There is an unseen battle going on in this world. A battle for our very souls. The Bible speaks about this unseen war in several places but open up your Bibles to Ephesians 6 and let's begin reading in verse twelve.
"12Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." 13Therefore (and this is how we are to fight that battle) put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." - Ephesians 6:10-17
This past Monday the enemy attacked and killed one of our own. This casualty was more than just a fellow soldier though. The book of Revelation refers to the pastors of God's churches as "angels". I believe that is true because they are indeed deliverers of God's messages.
This war we are fighting is invisible yet it's effects are all too real.
Yesterday thousands of people gathered to remember our fallen brother. I consider this man a casualty of war. A war we are ALL fighting in. Yet many of us don't even know the battle is going on!
The Apostle Paul told us how to fight this battle in Ephesians 6. Are we taking him up on his advice? What are our weapons?
The Truth - Jesus said He is "the way, the truth and the life." Everything about us should be based in truth (God's Word) and every word that comes out of our mouths should BE the truth. It is one of the 10 commandments (Exodus 20:16).
Righteousness - How can we as mere mortals be righteous? It is impossible for man. We are all sinners! Unless, of course, we know Jesus as our Lord. Only then can we be saved from this battle. It is The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Faith - It is our faith in Jesus that saves us and gives us power over death. Faith in an unseen God changes us into soldiers who cannot die, spiritually.
Salvation - Are you saved? Is your faith in Jesus Christ alone? It is essential to your survival.
The Word of God - This is the "Sword of the Spirit". With it we defend ourselves against the evil one.
However, even with all these weapons and protections available, it is still possible for us to die in battle. The death of this pastor acquaintance of mine by his own hand proves that. The troubling question remains: With all of these weapons available to him, why did he not use them?
I think the answer can be found somewhere between the darkness and the light. Even though we know all these things in Ephesians 6 to be true, there are still moments when we find ourselves not using them. And those are the moments that Satan attacks. And he is very good at what he does.
For us who remain, we need to arm ourselves just like the Apostle Paul told us. However Paul didn't tell us to do one thing, even though it is implied. Never, EVER let your guard down. ALWAYS be ready for an attack because they WILL come. Remember, this is a war we are fighting!
"On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves;" - Isaiah 62:6
We must never rest in our battle against the enemy. If we do, if we let down our guard at any time, that is precisely when the attack comes. Be on guard!! We are the watchmen of our souls.
For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
Let It Rise - Big Daddy Weave
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