Spiritual Warfare - Introduction Free Reprint Article

NotifySnack

Christian Articles for All of your Publishing Needs!

LIKE US

Translate this Page Here

Word Count: 1930

Send Article To Friend

Print/Use Article

Contact Paul George

Spiritual Warfare - Introduction

by Paul George
12/01/2008 / World Affairs

Ephesians 6:10-12

Quotes from World English Bible unless noted otherwise

"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

God is not interested in religion, but He is interested in life. That is why the Word of God was given to us. One of the goals of the Word of God is to open our eyes to God's perspective on life and reality. The world we see all around us we usually call the real world. What God calls the real world is far more real and lasting than our so-called real world. In what we call the real world, our eyes and minds are constantly deceived by viewpoints of life, twisted beliefs, false values, and temporary achievements. However, when we come to the Bible, we learn the truth. In the Bible, the essentials of life are revealed and the confusing illusion of life revealed. In the Bible, we find the true purpose and meaning of life and the world.

We may not want to hear what the Bible has to say to us. We may think the Bible's explanation of life and the existing condition of the world is too harsh, and the solution to the present condition of the world and the solution to the situation we find ourselves in impossible but if we reject the solution we only succeed in deceiving ourselves. We may highlight the verses we like and edit out the verses that expose our sins and failures. However, it is not up to us to pass judgment on God's Word. Rather, we must submit ourselves to the judgment of God's Word, because it is inspired by God Himself.

There is no denying, in this world, we are continually confronted with the choice of whether to accept the fallible authority of humans or the unfailing, clear Word of God. As Christians, as people who bear the name of Christ, we must answer this question, "Am I to accept this person's word or the Word of God? If this person's word agrees with what the Lord says, it is truth. However, if this person's word does not agree with God's Word, then we must reject it, because there is no authority greater than that of God

The problem in the church at Ephesus, and existing in local churches today, there were teachers in the church who were teaching doctrine that contradicted what Jesus had taught the disciples. In Ephesians six, the apostle Paul sets forth his viewpoint of life, especially as it relates to the Christian life. According to Paul, life is a struggle, life is a conflict, and life is warfare. We do not like this idea; we feel we are entitled to a life that is essentially carefree with just enough work to do that will provide the essentials of life. We tend to think of the trials, pressures, and problems of life as an annoying and an intrusion upon our right to pursue the pleasures of life. However, Paul says that those afflictions and problems are not intrusions into our lives they are life itself.

According to Paul, life is a struggle, a life and-death conflict between two opposing forces. If we try to ignore the conflict, if we do not firmly choose the right side and take up our armor and our weapons for the battle, we will inevitably find ourselves casualties of a battle we thought we could wish away.

What we need to understand is the struggle we face varies in intensity from one day to the next. Therefore, we must learn to resist in the evil day. This implies that not all days are evil. We need to also understand there will be some days worse than others. There are times in our lives when pressures are more intense, and when temptations, trials, and problems seem to gang up on us. However, thank God, not all of life is a relentless, excruciating trial. There are certainly times in life when we get a rest from the battle, a reduction of the pressure, a relief from overpowering circumstances and agonizing decisions.

The reason we are not always under pressure is the grace of God. The fact is that all of life would be a day of evil if not for the grace and goodness of a loving God. He continually restrains the powers that war against us and allow us times of refreshment, recreation, enjoyment, and blessing. It is tragic that we so often take these times for granted, enjoying them without a single thought for the goodness of God which makes them possible. Instead of giving thanks to God for those times of blessing, we feel we are entitled to we complain that God is unfair when life does not go according to our expectations.

Therefore, while not every day is an evil day, we have to agree with God's Word when it tells us that, in general, life is an unrelenting struggle. The struggle varies in intensity from time to time; it extends from the cradle to the grave.

The Apostle Paul's second point is the nature of the struggle, the spiritual warfare; this is a crucial point to understand. He tells us that our conflict is not against flesh and blood. That is, spiritual warfare is not about the struggle of man against man. It is not a political struggle, a social struggle, an economic struggle, or even a religious theological-doctrinal struggle. It is not a struggle between human beings. It is a struggle within human beings.

Question, what is the one thing that gives you the most difficulty in life? For most of us, the answer to that question is people. However, the apostle Paul says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Our battle is not against our political opponents, nations, the government, family members, co-workers or neighbors. The battle is not against people, but against unseen spiritual powers. In fact, the entire human race is under a vicious assault by certain principalities and powers, world rulers of darkness, wicked spirits in high places.

As the world's great leaders grapple with the dilemma of modern life, all they can ask is, "What is wrong? What is the unknown element behind this? The world leaders cannot answer the question what is wrong or what is the unknown element behind the existing conditions in the world because something is missing from their understanding of human nature and human behavior. What is it?" There is a spiritual war going on behind the scenes of history, and that spiritual war in the unseen world is influencing events in the visible world. There is no peace in the visible world because there is a war now raging in the spiritual world. The biblical teaching of spiritual warfare shines a spotlight of truth on the basic problem of human existence and human history.

According to the Bible, the world is in the grip of what Paul calls rulers, powers, world forces, and spiritual forces. According to the Bible, these rulers, powers, world forces, and spiritual forces are under the command of a powerful, cunning and intelligent fallen angel. Now, that is not just the claim of one isolated passage of the Bible. That is the teaching of the Bible from beginning to end, from Genesis to Revelation, and especially in both Genesis and Revelation.

Jesus told certain men of His day, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44 NASB). In that statement, Jesus stripped the devil of his disguises and revealed his true character a liar and a murderer. What he does is related to what he is, just as what we do is precisely the result of what we are. Because he is a liar and a murderer, the devil's work is to deceive and to destroy. There you have the explanation for all the misery, hatred, murder, war, and other evils that have taken place in human history.

Why it is not the popular thing to say in a society that denials the teachings of the Bible, it is taught in the Bible the devil, Satan, is the god of this world. The world listens to him and to everything he says, but the devil does not tell the world the truth. The devil knows that people would much rather believe a lie rather than the truth. That is why so many people rush to their destruction, ignoring all the evidence around them. They desire the attractive lies of the devil while rejecting the clear, life-giving truth of God.

Too late, people who believe Satan's lies discover that at the end of the lie are destruction and death, either a living death of shame, regret, self-hate, frustration, meaninglessness, and emptiness, or a literal physical death and a literal spiritual death in eternity. Who he cannot deceive, he tries to destroy, and whom he cannot destroy, he attempts to deceive. That is the working of the devil.

Since my mother did not raise any stupid children, I know some of you will say, "This is very depressing. I would rather not think about it." I do not like to think about it either, but I have discovered that you cannot wish the truth away. There is only one realistic approach to this struggle, and that is to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. That is the way of escape, and there is no other.

If we want to escape the schemes of the devil, we must be strong in the Lord in the midst of the battle, in the midst of this dark and evil world. We cannot remain neutral. We must choose sides. We must align ourselves with the forces of God, the forces of good. We must put on our armor and stand our ground or the forces of evil will trample us into the dust. We must learn to recognize the schemes of the devil and learn how to overcome the systems of the devil not by flesh and blood, not by joining committees, not by political action, not by taking up clubs or assault weapons and attacking a human enemy. No, Paul says the weapons of our warfare are not flesh and blood weapons, not physical weapons, not political weapons. Rather, "put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:13-17).

Retired pastor,Church of the Nazarene

Author of web site Exploring God's Word

www.thewordofgodonline.net

New American Standard Bible

King James Version

The World English Bible

Sermons and Bible studies preached and taught by author

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW