not a war against enemies of flesh and blood. Believers are not fighting against other people like themselves. They are fighting a completely different kind of fight against powers and principalities. They are fighting what is unseen.
In this battle, weapons like guns, bullets or bombs are not effective. Instead, Christians are instructed to use the weapons of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, prayer, and the word of God to fight the battle. In facing the battle against deception, temptations and accusations, their primary defense is their salvation and their primary offense is the sword of the Word. Jesus Himself used the Word to counter temptation.
Instead of being motivated by hatred and a desire to destroy, the reason for this battle is love. God loves mankind so much that He sent Jesus to die for us on the cross. Jesus shed His blood for us and reconciled us to the Father. This gives us all the authority required to fight against the forces of evil.
When Christ died on the cross, this gave His believers all the authority they need to overcome the evil one. It is not enough to simply be defensive. Christians have to attack, using the sword of the Word. They need to take ground and stand firm.
Sometimes when we look at the world around us, we become very discouraged. The odds do not seem to be in our favor and evil seems to abound. In the face of this, we need to constantly rely on God and believe that the fight is His, not ours. When we rely completely on Him, we do not give up despite discouragement. We receive all the strength we need to continue.
It is only by depending completely upon Christ that this battle can be won. It is only by using spiritual weapons that the enemy is defeated. Persistent faith in the promises of God enables us to stand strong and trust God to bring about His purposes in the earth.
Many do not realize just how different this spiritual battle is from the kind of wars to which we are accustomed. It has different enemies, different weapons and instead of an unknown outcome, believers have the assurance of victory. Christ has already won the battle. Instead of carnal aggression, the means used to overcome evil and manifest this victory are the authority of God, discernment and unwavering faith.
Firstly, this is not a war against enemies of flesh and blood. Believers are not fighting against other people like themselves. They are fighting a completely different kind of fight against powers and principalities. They are fighting what is unseen.
In this battle, weapons like guns, bullets or bombs are not effective. Instead, Christians are instructed to use the weapons of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, prayer, and the word of God to fight the battle. In facing the battle against deception, temptations and accusations, their primary defense is their salvation and their primary offense is the sword of the Word. Jesus Himself used the Word to counter temptation.
Instead of being motivated by hatred and a desire to destroy, the reason for this battle is love. God loves mankind so much that He sent Jesus to die for us on the cross. Jesus shed His blood for us and reconciled us to the Father. This gives us all the authority required to fight against the forces of evil.
When Christ died on the cross, this gave His believers all the authority they need to overcome the evil one. It is not enough to simply be defensive. Christians have to attack, using the sword of the Word. They need to take ground and stand firm.
Sometimes when we look at the world around us, we become very discouraged. The odds do not seem to be in our favor and evil seems to abound. In the face of this, we need to constantly rely on God and believe that the fight is His, not ours. When we rely completely on Him, we do not give up despite discouragement. We receive all the strength we need to continue.
It is only by depending completely upon Christ that this battle can be won. It is only by using spiritual weapons that the enemy is defeated. Persistent faith in the promises of God enables us to stand strong and trust God to bring about His purposes in the earth.
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