A Spiritual Battle
http://www.omegashock.com/2016/01/08/a-spiritual-battle/
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Satan, the father of lies, walks about – like a roaring lion – seeking whom he may devour (
I Peter 5:8). In the midst of the great battles that rage around us, we forget that this is – above all – a spiritual war. And, spiritual wars are fought with spiritual weapons.
Of course, physical weapons will play their part, but they are NOT the weapons of OUR warfare(
2 Corinthians 10:4). I keep forgetting that, so I’m sure that you do too.
As much as I want to wade into this battle with ‘swords drawn’, I know that vengeance is God’s duty – not ours (
Romans 12:19). This is a hard lesson for me to swallow. The injustice in this world grates upon my soul, and it cries out for vengeance.
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A Spiritual Battle
We are all engaged in a tremendous spiritual battle. That battle is just one part of a great war that has been fought since the beginning of creation. On one side are Satan and his minions. On the other side are God, His angels and His people.
The battlefield stretches from one end of the globe to another. It touches every person on the planet. And, it reaches into the deepest recesses of every heart and ever mind.
This battle is about YOUR place in eternity. And, God is engaged in this war BECAUSE of His desire to place you in heaven. For some reason, Satan fails every time a lost soul comes to Christ and takes a hold of an eternal redemption.
I don’t really understand that, but I’m just a tiny cog in God’s incredible war machine. In fact, I don’t think that ANY of us really understand the true impact of what we do and say. And, I am impressed by how vulnerable Satan’s minions are to a humble and loving war that we wage against them.
I am currently engaged in a battle for the soul of someone who has made great sacrifices for the Lord, but has lost his way in that service. He is a good man that has allowed darkness to encroach upon his life. And, I am the least of those who are seeking his recovery.
Last night, my wife and I taught our last class for the semester, and we waved goodbye to precious souls – not knowing what would happen to them. But, we know that God has their future in His perfect hands. And, we love every one of those students, both past and present.
My marriage is wonderful, but my poor wife is married to a crazy man. I routinely trample over this lovely woman, and I am grateful that she doesn’t take any of that sitting down. Outside of God, there is nothing and no one that I love more.
Our church tries very hard to help each other in the challenges that we face here in Taiwan. Of course, we aren’t always very good at that. In fact, in some ways, we’re pretty bad. Part of the problem is that our best members keep getting getting sent somewhere else.
In more than four decades of walking with the Lord – and often stumbling – I have never seen God defeated. Never.
And, the only time that I have ever seen defeat is when I did not entrust the battle to the Lord. I am my own worst enemy, and forgetful to boot. I am FULL of imperfections.
I am reminded of this by all the many battles that lie before us in the months ahead. Financial and economic collapse is rushing down on us. Wars are breaking out, and on the verge of breaking out. Our governments are turning upon their own citizens, and devouring them. Sin is rampant, and it appears that the Antichrist is about to rise.
But, I pause to reflect.
God is in this battle, and it is not our fight. It is His.
I am writing this as much to myself, as to you. I am not someone who likes to sit and watch while injustice reigns. It is hard to restrain myself from action. In fact, I am terrible in the area of restraint.
This is why I MUST keep reminding myself:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
And then, this verse:
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
THAT one is SO HARD!
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to swallow my justified wrath and allow God to work. There are times when I am in open revolt against this verse, but I have to keep telling myself that God is the Great Commander. He knows this battle better than I.
Remember that Satan WANTS you to forget those verses. He WANTS you to lash out in anger and wrath. He WANTS you to fight with carnal weapons, instead of spiritual. Satan is the god of anger, wrath and hatred. He WANTS you to fight fire with fire.
So, when Peter said this…
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
…he wasn’t just warning us against the evils of this world, but also our own temptation to do evil in response.
In fact, read all of
1 Peter 5. It’s a good chapter to take to heart.
In the research below, you will see many battles. Some we are fighting now. Others lie in the future. But, we will obtain victory in none of those battles if we aren’t allowing God to fight these for us.
I am a sheep of God’s pasture, and I await God’s vengeance upon those who threaten.
May we all walk in humility with the Lord, as these things descend upon us.
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