Any
tactician will tell you that the best defense against anything is a
good offense. Football players keep the ball away from the
other team’s offense by having a good ground game. Soldiers keep on the attack so the enemy cannot
regroup and attack. Debaters who have a
weak point yell.
Fighting is what an army does when they go
into war. And the war in this case is
spiritual; the prize is the territory of your soul, your witness, and in some
cases your life.
Make no mistake about spiritual warfare – it
has been the premier battleground since day #1.
Do you remember Job? His story is
(historically) the first book of the Bible.
Job’s troubles started when Satan waltzed into heaven and challenged God
to a “showdown” – devil vs. man. The
temptations were bigger than most of us have, or will face in life – loss of entire
family, fortune, health and reputation. Job
had nothing left!
God allowed that test to take place; (Just why
God allowed it is another issue for another day) Job stood firm in his
faith….certainly not his strength,
because that was long gone…and God won the day.
Job’s life was more blessed at the end than the middle. The point is, whether you enlisted or not –
like it or not – you’re in this war.
Lessons from Jesus and Job
Spiritual Leadership in your life
The best way to beat a superior army is to
get more soldiers and become a more superior army. And even better is to get a general with
experience and superior knowledge than the other general. Listen to what the Bible says about General Jesus:
…he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
16So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious
God. There we will receive his mercy,
and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews
4:15b - 16 (NLT)
All those temptations you give into – the
ones that have been ruining your life – Jesus has faced them all and whipped
them all! And He is able to give you the
strength to overcome them as well. Form
an alliance with the King of Kings. Be
saved. Invite Him to reign in your life.
Spiritual weapons in your life
The Sword and Spirit are ours. Memorize God’s Word – hide it deep in your
heart. Make it so familiar to your soul
that it comes out whenever you are threatened.
Paul advised Timothy:
But you, Timothy, are a man
of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along
with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God
has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11 - 12 (NLT)
Couple that
with apostle Paul’s understanding, that you never fight alone; there is always
God, enabling through His grace…
The temptations in your
life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the
temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way
out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)
Today
No matter the temptation, the grace of God is
able. To paraphrase the old sermon
illustration,
Temptation
knocked on my door one day,
I
asked Jesus to answer.
There
was no one there.
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