The Battle

The Battle

Do you know that you are center stage in a battle for your life?

Pictured here we have a murderer and the father of  lies and Jesus Christ our Creator and giver of eternal life.

Do You Believe that He Lives?

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend[a] it.

Do You Believe the Devil is Real?

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

As a human you are representative of God's image.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

As a human you are an eternal being.

John 3:14-16 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but[a] have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Those who do not believe in Him are also eternal beings.

Jude 1:7 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
End Part 1.

The Battle Part 2

In my previous post the battle  we have Jesus doing the battling for us; in this post we are going to take it to the personal level. Many believers make the mistake of thinking the battle is not personal but is instead thought to be Satan's attack against them as a group; the belief that there is safety in numbers leaves you vulnerable when he strikes you on a personal level.

It goes something like this; imagine yourself as being the seal and Satan is the shark.

As you can see the battle is deadly serious and is not to be taken lightly. Satan has two main goals.

1. Satan is trying to destroy the image of God, i.e. you are made in God's image.
2. He is trying to destroy you personally before you find your way into the Lambs Book of Life.

Genesis 1:26

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

Our personal battle is not against mere men but against principalities, against powers, and against the rulers of darkness. How powerful are these principalities and powers?

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance defines them here:

1. Principalities (# 746) as chief, rule, or rank
2. Powers (#1849) as superhuman, authority, power, right, and strength

Even the safety of a group is misleading; unless adequately prepared for battle even the group is vulnerable. As we go through our daily lives how often would we be in group when attacked? Maybe twice a week in church, if you attend church, otherwise you'll be on your own in this battle if you don't have the Lord's protection.

By the definition of principalities and powers I believe these to be angels on assignment. We have the Lord's angels and the fallen angels which are under the control of Satan.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance defines them here:

1. Angel (#4397) a deputy dispatched by God (Old Testament)
2. Angel (#32) a messenger (New Testament)

Hey angels are in another dimension, we can't see them so how can they endanger or harm us? 

1. Through weather such as floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes. 
2. By reaching out and touching or harming you

Reference to item 1, Satan is the prince of the power of the air.

Ephesians 2:2

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Reference to item 2, Fallen angels reached out and touched women who bore them children.

Genesis 6
1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 
2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.
4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Reference to item 2, God sent one angel to protect king Hezekiah from the king of Assyria. (One angel killed 185,000 men in one night)

 Kings 19:35

[ Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death ] And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead.

In closing part 2; if you don't know the Lord and your name is not written in The Lambs Book of Life, YOU HAVE NO PROTECTION!

In part 3 I'll cover the Lords provisions for your protection. In the mean time why not get started in the right direction by visiting my Salvation page.

End Part 2

The Battle Part 3

Brief Review

The Battle:

1. We established Jesus Christ eternal
2. We established that the Devil is real
3. We humans are created in God's image
4. We are eternal beings; when we complete our sojourn in this life we will pass into eternity either into eternal life or eternal torment. (Heaven or Hades/Hell) 

Or

The Battle Part 2:

1. We established the battle is personal
2. Satan is trying to destroy the image of God,  i.e. YOU, before you find your way into the Lambs Book of Life. 
3. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
4. Principalities and powers are unseen but they can reach out and touch you as evidenced in the Book of Kings 19:35 when one (1) Angel of the Lord's killed an Assyrian army numbering 185,000 men and he did this in one night. In Genesis 6 we see fallen angels taking human wives and producing giant offspring.

The Battle Part 3:

We will now look into the protection believers are provided by the Lord; as previously established; non-believers have NO PROTECTION.

Who are Believers? People like you and me who were born in the flesh. 

1. Those who have realized they are sinners and have fallen short in any aspect of God's law that was given to Moses; that have cried out to God and have repented of and received forgiveness for their sin.
2. Those who believe Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary.
3. Those who believe Jesus Christ is the only Son of God and that He loved you so much that He gave His life in place of requiring yours for your debt of Sin. That He died, was buried and descended into hell, then rose to life again on the third day.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." 

 Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (iniquity laid on Jesus Christ)

Those who have been born of water and of Spirit.

Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Luke 3:16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

The New Birth

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 

2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Those who have been born of flesh and Spirit have available to them; 'The whole armor of God'

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 

The armor is available to those who are His and walking in His ways.