The Two Great Battles: part 2

In my last post I wrote about the first of the Great Battles in which we Christians are involved. We call this Battle "spiritual warfare". Ephesians 6:12 says this, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (KJV) It doesn't get any clearer than that.

The second of the Great Battles we are engaged in is against another enemy. That enemy is the "old nature", that part of us that still struggles against the "new nature". This is more difficult to write about as there are differing theological viewpoints on this subject. I do not claim to be a theologian and I have learned not to argue with another man's personal experience. Nor do I ever want to make doctrine fit my own personal experience or lack of it. I can only say this; for me the old nature is still alive, or at least to be reckoned with. I understand that it has been nailed to the cross with Christ and that I am dead to sin. (Rom 6:6) At the very minimum this is at least true from a positional standpoint. (Rom 8:3-4)  But, I know also that sin is still present in me. And for me, this is the second Great Battle...the Battle against the Flesh.

Romans 8:12-13 say as this, "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (NKJV emphasis mine) Choosing to walk in the Spirit daily, as the new creation we are in Christ, choosing to put to death the deeds of the old, corrupt nature that still has the ability and desire at times to sin - this is the Battle we are given to fight as well.

The sins and temptations we all struggle with are evident. Lust, envy, jealousy, pride, desire for power, gossip, unkindness, apathy - over all of these things, and more, we have been given the ability and the desire to overcome through our new in life in Christ. But, the struggle comes because we don't always want to walk by the Spirit. It is far easier to fall back into the old ways of the old nature. Sometimes we just grow tired of the fight. Sometimes we don't understand that the God has given us everything we need to overcome. Sometimes it seems impossible and we actually doubt that it is true. Often, this is a moment by moment battle, a daily choice. Walk in the flesh or walk in the Spirit.

As difficult as this Battle is, it can be made even more difficult when it is combined with the First Battle, the fight against the "powers and principalities". Again, there are differing views on this, so I will only speak from my own experience. Satan (and I use this term generically, because Satan is not omnipresent, but we know he has many, many demons under him) knows our weaknesses, and does all he can, as a very qualified General himself, to capitalize on those weaknesses to make us weak and ineffective. 

I have observed that, for instance, whenever I am to preach or we have something upcoming that requires a greater step of faith, that there is a greater amount of strife in our family. I am learning that Satan takes and uses our struggle against the flesh and combines it with spiritual pressures from the First Battle to intensify our own propensity fail in whatever it is that day we are struggling with. 

Satan is the great Button Pusher. He knows just how to push both us and other's to say, think and do things that will then push other's buttons. I have seen this over and over and I know it to be true. The result is that we begin to see "people" as those who we are to battle against. I have experienced this in our our family and I have experienced it in churches. Go back to the verse at the top of the page. Who is our battle against? Other people, our husbands or wives, our church family? NO...it is not against flesh and blood (people). It is against powers and principalities...and our own carnal nature.

If we can begin to recognize Satan's tactics (Eph. 6:11) in this, then we can come against him and  our carnal nature in the power and authority we have been given as part of our relationship with Christ and with the weapons He has given us.  My next post will be on some practical ways to do both.    

The Two Great Battles: part 1

This, and the next post, are written to Christians only, although they are welcome to be read by all.

Do you know that you are involved in a Great Battle? No, I mean do you really know it. Do you understand that there is a War in which, whether you like it or not, you are involved... if  and only if you belong to Jesus Christ.

I write this because there are many, many who belong to Jesus Christ who do not truly believe that this Battle, this War exists. We may say we do, but all too often our actions show otherwise. There are those who have been taught that anyone who believes in this War is "a Charismatic" or "a Pentecostal" and should be approached with caution. We are afraid to believe in the reality of this war because it might make us look radical or crazy and we wouldn't fit nicely into society and what the world calls "normal". I am afraid that there are far too many congregations whose pastors have failed to educate them to the reality of this War and who are under the false impression that Christianity is about being comfortable, blessed, prosperous, healthy and fulfilled, insulated and protected from the problems of the World. If only this were so!

No my friends, if you are a believer, a follower of Christ...yes, a Christian - then you are also a soldier of the cross. (1 Tim. 2:3, Php. 2:25) The purpose of an army, any army, is to defend it's territory and it's citizens, to attack and repel the attacks of an enemy and to set captives free.

What nation and which citizens are we to defend? God speaks clearly again and again through His Word that there is a kingdom, His Kingdom...and that we are citizens of that Kingdom. This earth, as we know it, is not our home. (2Ti. 4:18, Heb 11:16). It is to this Eternal Kingdom that we owe our allegiance.

Who is this Enemy? Without doubt it is Satan and his followers. Again, God speaks clearly over and over of The Enemy, his plans and his purposes. (Mat. 13: 25-39, 1 Pet 5:8)

Who are those held captive? Nearly half of the miracles Jesus performed, as recorded in Scripture, were the setting free of those possessed and very literally held captive by Satan. He made it abundantly clear that His entire purpose in coming was to set the earth and it's inhabitants free from the curse of sin and death. (Luk 4:17-21, Mat 8:28-33)


Why then do we so often live our lives as though this battle is not raging around us? Why do we fail to see this Battle and the consequences it has in and for our lives? We fail to see it because we do not believe! Not really. We do not see Satan and his hatred for God and for His children for what they are. Satan is pure and unadulterated evil. His only intent is to destroy those who love God, the works of God and all acts of righteousness including the redemption of sinners. Just as we cannot fully understand the love God has for us, neither can we fully understand the hatred Satan has for those who have been redeemed. History gives us glimpses into that hatred through times the Church has been severely persecuted. Israel, God's chosen nation, has also suffered Satan's attacks over the centuries. The increase in violence towards children, the constant attack on families and marriages, the incredible evil in these attempts to destroy what is precious to God should open our eyes to the reality of this Battle and Satan's hatred of God and His people.  

Fellow Soldiers, we have, through the Power of God, been given weapons to use in this Battle. They are spiritual weapons because this Battle is a spiritual battle. (2 Cor 10:4) Some of these weapons are prayer, fasting, righteousness, faith, the Name of Jesus and Scripture. How foolish and ineffective we are if we fail to recognize this Battle and to use the weapons we have been given. Furthermore, we are assured Victory through the power of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when we use these weapons and stand firm in the Faith.

BUT.
First, we must recognize that there is such a Battle. Second, we must discern when we are in the midst of a spiritual battle for surely we are not always engaged actively in the fight. Just as in any war there are times of rest and rejuvenation and our Commander knows when we are in need of both. Third, we must know our enemy, his plans and his tactics. Fourth, we must understand the power we have in the weapons we have been given and how to properly use them.

To those of you who are reading this...please do not misunderstand me. I am no great hero, no special ops kind of Christian (soldier). I fail miserably quite often in battle. But of this I am becoming more and more convinced. We are engaged in a Great Battle and we must wake up and become fully engaged in the fight. To this we have been called as Followers of Christ.

There is also another battle. It is equally challenging, equally difficult. In this battle too there is an enemy and weapons and consequences. My next post will be about this battle.