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.
It is hard for us to think about warfare in a positive light when all we see about us are wars that bring about great devastation. However, when reading the Bible, the imagery used is that of war and so we cannot just ignore it. Such a battle does not refer to aggression in the physical realm. We need to understand what it really means in order to become victorious Christians.
This is not a war of believers against other flesh and blood. It is not people fighting against other people. It does not take place on a battlefield where the enemy is visible. In this war, the enemy cannot be seen. The only way to fight this battle is by relying on Christ and His authority. It is only by believing in His promises that victory is possible.
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.
Believers have to constantly stand on the fact that Christ paid a great price when He shed His blood for them. They have to use the Word as Jesus did when he was faced with temptation. In doing so, they overcome evil and further the establishment of the kingdom of God.
It is hard for us to think about warfare in a positive light when all we see about us are wars that bring about great devastation. However, when reading the Bible, the imagery used is that of war and so we cannot just ignore it. Such a battle does not refer to aggression in the physical realm. We need to understand what it really means in order to become victorious Christians.
This is not a war of believers against other flesh and blood. It is not people fighting against other people. It does not take place on a battlefield where the enemy is visible. In this war, the enemy cannot be seen. The only way to fight this battle is by relying on Christ and His authority. It is only by believing in His promises that victory is possible.
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.
Believers have to constantly stand on the fact that Christ paid a great price when He shed His blood for them. They have to use the Word as Jesus did when he was faced with temptation. In doing so, they overcome evil and further the establishment of the kingdom of God.
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