Some time ago, I went through a Spiritual Warfare 101 Bible study (by Chip Ingram) with a small group/community group that met every other week.
I really gained a lot from the Bible study and I wanted to share some brief thoughts with you about it as it's not a topic that we often talk about in The Church but none-the-less it's in His Word and a very real battle. (See Ephesians 6:12-13 and other passages)
Also, as a word of caution, some often over-spiritualize spiritual warfare and we have to remind ourselves to be in God's Word and seek Him often as not everything is "spiritual warfare". (I have very real examples of this but to keep this post brief, I won't take the time share here.)
We need to look at and treat spiritual warfare Biblically and not let our emotions overshadow what is or isn't spiritual warfare. We need to guard against over-spiritualization of important and very real matters such as this.
Ok, side note/disclaimer stated, now let's get into what I aim to briefly share. :-)
One of the keys in the spiritual battle is having tools to combat the evil one - tools that God has already provided for us such as the primary tools and weapons which are God's Word, Prayer, The Holy Spirit, and The Full Armor of God.
We can put on The Full Armor of God through prayer and through His Word we can memorize and have scripture in our hearts when the battle comes at us each day.
With this in mind, I wanted to share one verse with you and encourage you to memorize it yourself as an added tool to your spiritual tool belt.
Memorize the following scripture (feel free to memorize this in whatever version you’d like):
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." -James 4:7 ESV
It's truly that simple as God defines for us, and note that everything comes back to submitting yourself to God.
You can try to resist the evil one on your own but unless you submit to God you will not be successful in doing so.
If you abide in Christ, submit yourself to Him, the evil one will have no ground to stand on and he and his demonic influences will not be able influence you because you will be in close fellowship with God.
This also assumes that through abiding in Him as you’re in His Word regularly, you’re praying, and in fellowship with other believers. Now, this isn’t some “magic formula” rather; it’s a practical and Biblical way to abide in Him.
Now, can you do this and not truly be abiding in Him because you’re essentially “going through the motions”, yes, of course this can be the case, however if you’re intentions are pure, and you’re really seeking Him, then this won’t be the case.
Also, It’s important to note that in this battle that according to the scriptures is not of flesh and blood but of the spiritual realm, (See Ephesians 6) we are not fighting for victory, rather, we’re fighting from Victory as Jesus has already won the battle for us!
In sum, Submit to God, Resist the evil one and he will flee!
Jesus, The Holy Spirit, Prayer, and The Word of God are the key tools in true spiritual battle. Tools that we should be using day-to-day anyway and when the battles come, and they will, you will be prepared!
Let's pray for one another that we'll resist the evil one, abide in Jesus and The Word of God, rely on The Holy Spirit, Pray Hard, and submit to God so that the evil one will flee by the power of God and His Holy Spirit!
Your Brother and Servant in Christ,
Randolph Koch
-Founder and Servant-Shepherd of A Shepherd's Heart
No comments:
Post a Comment