The Battle is Real

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Eph. 6:10-12

For those of you who are saying, "Here we go, I knew it was coming. Ron has finally gone crazy and started chasing demons." Let me assure you, that rather you want to admit it or not, we as the Church, and individually are at war! We battle against Satan and all of his minions. By our own strength we can not win this war! The good news is, that Jesus has already defeated him, but that doesn't mean that we aren't going to have to fight him everyday for our very lives.
Jesus said, "The thief cometh not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly."
Who so you think he was referring to as the thief? Satan. His job is to steal, kill, and destroy every good thing in your life! The last thing he wants is for you to have peace or joy.
God in his goodness has given us the Holy Spirit, to comfort us, to protect us, to strengthen us, but he also gave us tools for our own protection. Then he gave us instructions on how to use these tools. Therefore, it would appear that we, as Children of God, have to assume some responsibility of our own. Let's look a little farther down, and see what Paul has to say.

"Therefore put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as you helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Eph. 6:13-17

These who are not "flesh and blood enemies: are demon over whom the devil has control. They are not mere fantasies - they are very real. We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat Christ's church. When we believe in Christ, these beings become our enemies, and they try every device to turn us away from him and back to sin. Although we are assured of victory, we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns, because Satan is constantly battling against all who are on the Lord's side. We need supernatural power to defeat Satan, and God has provided this by giving us his Holy Spirit within us and his armor surrounding us. If you feel discouraged, remember Jesus' words to Peter. "Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it." Matt. 16:18

Do you know Jesus an your personal Lord & Savior? Please click on one of the church links on this page for more information. If you need prayer or just someone to talk with, contact me at; rlwhitener@gmail.com Please include "prayer request" in the subject line.

Thanks for following along,
God Bless