Basic Preparation for Transformation
Week 5, Email 1, Monday
Week 5, Email 1, Monday
Strategic Battle Plan: Part One
We are in a war! Perhaps we should call it the WAR of All Wars.
God is not done with Satan. Jesus defeated the devil at Calvary, but somehow there is still battle to be done. Jesus in us is still dismantling damage caused by the evil one.
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
1 John 3:8
1 John 3:8
The devil harasses us, but it should be the other way around. Christians are to march confidently against the very gates of hell. Each of the Togethers is useful in winning battles against Satan and destroying evil.
. . . I will build my church,
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Matt 16:18 (ESV)
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Matt 16:18 (ESV)
First of all, we are to help God defeat Satan by making disciples of Jesus.
Second, we are to defeat evil, especially in the church. Often this is rescuing people who are being destroyed by values, actions and other things of the world, all of them powered from behind the scenes by forces in the unseen spiritual realm.
Second, we are to defeat evil, especially in the church. Often this is rescuing people who are being destroyed by values, actions and other things of the world, all of them powered from behind the scenes by forces in the unseen spiritual realm.
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.
Eph 6:10-12
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.
Eph 6:10-12
Third, we are to do good.
For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Eph 2:10
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Eph 2:10
Love is our weapon. Sometimes that love is wielding the Word of God as a sword and speaking out for God from the words of the Bible. At other times that love is obeying one or more of the Togethers, each being scriptural instruction for holiness.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
2 Cor 10:4
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
2 Cor 10:4
It might help to explain this WAR of All Wars we are involved in on the side of God Almighty.
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Imagine a broad dirt road in a deep forest. It is very wide and leads up to marvelous wrought iron gates, at least three stories high. Behind this great fence appears a superb castle, with wonderful bright light shining through its windows. Imagine masses of people walking joyously toward the gates of the castle, believing that they will soon enter into a more wonderful existence.
We have infiltrated that broad road on a mission. We have entered it from a narrow side road. But we have eyes to see the true reality because we believe in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for man's sin. We see what the other travelers cannot see. We see that the bright light shining through the castle facade comes from the flames of the eternal lake of fire. We know that there is no true castle through those gates of hell! But we do more than observe. We are dressed for battle! Many other soldiers are with us. All of us together are the Army of God. Together, we are the church, about which Jesus said, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:18) Together we attempt to keep people from going through the terrible portal. We invite the lost people of the broad road to join us and travel the narrow road of faith in God through His Son Jesus Christ. Some do and we rejoice. Many do not, and we weep silently as they disappear through the deceiving fire gates. From time to time ugly, terrible dragons come out of the gates and fight us. Slaying dragons is our exciting duty. Saving deceived people is our joy! |
The WAR of All Wars
It is the church's great privilege to win victories for God. As a mighty army for God, we get to battle evil, fighting aggressively at the very gates of hell! Through the power of God, we are on a continual search and destroy mission. We can attack evil that rampages within each of us. We can attack evil that taints our church fellowships. We can attack evil that causes havoc throughout the world. We have the privilege of marching boldly to war - daily!
To understand the necessity of winning victories for God, every Christian needs to adequately comprehend this universal war between God and the forces of evil led by Satan.
We can make sense out of the various troubles we face only by accepting our temporary life on earth as one of fighting on the cosmic battlefield. And to understand the critical reason why we must persevere, we need to understand the nature of the conflict.
God's honor has been challenged. We fight for His glory! And it is real war, with real pain on a regular basis. With the Commander-in-Chief leading the charge, we cannot be in love with safety. Moment by moment, donning our armor and grasping our spiritual weapons, we Christians must urgently face the difficulties of battle. Following Jesus our Lord and using his great weapon of graceful love, we are vulnerable to frequent injury, especially emotional. But then we don't want to disgracefully enter heaven's gates without battle scars, do we? We want to be like the Savior-King!
The key to fighting in this war is to do it together – never alone!
It is the church's great privilege to win victories for God. As a mighty army for God, we get to battle evil, fighting aggressively at the very gates of hell! Through the power of God, we are on a continual search and destroy mission. We can attack evil that rampages within each of us. We can attack evil that taints our church fellowships. We can attack evil that causes havoc throughout the world. We have the privilege of marching boldly to war - daily!
To understand the necessity of winning victories for God, every Christian needs to adequately comprehend this universal war between God and the forces of evil led by Satan.
We can make sense out of the various troubles we face only by accepting our temporary life on earth as one of fighting on the cosmic battlefield. And to understand the critical reason why we must persevere, we need to understand the nature of the conflict.
God's honor has been challenged. We fight for His glory! And it is real war, with real pain on a regular basis. With the Commander-in-Chief leading the charge, we cannot be in love with safety. Moment by moment, donning our armor and grasping our spiritual weapons, we Christians must urgently face the difficulties of battle. Following Jesus our Lord and using his great weapon of graceful love, we are vulnerable to frequent injury, especially emotional. But then we don't want to disgracefully enter heaven's gates without battle scars, do we? We want to be like the Savior-King!
The key to fighting in this war is to do it together – never alone!