Yesterday, today, possibly even tomorrow, someone was, is, and might be crying out, “How much longer, Lord?” I have at times, and still do, even be ready to throw in the towel on most days, until God reminds me that He is the towel. No matter what arises, we must stay on the battlefield and remember that the battle isn’t ours, it’s the Lords, therefore, it’s already won.
The idea of “staying on the battlefield” doesn’t mean literally fighting a physical battle, but instead it refers to engaging in Spiritual Warfare, which is the battle against sin, temptation, and the forces of evil. By the grace of God, anyone who has given themselves to the service of God, will be up against powerful and wily foes by the number who are at the head of which is Satan the devil. It is important as Christians that we ensure we protect ourselves to fight on until the battle is over.
Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV) tells us, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place. In addition to all this, take up the shied of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Enumerating the different parts of the Christian armor, St. Paul shows us that this consists of offensive and defensive implementations. Every soldier must defend himself/herself against the attack from the enemy and at the same time, be able to go into the offensive to secure victory. Called the last days, the persecution of the people of God by the devil and his minions has become more intense in this age, because Satan is full of wrath, knowing that having been driven down from heaven, he has but a short time to live.
Putting on the full armor of God is truly necessary in warfare. Just look at what’s happening all around us today, as Christians, we must be fortified with all that is needed for the spiritual battle. In Matthew 7:16-18 (NIV), Jesus states, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” God encourages each and every one of us to persevere with courage and faith, knowing that He is with us and working for our good. Scripture isn’t silent about the suffering and pain in our world.
Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:12 (NIV), “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you,” and Acts 14:22 (NIV) states, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” meaning, God gave us the blueprint to mercifully prepare us this would happen. He is not just a God who relates to us, but He is also a God who has taken part in the world’s suffering and our sufferings and immensely Himself, suffered on our behalf through the cross of Jesus Christ.
Those fitful and restful nights of sleep, crying yourself to sleep, telling yourself that you cannot do it, that you’re not going to make it, that you just want to end it, don’t throw in the towel just yet and don’t give up, you are not alone, God sees you, He hears you, He knows your pain and He understands. Therefore, no matter what arises, stay on the battlefield. Stop believing the trickery and the lies of the devil and his minions, he only comes to steal, kill, and destroy but Jesus came so that we may have life and have it abundantly.
Stay strong, keep your faith, and never stop believing. Too many times, one wants to believe in only what they see, only in what’s in front of them, but I come to tell you that now is the time to start believing in what’s not in front of you, in what you can’t see, because God is a God of miracles, and He has already defeated your foes for you, He has already turned the tide against that Spiritual Warfare battle you’re in. The only question is this, “Are you going to rise up, or are you going to stay down?” Faltering is one thing, falling short of His glory daily is another, but the decision must be made to either stay down or get back up and continue the battle. Until next time folks, stay blessed.
