Join The Battle
6-29-04

In the message "We Will Overcome" we were encouraged to hold on to Jesus when our strength fades and we become weary. We saw that our continued faith (not our strength) ensures we will overcome and receive the gift of eternal life. We can take great comfort in knowing Jesus will carry us and not let us fall; but we must also remember we were not born into His family to be permanently carried: "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles" (Isaiah 40:31). As we draw near to God through dedicated quiet times of prayer, He WILL renew our strength; and when He does, we must once again march into battle.

We often forget there’s a war being fought all around us. We tend to become passive because we don’t actually see the fighting. There are no official announcements of enemy strength and no news flashes of casualties. But make no mistake...it’s a war!

Ephesians 6:12
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Just as surely as there is a God who gave His Son to die for our sins, there is also a devil and spiritual forces doing battle. The good news is that we know the final outcome of this war; "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur" (Revelation 20:10).

The devil’s end is certain; but in the meantime, he’s on a mission to take as many with him as possible; "If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was {also} thrown into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). The stakes of this war are high. The enemy continues to attack and rejoices when we think we’re defeated.

But we are NOT defeated! We may lose our focus; we may stray from what’s really important and trust in things which are fading; we may even experience times of fear and doubt; but we are definitely not defeated! The road to victory has been placed at our feet. It begins with our next determined step of drawing closer to God and loving Him with all our heart.

As our strength returns (and it will!) we must pick up the Word of God and become a soldier! There are many all around us with deep wounds who are literally dying for help. Let’s not be content to sit on the sidelines or be forever carried. Let’s present our lives to God and allow Him to work through us to encourage others in their walk and share the hope of Jesus with whoever crosses our path. Let’s rededicate our lives to an uncompromising faith and, once again, join the battle!

Have A Great Day!