War with Evil

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There is a battle going on and as believers, we are on the front lines. Satan is a master tactician. He is relentless. He is always on the offense. He's coming after you. There's no way to avoid it. Let's be ready.

In this battle, there will be casualties. Whenever we willingly choose to follow the will of God, particularly when it comes to advancing God's kingdom, there will be opposition. Don't be surprised, for we have declared war on the prince of darkness, and he is not happy.

Listen to the warning Jesus gives us about Satan:

He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash." (Luke 10:18 HCSB).

Gives new meaning to "death from above," doesn't it?

So, how can we battle such a formidable foe? He is the "roaring lion" who seeks you out to make you his next meal (See 1 Peter 5:8). It's what he does. He's good at these things: stealing, killing, and destroying (John 10:10).

Here's what we can be good at, standing up against the "wiles of the devil." God gives us clear battle plans:

"This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:13-18 HCSB)

If we are going to do battle, it is our duty to be prepared to not only do battle, but to win. Oh yeah, and do I need to remind you that we do have one more thing that we are guaranteed? Winning! When we go to battle, we know we will win! Read the end of the book... WE WIN!

 

The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.(Revelation 20:10 HCSB)

Here's the challenge for every one of us: don't let Satan steal your joy with his constant frustrations; don't let him kill your love for your family, friends, and fellow believers; and never let him destroy your excitement for telling others of the love of God you found in Christ Jesus. This where we must stand. We must never give ground. It here we must do battle as never before.

Child of God, don't be taken in by his trickery and traps. Be prepared to do battle so you can win! Put on your armor every day. It truly is your "Call of Duty."

 

 

 

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Battlefield Instructions for Men, Pt. 2

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WW II GI's Surrounded by the Fog of War

We live in a world where spiritually and morally, these same disorienting type things continue to demand our attention. We can be swayed easily, go the wrong direction, and do what we never thought we would do. That is why battlefield instructions are so important. That is why we must have a plan before we take that first step onto the battlefield we call life. Choosing to be a one woman man will radically transform your life. That kind of life begins with our eyes and moves to every part of our body. It's why the Bible exhorts us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (See Romans 12:1). Because our eyes begin the process, make sure you read Part 1 of this blog to get the clear ("crystal, sir!") instructions for a man's battle for purity.

3 additional ways we prepare for battle:

Choose to be faithful with your lips - A man committed to his wife is no flirt. He doesn't play junior high games with other women. He doesn't kid roundabout being interested in someone else. He doesn't make jokes about getting together with other women. Such jesting comes under the umbrella of having a few harmless laughs. But some things are off-limits...marriage is one of them. Marriage is sacred and holy. It's should never be reduced to a joke at your wife's expense or to the detriment of that relationship.

Choose to be faithful with your hands - Remember when you were a child and your mother used to say keep your hands to yourself? I remember, it was usually after I had whopped or irritated my brother. Keep your hands to yourself is a great piece of advice if you want to be ready for battle. It's like preventative maintenance. It keeps you prepared to fight the war. Be careful how you touch the opposite sex. Why be careful? Because you're committed to one woman. And that is Semper Fidelis...being always faithful.

It would do us all well to look at 1 Corinthians 7 together:

Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. (1 Corinthians 7:1, 2 NASB)

There's nothing wrong with a hug. Many times it comes from the purest of motives. But next time you think about hugging a woman, and you're not sure about your motives, then don't. So if you want to hug somebody, the best thing to do is go find your wife.

Choose to be committed with your feet - 1 Corinthians 6:18 says it flat out: "flee from sexual immorality." That's how a man prepared to battle for puriity deals with movies, magazines, videos, internet, or any situation he finds himself in that is counterproductive to marriage commitment. He flees.

The problem is is that most men who flee temptation usually leave a forwarding address.… That won't cut it if you're going to win this battle. A one-woman man doesn't hang around to check out a pornographic magazine for its "artistic value." He doesn't hesitate to walk out of a movie that violates his value system. He takes the lead in turning off the TV or the DVD or the computer or the smart phone or the iPad when it's inappropriate. That's what it means to flee. Feet to demonstrate your commitment.

Let me finish with these words of insight that should help you understand why our eyes, minds, lips, hands, and feet are so important to winning.

If we are going to protect ourselves from the epidemic of adultery, we must understand the process that leads to adultery. David sinned with his eyes, his mind, his lips, and his hands before he ever hit the sheets with Bathsheeba. David had already lost the battle before that moment of pleasure. Adultery did not begin with physical contact. That horrible, destructive act began with a glance that turned into a gaze that became an obsession and finally an act of willful disobdience (Read more in 2 Samuel 11). It was an act that nearly destroyed all the good David had done for the kingdom.

You see, adultery does not begin with the act, it begins with the mind. And the Man begins with his commitment to his wife each day will be a man of holiness and a lethal weapon in the hands of God.

This presentation is from puritycoalition.org. God, give us clean hands, give us pure hearts!



There is hope and we can win!

Pastor Trey Rhodes


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