Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power. 11 Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks. -Ephesians 6:10-11 Good News Translation

We are at war…no not the war in the middle east. This war is much closer to you than you might realize. Every minute and every second of every day there is a battle that is raging, and like it or not everyone is in the middle of it.

Many of us are oblivious to this truth and without a doubt the Bible makes several references to our Christian walk being compared to a war. The reality is that living life the way God intended really is a war against life the way most people live. If you are at all familiar with church then you have probably heard ministers or teachers refer to it as a war against the flesh.

Whether you have heard of it or not the truth is we are all engaged in a Battle, a Spiritual War, and for those who are unaware of it or who don’t know how to fight they are losing the Battle. Unlike war as we have come to know it, this Battle or Spiritual War is not against people at all but the influences or driving forces behind and around them. Ephesians 6:12 tells us;

For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.

As our adversary is not of flesh and blood, but is spiritual in nature then it only follows that natural weapons are ineffective against him. 2 Corinthians 10:4 tells us that the weapons we have been giving are not carnal (of flesh & blood) but are Spiritual and of a Divine Nature and they are powerful and strong enough to pull down and destroy any of the enemies strongholds.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”

In order to be successful in our Christian walk we must become familiar with the Weapons of our Warfare, as well as learn How to Fight and use these weapon.

Why Spiritual Warfare?

As we stated in part one, there is a constant struggle, a battle constantly going on in our lives everyday.  For those who are not aware of this, by default are losing this war.  It’s not just happening around you, you are smack dab in the middle of it!  In our businesses, our jobs, our relationships with others, our relationship with ourselves and most importantly our relationship with God.  In every arena of our lives, whether mental or physical the battle is raging, and many people are losing simply by not being aware that it is going on.

If you have finally accepted the fact that this war is raging, you are probably wondering “Why?”  Why is there a Spiritual War going on?  Well, for two very distinct reasons:

• The Enemy Wants to Steal Your Identity

• The Enemy Wants to Steal Your Purpose

The Enemy Wants To Steal Your Identity:

If we asked you who are you? What would you say? Do you know? If you are a believer (meaning born again), the Bible declares that you are one of God’s very own Children, a child of God.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. -John 1:10-13

As God’s children we are entitled to be partakers of His Divine Nature and personality. [see 2 peter 1:4] As believers our make-up, at the very heart of us…within our inner most being, is totally different than that of most people who occupy the world. In fact this different is often what causes conflict between those who believe and those who do not, for the differences between the two natures causes them to become suspicious and even hostile toward those who appear to be different than themselves. Believers live from the inside out, following the lead of God’s Spirit within them, non-believers live according to their senses. They actively and passionately pursue whatever pleases their 5 senses and then they build their logic and reasoning to justify their behaviors. As believers we are called to live our lives according to the Word of God, the Bible [which the world doesn't believe in] and we are led by the Holy Spirit [which the world can't see]

The more and more we practice functioning as believers the more distinct the differences become between us and the world, and likewise the more hostility we are likely to receive. Even so we must continually fight to walk according to who and what the Bible says we are. We must fight and war to stay focused on who we really are in Christ, because once we lose our identity we lose are ability to effectively live the Christian Life and follow God’s instructions for us.

The Enemy Wants to Steal Your Purpose:

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. ” -1 John 3:8

Not only are we engaged in a war with an adversary that Attempts to Steal our Identity, but he is also trying to rob us of our purpose. One need only to take a close look and see that many are losing the battle on this front. I’m pretty sure that if you asked some Christians what their purpose is, you would probably get answers like; “To spread the Gospel” or “to do good things” or even “to obey all the commandments.” All of those are noble responses, they play a part in our purpose…but they are not our purpose.

1 John 3:8 declares that Jesus, purpose for coming to Earth was to destroy the works of the devil, as his followers our purpose is the same. Take a look at Hebrews chapter 2, verse 14;

14Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

As Believers and Followers of Christ our Purpose is to continue His work, and just as He was found faithful we are to do the same. The enemy is well aware of this fact and he does all that He can to keep us distracted and misplacing our focus and attention. The enemy knows that if we are unclear of our purpose that we don’t stand a chance against his tricks. Ever heard the old saying divide and conquer…it really does work, look at how much time and energy is spent within the Christian Community arguing and fighting each other, this is mostly due to losing sight of our purpose.

to be continued…