Waging a Good Warfare
1 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 2:4
We have been looking at spiritual warfare from the lives of various ones in the Bible who waged a good warfare and won. I want to share some thoughts and vital information about our warfare against the powers of darkness and how God has made it possible through Jesus to overcome. We are "overcomers in Him."
Sometime ago a friend and I were talking about the Satanic activities in these days, and he said, "I’ll leave the devil alone if he will leave me alone." He might have been joking, but this describes the attitude of many Christians today. We do not want to be actively engaged in warfare. It is as if we try to co-exist peaceable with Satan. He is our arch enemy and he is not going to leave us alone. We conquer and overcome his tactics and strategies or he will overcome us. To be attacked by Satan you don’t have to do anything. Since the day you accepted Jesus as your savior Satan has made it his priority to destroy you. But God has not left us to the mercy of Satan, but has given to us spiritual promises and warfare sufficient to defeat him.
Paul knew that after his death and Timothy had the oversight of the churches that he would come under severe attack from Satan. He charged him in 2 Timothy 2:4 to "endure hardship as a good soldier." A good soldier is one who is well trained in the strategy of warfare; one who is well disciplined to follow commands of his superior. Paul said, "not to be entangled in the affairs of this life," not to let things around us draw us away from our commitment to Jesus. To be a good soldier one has to study the strength of his enemy, know all he can about his devices, and his weapons. But he also has to know the capability of his own arsenal and the weapons that are available to him. During World War 2 the American soldier became the greatest and the best qualified fighting soldier in the world. This came about as the result of vigorous training and how to follow commands or take charge of command when needed. If we are going to be "good soldiers" then we need to learn all we can about the nature of our enemy, his schemes and his plans; also, to learn all we can about the weapons God has given us and how to use them against him. Paul said, 2 Corinthians 2:11, "we are not ignorant of his devices." We need to discern and ascertain his devices, or schemes, We need to recognize him even if he disguises himself as an angel of light. The true nature of Satan will always produce itself if and when we put him to the test. Satan may try to disguise himself, and he does, but his nature can never change. He is come "but to kill, to steal and destroy." This is his nature whether he comes as a saint in shinning clothes or as a "roaring lion." One thing we need to remember and that is that he is an invisible enemy but not an invincible one.
In 1 Timothy 1:18 Paul told him to "wage. the good warfare." Many Christians live defeated lives without the "joy of the Lord as their strength" because they do not know what God has made available to them and how to wage a war against Satan. One of the basic weapon is the word of God, and Jesus in the wilderness shows us how to use it against Satan. Jesus did not argue with him but simple stated the word of God. To wage a "good warfare" we must be committed to the battle. We must be on the offensive against the powers of hell. The church is not surrounded by the powers of hell and barely hanging on, waiting for Jesus to come and rescue it. But His Church marches up to the "gates of hell and they cannot prevail against it." We are in this world clothed with the power of God, anointed with the authority of God, and endowed with His ministry to take the offensive against the power of darkness and sin.
I don’t want to bore you with too much, but I do want to share some things that I pray will be helpful to you. If you have failed and lost a battle to the enemy God is present with you to lift you up and to stand you on your feet and give you the victory. Let me share some of Satan’s devices he uses against us. Doubt and unbelief is a major device. He is forever telling us that we are not saved, trying to sow seeds of doubt concerning God’s forgiveness of our sins. We are saved because God says we are. 1 Jon 1:9, "if we confess our sins , He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It is not a question of feeling saved, but believing God’s word. Some days I don’t feel that I’m saved, yet I know I am because the "word of God and the Spirit of God bears witness." Then he tries to condemn us. He constantly reminds us of our short comings and failures, and sins of the past or present. By condemning us he keeps us on the defensive, and we are unable to wage an offensive warfare against him and his kingdom. God never condemns us. Every spirit and thought of condemnation comes from Satan. Jesus came into the world to save us and not to condemn us. Satan appears before God’s throne to condemn and accuse us, but Jesus is seated with the Father as our High Priest interceding for us. Paul said, Romans 8:1, "there is therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Through others,. their attitude and persecution he tries to intimidate us and to create fear in our hearts. He tried this on the Apostles when they were brought before the San Hedrin Council and told not to "teach in the name of Jesus." They were threatened, beaten, put in prison and even to death by the enemy, yet the record shows that the "word of God increased, and many were added to the church, even multiplied." Peter gave them the proper answer. He asked, which is right, to hearken to man or to obey God. He said, "we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard." Satan’s intimidation of you is to prevent your witness of Jesus and to negate your testimony. But John said, "we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony." There are many more, such as, suspicion, accusation by others, a spirit of unforginess, back-biting, jealousy, envy, planting seeds of bitterness in us and every thing that creates confusion among the brethren and fighting within the body of believers.
Let us follow the instruction of Paul, be a "good soldier" and be not involved in these activities of Satan. Wage a good warfare by attacking him. Satan’s hatred of us is because of our acceptance of Jesus. His hatred of us is his hatred of God and when he attacks us he thinks he is attacking God. He is today accusing each of us before the Father, but Jesus is there as our Advocate and to assure us of our forgiveness and acceptances with the Father.
At a later time I want to share God’s word of our victory in Christ. Until then, remember that we "are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37,
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