The Great Spiritual Battle. (475)

Keith remarks and expands on a short devotional found using the U version Bible app .

To quote from the devotional authored:

The Great Battle
You were born into a war—no matter where or when you were born—and you were meant to claim victory in that war. This doesn’t sound like great news at first, but as you learn about this war, the news gets better. You have the privilege of choosing which side to fight for; and when you choose to follow Jesus, you make the decision to be on the winning side!

How can I be so sure of that outcome? Because of Jesus’ victory at Calvary. When our Messiah hung on the cross, cursed for the sins of the world, He uttered the words:

“It is finished!” (John 19:30)

Just as the kingdom of God exists, there is also the kingdom of Satan. These two kingdoms are in direct conflict with one another.
Satan, the devil, is clearly described as the enemy of God throughout the entire Bible. Pride was found in the heart of this created one as he compared himself with God and aspired to be equal with, or even transcend above, the Creator Himself.

• The name Satan literally means “the adversary,” the one who opposes.
• The Bible also calls him tempter
  

  Matthew 4:3
  3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

  1 Thessalonians 3:5
  5 For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.

• accuser
  

  Revelation 12:10
  10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God Day and night.

• and deceiver
  

  Revelation 20:3
  3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

These names are synonymous with evil and are the very essence of what Satan’s kingdom stands for. He is the mortal enemy of God’s children.

Note: Keith has some personal introduction here to clarify being in accuser is not necessarily. However, in association with same name, certainly is. Back to the devotional remarks.

But Christ Jesus has authority over the enemy. God sends us forth as empowered believers, empowered by His Holy Spirit, to go into the darkness and shine the light of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Remember, light always overcomes darkness!

note: Keith shares a personal thought about light displacing the darkness. He bases it on the following passage:

John 1:4,5
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The devotional content continues:

We can take comfort from 1 John 4:4 (NKJV):

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Spiritual enemies require spiritual weapons and divine power. God gives us weapons to fight our battles. Even though “we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.”

2 Corinthians 10:3–5.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

Additional scriptural supports

John 4:12
12 “You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?”

Keith reads these cross-references to support the importance of spiritual warfare in this verse using: John 8:53; Isaiah 53:2,3; Matthew 12:42; Hebrews 3:3
the Pharisees asked a very similar question is the woman at the well. Isaiah prophesied someone who would grow up among them, and have no stately form. That he would be counted more glorious than Moses or any other prophet. He would be associated with the master builder. Which of his created beings can count themselves greater than the one who built the house?

Another bit of Scripture to support the devotional concepts includes:

Romans 14:17
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Some important references can be found in reference to the kingdom one Daniel 2:44; Matthew 3:2; Luke 14:15; Luke 17:20,21; John 3:3,5; 1 Corinthians 4:20; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 2:12

Daniel speaks of the coming kingdom that will last forever and never be destroyed. John the Baptist warns that this kingdom is at hand. Jesus taught the Pharisees that his kingdom was not a physical kingdom, but a spiritual one. He specifically explained the Nicodemus that a person had to be reborn in spirit to see it. Paul taught that it was a kingdom of power, and the unrighteous will never appear there. A believer needs to be worthy to be in glory.

It’s a kingdom where food and drink will no longer matter. Despite all of life’s hardships and tribulation will live at peace. Keith refers to the following references: Romans 5:1-5; Romans 8:6,15,16; Romans 15:13; Isaiah 55:12; Isaiah 61:3; John 16:33; Acts 9:31; acts 13:52; Galatians 5:22; Philippians 2:1; Philippians 3:3; Philippians 4:4,7; Colossians 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:8
Paul tells us that we can celebrate in the presence of God’s glory, because we are justified by grace. We will celebrate our tribulations, because they have honed and developed our heavenly character. The shaping process is molded through the power of the Holy Spirit. We have assurance now, because the Holy Spirit frees us from slavery to a spirit of fear. We are included in a spirit of adoption into the holy family. The Holy Spirit is our source to a bound and joy and hope. Jesus claims that his words in Scripture is our assurance of joy in the Holy Spirit. The church has historically thrived through hardship and trials, and achieved joy individually and collectively.

Galatians 5:22, 23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Paul encouraged the Philippians to express joy, fellowship, compassion and love. These are expressions of living in the spirit. We should rejoice in God at all times. The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will dwell with us. This represents the power to attain perseverance. Hard times may come, but we can always find joy in the Holy Spirit.

As a final thought:

1 Peter 1:8
8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and

Also:

Ephesians 6:12
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:48 — 35.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | Blubrry | Podchaser | RSS | More