The Battle is On

Just when you think, “hey, this isn’t too bad.” It seems as if you are on a nice, leisurely walk through this path called life, when WHAMO!!! The air is taken out-of-you and you are on your face with just enough strength to carry on (brings to memory a line in a song, “when my walk, becomes a crawl.” – and I mean, at times this is literally). The LORD put a vivid picture in my mind about this “walk; this path we are on” – there’s this show called Wipeout (which I’ve only seen the previews, but the picture is there), it is like an obstacle course, but with lots and lots of hurdles to conquer before you get to the end. That’s how this walk is. We have to go through a lot of hurdles (trials, conflicts, adversities, difficulties, impossibilities) in order to get to the finish line. Just when we think, “Hey, I’m getting ahead” – WIPEOUT! Something hits you from where you least expect it or from where the enemy knows it’s going to hurt and sting the most; where the enemy knows that it’s going to suck-all-the-life out of you to the point where you contemplate retreating from this path. Another song comes to mind, “Jesus / lover of my soul / Jesus/ I will never let you go / You’ve taken me / from the miry clay / you’ve set my feet, upon the Rock and now I know / I love You / I need You / THOUGH MY WORLD MAY FALL I’LL NEVER LET YOU GO / My Savior / My closest friend / I WILL WORSHIP YOU UNTIL THE VERY END”.

We are in a fierce battle. Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us, See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

1 Peter 5:8-11 – BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

John 10:10(a) – The thief cometh not, but for to STEAL, and to KILL, and to DESTROY…

This is the kind of enemy we are up against. These are not the times to relax and have a nice-leisurely walk. We are called to be SOBER, VIGILANT, WISE. We are to walk in confidence that HE, who began a good work in me, will complete it. We need to walk from victory – the victory of Jesus Christ. We need to be fully armed with the armor of God – no other armor or weapon will do. We need to be renewing our mind, not conforming to this world.

1 John 4:4 – Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 – For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Revelation 12:11 – And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 20:10 – And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.