Let’s face, it, we all face battles of one kind or another. How prepared are we? Are we prepared, protected, and empowered? God’s Word and Spirit tell us how.
Eternal Perspectives by Sally Bair
Fight the Good Fight
When I was young, my friends and I played “war” with our toy guns. My heavy, silver pistol used paper rolls of caps that went off with a loud bang each time I pulled the trigger. Our game consisted of the chase, the bang, and the mock death. Since our fights were innocent and harmless games, we didn’t have to endure rugged training or wear uniforms or count on supplies from the rear of the battle, as in real war.
The Israelites experienced the real thing. God, in His love, had miraculously delivered them from slavery. But before the million-plus of them entered the Promised Land, they had to spend time in the wilderness, their training ground. All they had to do was love and obey God, their “captain,” and they would reach their destination. Instead, they chose to complain and disobey God, despite His many miracles.
Their trek should have taken only a few weeks but it lasted forty years. And when they entered God’s Promised Land, they had to possess it by battling against evil.
We believers in Christ Jesus are in a war, too—a spiritual battle. Besides outer situations such as abuse, poor health, or physical needs, we may be dealing with bad habits such as overeating, overindulging in TV, or overspending. I’m sure most of us could add to such a list of temptations.
Fighting the good fight against such requires constant, vigorous training, through the power of the Holy Spirit. We can resist the devil’s temptations and we can take an offensive stand against our own selfish desires by daily feeding on His Word, trusting in His power and grace, and surrendering to His perfect will. Such actions are the supply lines we need as we “fight the good fight of faith” on the front lines. “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
Besides the training and supplies He offers, He wants us to wear the proper uniform. The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil …. “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God…” (verses 11-17)
Lord, Your love conquers all. In whatever battle we fight, help us trust and obey You, our Leader, our Strength, and our Help. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Comments