SPIRITUAL WARFARE-PART ONE (Ephesians 6:12)
The enemy is attacking!!!!
So many of the emails I receive every day are from good Christian people who are looking for God to help them through a difficult crisis in their life and wondering why they are going through the difficulties they are. Unfortunately, there is not always an explanation or good reason "why."
One reason I challenge and encourage you to follow the Lord each day is because we cause many of the problems in our lives by not following God's plan and ignoring the warnings that He has clearly laid out in His Word.
However, following Christ each day, living a Godly life does NOT mean you are immune from the trials and tribulations of life. You have to understand that there is a very real enemy named satan, who is actively trying to disrupt the work of God. In addition, Jesus told us what satan's goal is concerning YOU in John 10:10, to KILL STEAL, AND DESTROY.
The Bible clearly tells us that our battle isn't against flesh and blood, but that it is a SPIRITUAL BATTLE!
I am going to try to help you fight these spiritual battles. The most important thing you have to understand, no matter how intense the attacks may be on you right now, is that YOU HAVE ALREADY WON if you know Jesus as your personal Savior!
The most important battle is the one for your soul. Knowing Jesus insures you have won that battle and that knowledge alone should give you the confidence to fight whatever challenges this life may present knowing that in the end, YOU HAVE ALREADY WON!!!!!
*The lesson for today is that if you have put your faith and trust in Christ, no matter what battles you may be fighting today, YOU HAVE ALREADY WON!!!!!
God showed me when He gave me the vision for this Internet ministry that it was going to be a major battle since the Internet had largely been satan's playground and to a large extent still is. For all of the positive content the Internet provides, it is still far outweighed by the ungodly content that is available.
You would be amazed at the numbers of lives destroyed over the last 10 years by the Internet. Men and women in total bondage to Internet porn, addicted to Internet gambling, marriages and families destroyed by online romances that became real, people lured by the greed of online trading and losing everything they had. Every kind of evil and destructive thing in the world has found a place of prominence on the Internet. I had no illusions that this would be easy trying to use the Internet to share the hope and love of Christ with the lost and hurting in this world.
I tell you this to let you know something I learned early on in my ministry and it applies to your life. If you are not doing anything that is a threat to satan, he won't bother you. If you live for a while and aren't being attacked, you probably aren't doing anything that satan sees as a threat. Rejoice in the attacks because it is confirmation you are being effective!!!
I EXPECT THE ATTACKS AND IF YOU ARE SERVING GOD, YOU NEED TO EXPECT THEM TOO!
Never forget that "greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world." God is still on the throne, still in control. Nothing is impossible with God! You need to have the same attitude. Don't let anything, especially the attacks of satan stop you from doing what God has called you to do with your life. The only way satan can win is if we let him!
SPIRITUAL WARFARE- PART TWO OF THREE (Ephesians 6:13-17)
God's protection plan. God, in His omniscience, knew that as we lived for Him we would face fierce attacks from satan. Therefore, He did not leave us without protection. Today's passage of scripture tells us about the armor of God, God's protection for His children as we fight the spiritual battles each day that we do. There are many eloquent and anointed teachings about this passage of scripture that will give you a full and concise teaching on God's armor. My purpose here is to encourage you to use the protection God has provided as you battle the enemy each day.
I do want to focus for a second on one aspect though. All of God's protection is defensive and He has only given us one offensive weapon to fight with ... His Word!!!!!
In past devotionals I have talked to you about overcoming sin in your life and having a battle plan. One of the most simple and effective battle plans I have ever found for handling those attacks that come throughout the course of a day is to carry a small New Testament at all times. In those moments of weakness when the attacks come, take it out, open it to any page and start reading. You will be amazed how in mere seconds those impure thoughts, the attacks on your mind, will be gone because they cannot stand up under the power of God's Word.
I have always been a very offensive minded person, not willing to just sit back and wait. While I appreciate the defensive armor God has provided us with, and I use it every day for protection, it is the Word of God I love so much because it is our greatest weapon in fighting the enemy. I can go boldly right into his backyard (the Internet or secular television) with no fear because God's Word tells me I am more than a conqueror. With God with me, who can be against me. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Amen!!!!
God knows the battles we face each day in this evil and sin-filled world that we live in That is why He provided us with the spiritual armor He has. He has given us the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, our feet fitted with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation.
If you notice, there is nothing to protect your back. That is because God never intended for His children to RUN! You don't need protection for your back when you are moving forward. I want to encourage you today that as you fight those spiritual battles in your life, use those defensive tools God has provided you with, but do not neglect the one offensive weapon He gave you as well... HIS WORD!
It is time for God's people to get serious, to quit being so passive, and press forward in confidence knowing that God has given them all they need to go out and proclaim His Word in this sinful and dark world.
I will be praying for you that no matter what the spiritual battles you are fighting in your life today may be, PRESS FORWARD. Christ has already won the victory on Calvary 2,000 years ago. PRESS FORWARD, YOUR VICTORY IS JUST AHEAD!!!
SPIRITUAL WARFARE- PART THREE: (Ephesians 6:18-20)
Winning!!! In any war the objective is to win. In a spiritual war, the key to winning is prayer. Sound easy? Many of you tell me you have been praying but it doesn't work. Think about this. Maybe God has been answering, but you aren't listening. Let me ask you a question. When you pray, do you want your prayer answered, or do you want your prayer answered YOUR WAY? Big difference.
In the battle for Jericho, how do you think the great military minds felt about the battle plan of walking around the city blowing trumpets? Sounds like great military strategy doesn't it? The fact is, the prayers of the children of Israel were answered, but they were answered God's way!
The point I am making is when you are praying about a situation, you often have figured out how God is supposed to answer that prayer. Maybe God wants to answer your prayer another way, a way that is different than you expected. Do you want His answer, or do you want His answer your way?
When we pray, we are telling God we are dependent on Him. We need to share our needs with Him and trust His answer whether it is yes, no, or wait. Often, when God answers our prayers, it is in a way we never imagined. Why?
So He alone gets the glory!!!!!!
In part one of this series I talked about the attacks of the enemy and that our battle is a spiritual one. Part two dealt with the whole armor of God, both for defensive and offensive purposes. Today is about winning. WE WIN THROUGH PRAYER!
After all, the Bible tells us we are more than conquerors through Christ, we are the children of the King. We have a royal inheritance. If you know Jesus as your Savior you have a mansion waiting for you in Glory when this brief journey is over. You can live this life with full confidence, with no fear because you have already won the most important battle, and that is where you will spend eternity! With that knowledge, fight the battles that you are fighting in your life today knowing you have already won.
God has showed you who the enemy is. He has provided you with everything you need for protection and to fight with. Most important, He has already won the victory so that you can live this life each day victoriously! YOU WIN THE BATTLES OF LIFE THROUGH PRAYER!!!
Part message daily devotional (Mon. 3-22-2004) Liveprayer.com © Copyright 2004, Bill Keller Ministries.
