The Light Vs. The Darkness

It is very dark! Blackness surrounds you in your room for several hours as you get your well needed sleep. Early morning hours do not even bring the sun or any light for that matter. Your eyes have adjusted to the darkness even as you stare at the clock turning 3:00 am. Then suddenly someone comes into your room and "Boom" turns the lights on! Not nice dim lights, but 75 Watt light bulbs...4 of them in the light fixture hanging just above where you sleep! Can you imagine what happens next? The pain of the light...the anger you feel for someone suddenly turning your darkness into light and waking you from this state of slumber!

My last post was about spiritual warfare. I am convinced that I am living in a time when Satan is trembling. He is out to try and bring the church down like never before. I talked about being a "fearless warrior" for Christ and I do believe that we can be just that. I mentioned that our offensive weapon while fighting this battle is our sword, specifically the "sword of the spirit" or the Word of God. As I continue to study and continue to fellowship every day with my Commander and Father God, I am sharpening my sword and using it more than ever to fight the battle before me. I learn best by watching Him. If I truly stop to observe the Lord and follow his example this is what I see: God the Father loves this world so much that He gave his Son to save us. Jesus came as light into a dark world. This world hates the light...the enemy hates the light. They have adjusted to the darkness and they find comfort there...and it is painful when the light shows up! "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:19-20 This is the reason why Jesus was so hated. When doing battle friend remember that you may not be liked very much! Why, because if you are following the plan of your Commander you are casting off the works of darkness and putting on the armour of light. John 15:18-19 says, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

Remember I said to sharpen your sword. I know that the enemy's primary strategies against the church is to plant division and strife. (He has been doing this since the beginning of time...nothing really changes!) It looks like this: race against race, rich against poor, friend against friend, brother against brother, sister against sister, leader against leader! Has He given us a battle plan?...YES! In that same chapter, in the 17th verse it says this: "This is my command: Love one another." Simple?...yes and no...effective...absolutley! I say we give it a try. I'm not saying we need to love Satan! NO! I'm saying no matter the conflict, no matter the world, the people being used by Satan to cause division...remember...our battle is not against flesh and blood, so we need to love one another. In John 13:35, Jesus says it again to his disciples (He says it so much really) "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." David Wilkerson wrote this: "Then the lost will see and know God's love, through his obedient, joyful, sacrificing people - the church." Seriously, I'm all about being obedient right now. That is why I can find joy in the midst of battle, because I'm trusting in the one who has called me to obedience! I know I am safe, I know I have done right by my Father and He is on my side. So how do you love? I think Mr. Wilkerson says it just perfectly, "The truth is, I truly love my brother when I can stand confidently before Christ's throne knowing I have nothing in my heart against him. I know I truly love my brother when I have the same love for him that Jesus has shown me. It happens when we forgive those who have hurt us, just as Christ has forgiven us. It happens when we reach out to the backslidden, doing all in our power to restore them." I love that! That is why I am confident today! I stay in a prostrate position of submission to my Father God and walk in love the love of the Lord for my fellow brothers and sisters! This is how we are going to win this war against Satan.

Well, these are my thoughts for today! I think it is time for a light little family update for my next post! HA!!

Fearless Warrior

The title of this picture is "Without Fear". Can there be such a person as a fearless warrior? We've heard the term before, but really, does it mean that these warriors who are in the depth of battle seriously fear nothing? If that is so, what is it about them that makes them "fearless"? They cannot possibly know the outcome of the war/battle while they are in the midst of it. If they could, then perhaps I can see where they could be truly fearless. Perhaps they are very prepared and truly know their enemy, or at least they think they do, or they are completely confident in their weaponry. I could understand being confident or even somewhat fearless. Or does fearless really mean wreckless...without abandonment?

I have been served my papers to go into battle. Actually, when I got saved, I was served those papers. I think sometimes we think that battling and war talk are for small seasons of our lives, but in reality...it is the times of respite that are indeed the small seasons. I am seeing that more and more clearly now as evident in my own walk. Can I say that I am a fearless warrior? Well here is what I know:

My papers (Bible) say this: "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."

Ok...I know my enemy and I have my armor for defence and really just based on this portion of scripture alone, I don't even need my own power, I have the Lord's mighty power.

Then it goes on to further explain what the battlefield looks like:

"For our struggle (battle) 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." The truth is often times this is exactly where we get our fear, because it looks like flesh and blood and we are not really equipped to fight that kind of battle. So before we even step out into the battlefield, we are crippled with fear because how can I fight this manipulative person, or how can I fight this evil system? Ahhh...but often..that is not who we are fighting at all! Recognize your enemy and realized the weapons we need are not carnal, but are spiritual!

If we stop here I can see where fear can creep in...lets not stop!

"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, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield 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. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Ahhh...here is my protection and my instructions on how to use the tools that my Commander has equipped me with. This is pivotal! I can already feel the fear being extinguished!

So lets recap for a second. Here is what we know:

As Christians we are engaged in a spiritual conflict with evil. This spiritual conflict is described as a warfare of faith that continues until we get to Heaven. The great news is this: our victory has been secured by Christ himself through Christ's death and resurrection. Jesus waged a triumphant battle against Satan, disarmed the evil powers and authorities. ("And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." Col.2:15) The truth is that we must wage war not in our own power but with spiritual weapons! Finally we are called to endure hardships like good soldiers of Christ, suffer for the gospel, fight the good fight of the faith, persevere, conquer, be victorious, triumph, defend the gospel, contend for the faith, not be frightened by opponents, put on the full armor of God, stand firm, destroy Satan's strongholds, take captive every thought and become powerful in battle! Whew!!!! It is true...read 2 Corinthian 10 and Hebrews 11:34!! If my Commander has said I can do this...then I can!

I feel stronger already! I don't have to fight this alone and there is no need to be wreckless...we have very specific instructions! I have been given all that I need to be prepared and confident. Indeed I have what it takes to be a fearless warrior! Watch out, I am all fired up now!!

You know what? If I had to pick, and I'm really not picking (because they are all equally important), but for me personally right now...my sword is so valuable! Seriously the "sword of the Spirit" is my offensive weapon to be used in battle! There is NO WAY, I will sit back and let the enemy shake my confidence in the truth found in my sword (the Word of God!)!

So friends, please do me one favor, as Paul asked...this next verse finishes Ephesians 6:10-20:

"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

And I will do the same for my fellow warriors!