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 Overcoming the Spiritual Battle

This an article that I wrote in our News article I hope you enjoy and its somewhat helpful! Overcoming The Spiritual Battle by Gods Warriors

We started out the spring with a great event called “Night of Truth” which was to help train our church and individual believers on how to stand firm in our faith during the unseen battle raging around us that we were placed in soon as we became believers in Christ. Our hope was that the night was a blessing and that we will be able to have more Night of truths or Day of truths in the future with different topics each year. We had a great team and support: Allyce, Tom, Katy, Rob Case, Liz, Rob and Edith Thompson, Pastor Troy, Ron and Sharon Robinson, Beth Heinrich, and others. Their such a blessing and encouragement to God’s Warriors. The Night of Truth covered the very interesting topic of Spiritual Warfare. We played a video series by Chip Ingram called Invisible War which can be found on Right Now Media, YouTube, or your iPhone. The topic is of utmost importance in the Christian’s life, and it is a daily battle that continues until we are with the Lord face to face. This unseen battle rages in the Christians life at home, work, church, big and small events, in the political and world stages. The forces of God against the forces of the enemy the devil in the spiritual realm which impact us in the physical realm. We see this unseen battle in the physical world in many ways playing out especially in the Christian’s life because something drastic has happened. We have been born again and made alive to God in our newfound relationship in Christ. Our Spirits have come from the grave dead spiritually to out of the grave alive from the dead. We are living a life now that is in the Spirit and that is what happened in salvation. We in a sense came alive to the spiritual realm and the spiritual battle whether we like it or not it is upon us. The enemy’s goal is either to keep people from being saved or after they are saved to hinder them to being effective for God’s Kingdom and realizing who they are as God’s children. The unbeliever is spiritually blind because of inherited original sin nature, their spirit’s being dead or separated from God in relationship is another way to put it, and because of the enemy blinding them and enslaving them to his will. The gospel is the way out for the unbeliever and only hope for any deliverance. So, he is trying to do whatever it takes to destroy lives, cause strife and divorce in family, bitterness and hatred among friends and family, cause people to lose hope and turn to hopeless acts like using drugs, alcohol, suicide, escaping life situations by running from those who need you most. The enemy does these things and tries to hinder people coming to Christ using many tactics. The importance of evangelism and prayer is very important to souls of others, so they are not lost eternally. Believers must see this great command and we can push back against the work of the enemy. Now regarding the believer, the enemy tries to hinder us also, but it looks different. He doesn’t want you to know your identity and your relationship in Christ. To see you the way God sees us in the newfound relationship in Christ. Also, he doesn’t want us to be effective in God’s Kingdom purposes in the local church, at home, at work or our daily lives. He will throw family strife and fighting between one another in your way. There might come attacks at work that threaten our jobs or our peace which can be quite stressful since we spend most of our time throughout the week there. He could cause schisms, division, gossiping, and unforgiveness in the Church. He might come at you through depression, fears, health issues, or rejection. The list goes on. So, these things can really make us want to give up and not try which keep us from standing firm in our faith. So where is this coming from? How can we have victory? It is true that some trials and things happen in life because we live in a fallen world, God’s sovereignty in directing our lives and helping us grow through these situations, and our fallen nature which makes wrong choices. But also, the scriptures reveal there is an enemy causing mischief in our life. The great thing is God has already provided the victory in Jesus Christs’ life, death, burial and resurrection from the dead. He has delivered us from the power of death because we will live forever with Him and not in hell, delivered us from the power of sin in the present and future, and lastly from the power of the devil. So, we start from victory as the foundation, we do not fight for victory. We stand firm in our faith knowing that Christ is the victor based off what He did 2000 years ago. So, we must stand in confidence in the gospel and that is where we can find protection and provision against the enemy. We can find encouragement and stability knowing the promises of God found in scripture towards us. Knowing that God looks upon us the way He looks upon Jesus and as beloved children can help to wake up with great joy. God loves us deeply and that can transform us. Please read Ephesians 1-3 to see what God has done for us in Christ. Lastly, God has provided us armor that will protect us against the fiery darts of the enemy (Ephesians 6). One of the things that most Christians don’t do or struggle to do is to practically put on the armor of God in their daily life. They might not even realize they have armor or think it is already on them. But, in Ephesians it tells us to put on God’s armor. We have the belt of truth which is true commitment to the faith and being authentic or real which is the opposite of being deceived. If we are walking in lies or half committed, we are vulnerable for the enemies’ attacks. The breastplate of righteousness which is rooted in the perfect Righteousness of Christ and is talking of living morally right lives and not giving into sin. The shoes of the gospel of peace means having confidence in your relationship with Christ knowing you’re secure in the gospel. That gives us the strength to know that we are God’s, no matter what and then we can go to others with the gospel. The shield of faith is to quench the darts that try to get us to doubt God’s plan for us through trials and temptations that get us to obey Gods word and trust His plan. The helmet of salvation protects our minds from the doubts and lies thrown in our mind. That is why we must renew our mind through the Word of God and abiding daily, moment by moment, in a relationship with Jesus. The Sword of the Spirit which is where, like Jesus in Matthew 4, He actively used the Word of God to combat the lies of the devil. The Word of God is our powerful tool in so many ways and we must know it well to stand when the battles get overwhelming, and the lies of deception are flying. Lastly, Paul says that we must always pray as apart of putting on the spiritual armor. Remember, this ultimately is a spiritual battle, and we must lean on our spiritual weapons and armor. Prayer is us going to God in the spiritual realm to help us fight the spiritual forces coming at us and winning those battles. If we don’t pray, put on this armor, or know our identity in Christ we wont experience the victorious living at the level we can. There is great hope so don’t give up my brothers and sisters!

 2022/7/13 11:07
deltadom
Member



Joined: 2005/1/6
Posts: 2359
Hemel Hempstead

 Re: Overcoming the Spiritual Battle

I have been through such a spiritual battle recently


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Dominic Shiells

 2022/7/13 11:38Profile









 Re:

I’m sorry to hear about that brother. So what’s been going on lately? I also been going through some extreme struggle with the daily battle of life in general.

 2022/7/14 7:58
davidkeel
Member



Joined: 2006/5/11
Posts: 519
West Sussex, England

 Re: Overcoming the Spiritual Battle

Coming out of the world I believe is coming out of the life we have all had.
I grew up listening to my feelings and emotions and they guided my thoughts. For example when my emotions were strong my mind was governed and led to failure and sinful ways by it.
I could feel anger or other sins. There was no tap to turn them off it seemed.

But Jesus showed me it's what comes out of a man that makes him unclean just as He had warned in the Scriptures.

I believe that denying self is the key to not listen to feelings but to obey right from wrong. Having our senses trained to know right from wrong is a command we must follow or we will perish and become corrupt at our death as we will have never repented in our life time. But thought that God was going to do it all.

I think that is the key thing. To follow and train our mind to obey. By denying self. Them we won't be children tossed about. Ephesians 4 v 14 & 17
When my dad died a few years ago. My mind started to dwell for a moment on the fact sadness would come to me. But the Lord warned me not to cry for him. As depression would set in. So I didn't do it or feel sadness. But kept my mind disciplined. We have to keep doing it. Not to go the opposite way like the world does and follow their feelings. We can have a thousand different feelings a day and they can lead us to despair because they have become so alive in us that they can actually tell lies to our flesh and soul. Even coming to us with voices if we are so undisciplined in the mind.


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David Keel

 2022/7/15 11:05Profile





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