Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Fighting The Spiritual Battle

Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Chapters: Isaiah 12-16
Message Title: Fighting The Spiritual Battle

Hello My Friend,

There is a great battle brewing, one that we have never seen before in all the world, in fact, we are in the midst of one right now. You see, there is a ruler upon the earth, he's not very brave at all, in fact, he's a bit of a coward, he uses unbelieving, proud, arrogant, and bitter souls to do his dirty work for him. Oh, he's a wicked ruler, and his name is Satan, he can bring death, sorrow, and illness upon many, but one day his time will come to an end, and all his workers as well. Until that day comes we who are saved from being in the midst of the great battle must cover ourselves with the armor of God to fight the spiritual battle in us right now. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” - Ephesians 6:12,13.

While we all have a little bit of wickedness in us, there are some people who are just plain wicked from birth. Oh, God did not create them that way, they just become that way by wicked influences in their lives. There are many people out there who know about Christ and reject Him, there are many also, who know Him as their Saviour, and have rejected Him. Quite often, these are the ones that Satan uses to do his dirty work, oh, he cannot take their souls, but he can use them to hinder others from knowing Christ, these are the ones that God is bringing His judgment upon in hopes that they will return to Christ. Eventually every truly saved soul will return to Christ, one way or another, they will declare Him as their Saviour. “And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.” - Isaiah 12:1-4.

Believe it or not, there is a sin that brings death upon a saved soul, not the second death, but the physical death. There is a billboard sign up on a busy highway with these three words, “God's Not Angry”, this alone should tell you that someone is scared, and yes, God is angry. Who's He angry with? Saved souls living wicked, sinful lives. Judgment must come from the house of God first. “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” - 1 Peter 4:16-19.

The day of the Lord will be terrible with wrath and fierce anger, far beyond what the eye has ever seen. Through Isaiah, God foretells the judgment the Jews receive for not heeding His warnings, their captivity to Babylon, but also gives them hope. “For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.” - Isaiah 14:1-5.

God may get angry at His people, and He will judge them, but He's also merciful and forgiving, even in the midst of judgment. Those who are saved and have the assumption that they can live any way they like because they still get to go to heaven will suffer quite a bit before God allows them in heaven. No sin goes unpunished, we all must face the consequences for our actions, even when we are saved. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” - Hebrews 12:11-13.

An interesting insight and revelation of Satan and sin is revealed, it gives us some insight into how sin came once into heaven and is now upon the earth. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?” - Isaiah 14:12-17.

Lucifer, who did not want to live under God's authority, wanted the throne for himself, he is the source of all evil, and one day he will be thrown into the pits of hell along with all the proud, arrogant, and unbelieving. Yes, God could have destroyed Satan long ago, but if He did then billions of unsaved souls would be cast in there with him. The day that Satan dies is the day Christ will reign in New Jerusalem, and all who are saved will join Him in His Kingdom, which will be on a new earth. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” - Revelation 21:1-3.

We do not know the day that Jesus will return to claim His people and destroy Satan and all evil, but we can be prepared, the only way to be prepared is to know Christ as our Saviour and get behind Him to fight this spiritual battle. “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” - Revelation 16:15.

Today's Prayer: Jesus, thank You for choosing to become the payment to redeem me of my sins. I should be in hell for the things I have done, but You took my stripes, bore my pain, so that I do not have to. I know I have sinned after I was saved, I thank You for the chastening I got because it taught me true repentance. I know I never want to be in the mess I was in before I let You be Lord of my life, but I know I could fall if I let my flesh do the walking. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me Your power to resist Satan, help me to stay in Your Word, and to live it so that I can be armed and prepared in the midst of my spiritual battle. In Your name Jesus, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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