SPIRITUAL WARFARE

WHAT CAN A BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN EXPECT?
—JOY AND PEACE, BUT ALSO PERSECUTIONS, TEMPTATIONS, AND THE UNEXPECTED

Each person that decides to follow Jesus must also launch out into the unknown. Little do most of us realize what this means. There is joy, peace, rejoicing, and love, but there are also battles to be fought against the powers of darkness.

There are Goliaths to overcome. Persecutions, temptations, sufferings, problems, and the unexpected lie ahead. There is a war to be fought against our own desires, our flesh, and our own wrong thinking. There are struggles ahead and doubts to overcome, as we try to row upstream against the strong current that is going downstream.

Our faith (or trust in God) will be tested to see if it is genuine (ref 1 Pe 1:7), as we go through many unexpected things and what seems to be impossible situations. We are called to overcome through Jesus. As we fight the good fight of faith, as we struggle against what seems to be the impossible, God is with us and in us. Our biggest battle is against ourselves and within ourselves.

It is against our own fears, wrong thinking, our emotions, looking back, denying ourselves, and our own desires which run contrary to God’s Word. We are called to deny self, follow Jesus, to study and obey His Word, to conform to His image, and to serve Him. We will not be tempted beyond that which we are able to endure-ref 1 Cor 10:13.

There are times when we will feel like there is a huge rope pulling on our right hand and another pulling in the opposite direction on our left. We will feel like we are being torn apart. The battle rages in our thoughts, in our flesh, and in our emotions.

We may cry out to Jesus to help and save us as we sink. And He will, but we need to learn patience. In this struggle, some people turn away from God, while others turn more to God. A person’s heart decides which way he will go. As Jesus suffered, we are called to suffer-ref Ro 8:17. And beware, because Satan deceives the whole world-ref Rev 12:9.

Satan uses false religions, your love for a certain church or person, money, lusts, cares of this life, pleasures, pride, possessions, your personal desires, fears or worries, rejection, hurts, even love, anger, and unforgiveness, plus many other devices, to try to make you believe certain Scriptures do not mean what they say. He succeeded with Eve. Will he deceive you also?

Because of such deceptions, many people have left the Lord and God’s calling on their life. While there is darkness all around us, we have the Light. Therefore, as we let down our nets, there will be a catch. Our nets may break. We may cry out for help.

We may even be arrested and killed for our faith, but we have the victory of eternity with no more tears, if (we) continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel-ref Col 1:23. We are called to overcome all things-ref Rev 2 and 3, but we cannot do this apart from Jesus.

We need to fight the good fight of faith and endure to the end. If we keep our eyes and faith centered on Jesus; if we look forward to being with Him for eternity; and if we look for the city called—New Jerusalem; and if we remain humble and receptive to God’s correction, not looking back, we should one day hear the words, WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT-ref Mt 25:23.

If we look at our problems, unbiblical desires, and look back at our past, we can expect to fall by the wayside. When riding a bike, if you keep looking back, you can expect to crash. When a person disobeys God’s Word (such as looking back), he gives a place for Satan to attack him-Eph 4:27.

The Bible has much to say on this battle inside you. Regretfully, this kind of teaching is seldom found in the churches of today. But this and also the falling away from God was prophesied in His Word in Rev 3:14-22; 2 Thes 2:3 and other Scriptures also.

Eph 6:10-11-Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 1 Cor 16:13-Watch ye (be on your guard), stand fast in the faith, quit you like men (be men of courage-NIV), be strong.
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