Spiritual Warfare
I remember there was a time when and maybe still for some congregations, when the Church of Christ would never talk about the "Supernatural". Preachers and bible class teacher didn't talk about "Spiritual Gifts" if so, it was "reactionary" to Pentecostalism instead of what the text intended. You didn't hear sermons on angels or demons or spiritual warfare very often if any. You did get a lot if so often, "hell, fire, and brimstone sermons."
As Christians we must realize we are at war spiritually. It is a supernatural war like never before. Ephesians 6:10-ff tells us that we are in a Spiritual Battle as Christian, not of flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of the this present darkness with the evil spirits in the heavens." vs.12
Ministers, I am sure you are seeing it in our churches with the counseling the that we are faced with daily. The number of sick people in the congregation, death, lack of commitment, attendance at class vs. worship, the number of those who will be involved in public worship, number of divorced is on the rise. Satan tries to get good Christian leaders: elders, deacons, teachers, wives, teens, hooked on drugs and alcohol. There are many Christians who suffer from emotional , sexual, verbal abuse just for being a Christian in homes where mom and dad aren't Christians. .
We must understand we are at war. We can no longer ignore that there is not battle. We can no longer just go to church on Sunday morning, go to our comfortable pew and worship for an hour and leave unchanged. It is time to fight. It is time yes to minister and strengthen those for the battle in the church and to win those over who are on the wrong side. Can we do it? Yes!
Read Ephesians 6:10-20.
We as David did must understand that God is going to help us fight. God is our banner! God is our help! We can do all things through Christ! Nothing is impossible with God, Nothing! The time is now! Will you put your armor on and leave it on? Will you fight the good fight as Paul says? Will you fight till the end? Will you keep it on? Will share the good news with passion? Will you be strong and courageous?
I will pray that we will . It is my prayer. Because the battle is not over. Yes, we know the ending, but how will it end for you, your friends, co-workers, family members, fellow students, professors, people you haven't event met yet?
Share your thoughts.
What do you think?
posted by preacherman @ 11:54:00 PM
19 Comments:
Excellent thoughts here, my friend! You've not only done a great job addressing the topic, you have also underscored the need to preach the whole will of God.
Great topic. We are in a war. And it is hard to win a war when you don't even realize you are in one. We need regular reminders of this. And we need training and strategies and spiritual weapons. We need to be a band of brothers watching out for each other. Most of all we need to obey our Commander In Chief.
Bill,
Thanks for your comments. We preach the whole will of God with out fear. As Paul tells us as ministers, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but of power!"
Alan,
You are so right. I like your point that it is hard to win a war when you don't realize you are in one. Unity is so important in the fight. The devil uses divisions and hatred from within to make us weak. We need to band together. Stengthen eachother in Christ. And, yes that Most of all we need to remember who our commander in Chief is and that is God Almighty.
Great points. I think this is going to be a great discussion.
Great thoughts. We have become so complacent that the "enemy" has to put forth less and less effort. We all need to be reminded that this is war and the outcome is eternal. Praise God we already know who wins, we just need to decide which camp we want to be in at the end.
Peace
Neva
Neva,
Complacent is one the things I believe the devil uses in the Battle. We must never be become complacent. We must never have the idea that we've already won so there's no need to fight. Thanks for your bringing out that point.
People believe in the devil but discount spiritual powers. I just don't see how that is disconnected.
I think it's good to be reminded that our weapons are not carnal.
It's good to have balance. I know some who only live in the supernatural, and the don't seem to be able to relate to anyone else.
We just don't talk about this subject much. Sadly, it may be one of the more important things and we just ignore it. Probably because we don't understand it.
Matt,
Great point. I don't see how you can disconnect the two. How can we realize that the two are connected? How can we teach our congregations that the two are connected?
Trey,
Do you think one of Satan's tool is for us to ignore it? How can we get the focus back? And get back into the battle and get the information we need? Has God already informed us in Ephesians 6:10-ff? Or is there more to it? What do you think?
Josh,
Great point.
How can we relate to the Supernatural? Is it being more Spiritually focused? More in step will of God? Focused on Him? What do you think?
Good questions, Preacher. We live in a world that's natural, here & now. Yet we desire a world that is supernatural, in heaven.
I wonder if it's at all possible to see heaven as part of our natural world?
Honestly, I don't. But is it possible?
Josh,
I believe it is what we as Christians focus our eyes upon. Paul tell the Philippians in Chapter 3 of the letter to focus on the goal to win the prize. The Hebrew writer in Chapter 13 encourages us as Christians to focus our eyes upon Jesus the author and perfector of our faith.
Are we aware of the supernatural around us. Do we hear those in go have gone on before us cheering us on as the "great cloud of witnesses."
Do we see answered prayers as God's active power in the world today?
When we are driving and the car pulls out and front of us and slam on the brakes and barely miss a reck that could have been dangerous, do we call it great reflexes, luck or God taking care of us?
Do we still entertain angel unaware?
We must understand the battle is on... And the fighting is heavier than it has been before.
The devil is real.
Hell is real.
Demons are real.
Angels are real.
God is real.
His power is real.
The power is at work with in us.
We must not ignore the battle.
We must become lazy.
We must not forget.
We must commit.
Remember that God is our banner.
Leaders, Elders, Ministers, it is time for us to equip our people for battle. It is time to stop fight from within and start uniting and fighting the real enemy. Save souls. Know that God wants us to claim victory in Jesus name in our neighborhoods, the people we work with, our friends, family members, and others that need salvation. We are living in the end times. The time is closer than it is ever been before.
Kinny; I don't believe Steven King or Rod Serling came up with their ideas on their own. I believe the bible mentions both.
su·per·nat·u·ral
1 : of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe; especially : of or relating to God or a god, demigod, spirit, or devil
2 a : departing from what is usual or normal especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature b : attributed to an invisible agent (as a ghost or spirit)
ex·tra·ter·res·tri·al
: originating, existing, or occurring outside the earth or its atmosphere extraterrestrial life
oh BTW kenny grandpa is Laymond Meredith. I couldn't leave comment on your blog from Wordpress so used older address.
Gandpa,
Do you believe that in this fight, the battle that we are in, angels can transend the laws of nature? Hebrews 13:2 "Do not forget to to entertain strangers for by doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Would that being transending the laws of nature?
In this battle we are fighting can God protect us from the evil one, by his powers that at work within us?
Ephesians tells us that this struggle is not fleshly but transends the law of nature.
Angels, demons, devil, God, us, the lost.
That for your points Grandpa. :-)
I meant to say, "Thanks for your points grandpa! :-)". I like that Grandpa! :-) How many grand kids, great grand kids?
As I mentioned before we are in the heat of the battle. We must not ignore it. We must not forget it. We must fight. We must not be blame ignorance. We must learn how to fight if we must. The Holy Spirit and His word will teach us. Prayer, Fasting, Meditation, Claiming what God has promised, saving the losted in the name of Jesus, Claiming what is are's in the name of Jesus. Using the gifts of the Holy Spirit and talents that we have. Equipping ourselves and congregations. We must fight. And we know the ending of course. But, we don't want to add to the list of those who have died and have killed in the fight.
So let God be our banner.
God will help us.
God we can do all things through Christ.
So let gets go to war with the enemy!
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