Staying Engaged in the Fight
For many Christians, there is a diminished understanding, perhaps even a lack of understanding regarding the spiritual battle in which we are engaged as believers. In some cases it may be a matter of a lack of teaching, for others it may be a world-view that is out of focus. Whatever the situation, we may need to take notice of the facts regarding the spiritual conflict going on around us and come to a fresh understanding of our role in the fight. Paul the apostle knew the importance of engagement when he said in 2 Corinthians 2:9,11:
For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything......so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; we are not ignorant of his designs.
In this passage Paul is stressing the need for simple obedience to God's Word in our lives, but ignorance can also be a willful indifference. The apostle reminds us in I Peter 5:8:
Be sober-minded; be watchful. You adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
These first two admonitions are key to battling the enemy. First, Peter says to be "sober" minded or clear-headed. Literally, we are not to allow ourselvers to become intoxicated by lust, passion, ambition, or any desire that blinds us temporarily to what is immediately going on around us.
Second, we are to be alert as a guard or sentry protecting a residence or home. It is literally up to you to protect your own "spiritual residence.” Our minds are the portal of entrance, and that means we must control our thoughts and our desires. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we are commanded to:
Take every thought into captive to obey Christ.
If our thought life is out of control, everything else will be under relentless attack, so the battle actually begins with thinking Biblically!
As in any conflict or contest, there is always a goal to be reached. People without clear goals never win in the end. Why? Because they are not clear in what constitutes victory! Paul said it was like a boxer throwing punches at the air! It's ultimately useless. Instead of this, we are to:
press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, let those who are mature think this way.....
Real engagement in any battle can only be defined in this way. Pressing on toward a goal means we know what we are aiming for and going for it. Going through the motions is a waste of time and effort and never accomplishes a genuine goal.
Finally, as Paul admonished us I Tim 6:11,12:
Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.
As I close today I want you to remember the two key words in this text that capsulate all we said to this point. I have underlined them in bold to make sure we recognize their importance. The first one is pursue. Stay focused on the goals of righteousness, godliness..... And finally recognize anew today that you and I are engaged in an unending battle for our souls and the souls of others around us. If we know Jesus, Satan fights to destroy our spiritual influence and power, but for those around us who are lost, he fights to keep them blinded in their sin and to insure that they remain so. The second underlined word is fight. I love to watch boxing and the various strategies combatants use in a match, but none is so important as simply taking positive action toward defeating the opponent with aggressive punching! Therefore, in order to win the battle, you must determine to stay engaged in the fight!
For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything......so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; we are not ignorant of his designs.
In this passage Paul is stressing the need for simple obedience to God's Word in our lives, but ignorance can also be a willful indifference. The apostle reminds us in I Peter 5:8:
Be sober-minded; be watchful. You adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
These first two admonitions are key to battling the enemy. First, Peter says to be "sober" minded or clear-headed. Literally, we are not to allow ourselvers to become intoxicated by lust, passion, ambition, or any desire that blinds us temporarily to what is immediately going on around us.
Second, we are to be alert as a guard or sentry protecting a residence or home. It is literally up to you to protect your own "spiritual residence.” Our minds are the portal of entrance, and that means we must control our thoughts and our desires. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we are commanded to:
Take every thought into captive to obey Christ.
If our thought life is out of control, everything else will be under relentless attack, so the battle actually begins with thinking Biblically!
As in any conflict or contest, there is always a goal to be reached. People without clear goals never win in the end. Why? Because they are not clear in what constitutes victory! Paul said it was like a boxer throwing punches at the air! It's ultimately useless. Instead of this, we are to:
press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, let those who are mature think this way.....
Real engagement in any battle can only be defined in this way. Pressing on toward a goal means we know what we are aiming for and going for it. Going through the motions is a waste of time and effort and never accomplishes a genuine goal.
Finally, as Paul admonished us I Tim 6:11,12:
Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.
As I close today I want you to remember the two key words in this text that capsulate all we said to this point. I have underlined them in bold to make sure we recognize their importance. The first one is pursue. Stay focused on the goals of righteousness, godliness..... And finally recognize anew today that you and I are engaged in an unending battle for our souls and the souls of others around us. If we know Jesus, Satan fights to destroy our spiritual influence and power, but for those around us who are lost, he fights to keep them blinded in their sin and to insure that they remain so. The second underlined word is fight. I love to watch boxing and the various strategies combatants use in a match, but none is so important as simply taking positive action toward defeating the opponent with aggressive punching! Therefore, in order to win the battle, you must determine to stay engaged in the fight!
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