A Cry in the Battlefield
He was a compassionate man. He attended school when his parents could afford it. And although he was so kind to others, there he stood: A man in the middle of the war. Never did he think he would have been drafted. But now was no time to reflect on the past. Now it was time to fight.
But he couldn’t.
He had to rest.
Well, he didn’t have to.
Submitting to the instructions of his Sergeant, he was to wait . . . for now, at least.
Spiritual Warfare: Everyone in their own battle. Yet we are provided with weapons for the fight, as Ephesians 6:10-20 teaches us. “We must be delivered from the power of the evil one by believing, praying, repenting, obeying, seeking, and serving” (Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare, David Powlison, 22).
“Spiritual Warfare is all-encompassing. It touches every area of our lives – our families, our relationships, our church, our neighborhoods, our communities, our places of employment. There is virtually no part of our existence over which the Evil One does not want to maintain or reassert his unhealthy and perverse influence. Conversely, Jesus longs to reign as Lord over every area of our lives. This is the locus of intense struggle for all believers. And it is a power struggle. To which kingdom – and source of power – do we yield?” (Three Crucial Questions about Spiritual Warfare, Clinton E. Arnold, 27)
There has been a battle inside my heart. There always is. Whether it is making time for God or being sure He truly is the Lord of our lives, often a power struggle is apparent. And we must remember that this power struggle cannot solely be blamed on Satan alone. We also have two other enemies: our own flesh and the world.
And it is “only through union with Jesus and experiencing his empowering presence [in which] people have hope for escaping the compelling power of these influences” (Three Crucial Questions about Spiritual Warfare, Clinton E. Arnold, 35).
Tomorrow is A Day Of Prayer in Briercrest. My prayer is that all who participate would focus on making their hearts right before the Lord before they enter into His presence. And for those of you who do not attend this little school in Caronport, may you continue to grow closer to Him through thanksgiving, prayer, and petition, especially as we continue to fight these battles that confront us every day. Let us go into each and every single battle equipped with the full Armor of God.
But he couldn’t.
He had to rest.
Well, he didn’t have to.
Submitting to the instructions of his Sergeant, he was to wait . . . for now, at least.
Spiritual Warfare: Everyone in their own battle. Yet we are provided with weapons for the fight, as Ephesians 6:10-20 teaches us. “We must be delivered from the power of the evil one by believing, praying, repenting, obeying, seeking, and serving” (Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare, David Powlison, 22).
“Spiritual Warfare is all-encompassing. It touches every area of our lives – our families, our relationships, our church, our neighborhoods, our communities, our places of employment. There is virtually no part of our existence over which the Evil One does not want to maintain or reassert his unhealthy and perverse influence. Conversely, Jesus longs to reign as Lord over every area of our lives. This is the locus of intense struggle for all believers. And it is a power struggle. To which kingdom – and source of power – do we yield?” (Three Crucial Questions about Spiritual Warfare, Clinton E. Arnold, 27)
There has been a battle inside my heart. There always is. Whether it is making time for God or being sure He truly is the Lord of our lives, often a power struggle is apparent. And we must remember that this power struggle cannot solely be blamed on Satan alone. We also have two other enemies: our own flesh and the world.
And it is “only through union with Jesus and experiencing his empowering presence [in which] people have hope for escaping the compelling power of these influences” (Three Crucial Questions about Spiritual Warfare, Clinton E. Arnold, 35).
Tomorrow is A Day Of Prayer in Briercrest. My prayer is that all who participate would focus on making their hearts right before the Lord before they enter into His presence. And for those of you who do not attend this little school in Caronport, may you continue to grow closer to Him through thanksgiving, prayer, and petition, especially as we continue to fight these battles that confront us every day. Let us go into each and every single battle equipped with the full Armor of God.
3 Comments:
Sharilyn: Thanks so much for this post, just what I needed to be reminded of. You are so REAL!!!!
You also obviously have a growing relationship with your heavenly Father, I can tell you spend time with Him in His word and in prayer. I pray this "prayer time" at BBC will be an awesome experience for everyone who participates with their whole heart and soul, expecting to hear from God. God Bless You Sharilyn, and keep looking up.You are a blessing to us.
hey deary, how did your day of prayer go??? nice post too by the way.
oh- and i ran out of stamps. imagine that. but i am hoping to buy some tomorrow. hopefully.
Awesome post! I love the quotes you included. One thing I've never really realized is that God is either the Lord of your life or the Devil is. What a battle it is! And the reality of it is, we are ALL drafted whether we like it or not. I have seen and heard of alot of intense spiritual warfare going on in with many of my friends. I always need to be reminded of this spiritual reality. Thanks for ministering to me. (I love the story at the beginning. Wonderful way to introduce your post and prepare the mind for the truth.)
Love in Christ,
Post a Comment
<< Home