The Battle

Every born again child of God has turned his/her back on Satan. When a person is born of the Spirit of God, he/she has turned from the power of Satan to God, from darkness to light, from death to life, from Adamic nature to God’s nature.

Till the time we were born again, we were under the devil’s control, doing things that pleased him. We were under God’s curse, doomed for ever for our sins. We walked according to Satan’s counsel in disobedience to God. We walked in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh. We did whatever our minds told us to do. But now we are to walk according the dictates of the Bible, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Now Satan is angry that he has lost one of his subjects. So, his desire is to get us back into his camp. But he knows that our New Master is Almighty God and he can by no means snatch us out of His hands. So, his effort is to trip us into giving up our faith, or to distract us from our focus. His weapons are the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life, the same weapons he used against Eve. In today’s world, it has translated into amassing money, satisfying the hunger of our bodily desires by any means, and acquiring power to oneself. He wages a continuous battle with each one of us and will go to any extent to trip us. But the sad fact is that God’s children are in a slumber and are sitting ducks for the enemy. We are lulled into believing that, once we have committed our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, everything is automatic. If that were true, why did Jesus and the Apostles constantly exhort us not to deceive ourselves, or be deceived?

But the good news is that we are not alone or helpless in this battle. The one true God, our new Master, has provided everything needed for our victory, through His Son Jesus Christ. He has already won the victory for us. We only need to appropriate that victory for ourselves. When God brought the children of Israel into the promised land, He told them: “Every place the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you”; not ‘I will give it to you’ (Josh.1:3). God gave them His armour in verse 7. It was obedience to His Word.

He has also given us His armour and arsenal. To effectively combat the enemy, we need to be aware of the character, schemes, and tactics of the enemy. We also need to know our God, His provisions for the battle, His power available to His children, the authority given to us, and our own preparation. For this, we need to know the Scripture, the only dependable source of information.

Our enemy, the devil

1. He is a liar and father of lies. There is no truth in him. He has filled the world with the lie of the theory of evolution, thus discounting our accountability to God, our Creator. He constantly tells us, through different advertisements, that using a particular brand of toothpaste, buying a certain brand of car, or an apartment in a particular complex, is the way to eternal happiness. Remember, every ad is a huge lie. Their origin is the father of lies.

2. He is a deceiver. He works in tandem with the world, and our own fleshly desires to deceive us. Do not forget that he even tempted Jesus. He deceives people into believing that money is the answer to every problem, impressing girls is ultimate in life for any man, or being attractive to men, using any means, is the life goal of every woman. That is why Jesus has asked us to be as shrewd as serpent and as innocent as dove. Paul and all the Apostles also exhort us to be vigilant, sober, watchful and discerning. Paul even expresses his fear that ‘Satan by his craftiness may deceive you just as he did with Eve’ (2 Cor.11:3).

3. He operates with the wisdom of the world. He thought that he was the ultimate victor when he managed to get Jesus crucified by His own people. But to his shock, God’s wisdom and power resurrected Jesus from the grave. He is now alive. So, he is God’s enemy and his way to get even with God is to tempt God’s children and somehow to trip their spiritual lives.

How to win the battle?

The first step in winning the battle is to acknowledge that we are engaged in a battle in a very deceptive world. The world is under Satan and he controls all the world systems, including its governments, financial systems, philosophy and media.

The second is to “put on the whole armour of God…… “(Eph 6:13). This will enable us to withstand the evil one and be victorious. What are the different weapons of our armour?

Truth is our belt, which will hold all the other parts of our armour together. Truthfulness in every aspect of life is essential for winning spiritual battles.

Righteousness is our breastplate, which keeps our hearts and other vital organs safe. Doing, speaking and thinking what is right before God is vital for our victory.

Preparation of the Gospel. We should be ready to share the Gospel wherever and whenever God grants an opportunity.

Faith is our shield in the battle. Believe that victory is sure, whatever be the battle, temptation or problem we face. The enemy may bring doubt into our hearts. We may be tempted to look at the impossible circumstances. But believe that God has a way out of every situation for His children. It is this kind of faith that brought victory to Daniel in the lions’ den, and to his friends in the fiery furnace.

Salvation is our helmet. Remember that we are dearly loved and saved by God Almighty from sin and the power of Satan; this will keep us from the head injury of confusion and wrong thinking pattern.

Word of God is our sword. The best example is our Lord Himself who cut the logic of Satan, using the Word of God. Take note that the enemy quoted the Scripture to Eve and even to Jesus. So, we need to know the Scripture accurately to quote it exactly and win the victory.

According to Ephesians 6:18, prayer is the battle. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful…..”

So, let us be alert and know that we are born again for battle, and wage it victoriously.

~ Lily Abraham