Spiritual War, 13of20

~ Spiritual War: Know Your Own Troops ~ 

Introduction  ~  Warfare is a joint effort with others in our army.  Scripture does not teach a Lone Ranger type of spiritual warfare.  We are fellow soldiers together fighting in one warfare against one enemy.

Our Comrades  ~  The battle has been raging for centuries.  Other believers are fighting alongside us.  The Apostle Paul mentioned this, “Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier” (Philippians 2:25a).

Our Uniqueness  ~  The Christian Army differs from other armies in that there is no discharge (cf. Ecclesiastes 8:8).  It is an on-going spiritual war without end.  The end will only come when Christ returns to earth in His second coming.  Sadly, while there are no honorable discharges from spiritual warfare on earth, we can choose to go AWOL!  What a tragedy that is for any believer.  How such a traitor must grieve the hearts of all three members of the Trinity. 

Our Enemy  ~  We are always fighting invisible, and sometimes visible, forces of evil.  “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12-13).   

Our Objective  ~  The Word of God, prayer, and the Spirit of God all work together with and in us.  Jesus gave us an example of how we should pray by beginning with the overall objective of this war: “Thy will be done on earth” (Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2). 

Our Reality  ~  The battle may soon be over—but it is still intensely raging today.  We can only be effective by using the armor which He provides (Ephesians 6:10-20).

Our Result  ~  While each piece of armor is for the individual, we are not alone.  There’s power in the blood of Christ—He has already won the war at the Cross, but we are engaged in important battles.  The war is won—but we are responsible for winning the skirmishes which we encounter. 

Our Home  ~  As Christians we have become citizens of heaven and are pilgrims—not tourists—passing through life on earth. We should long for our true homeland!

Our Bottom Line  ~  Our lives should first be devoted first to our Savior and then to our fellow pilgrims.  The Apostle Paul experienced this, “I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.  And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God” (2 Corinthians 8:3-6). The sequence is critical—first a commitment to God, then to our fellow believers.

Closing Comment  ~  It should also be noted that our basis of fellowship with one another is based on our relationship and fellowship with all three members of the Trinity! (1 John 1:3; Philippians 3:10, 2:1; 2 Corinthians 13:14.)   

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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