August 18, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship
Why Christians Must Fight (Part 2) from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.
Word On Worship – August 18, 2013 Download / Print
Ephesians 6:13
“Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
Misconceptions in warfare can have devastating effects. Each person in a military unit is trained for specific tasks and functions; many seemingly unrelated to the task at hand, but when put together, they operate with precision and effectiveness. The Lord has designed His Church to operate in such a manner. Just as “He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12) and has also gifted each in the Church to function seamlessly together for a unique purpose; we have also been equipped with the full armor of God to stand firm.
When we hear the term “spiritual warfare,” we assume it is about going on the offensive, not standing firm in defense. Those who want to take the attack to the enemy do not understand Satan’s power or God’s plan. It is not we who will defeat Satan, but our Lord Jesus Christ. Our duty is to resist Satan in this evil day, not remove him. I know in many churches songs are sung about running Satan out of town on rail, but the Bible does not speak of spiritual warfare in these terms. However, the Scriptures have much to say about our standing fast in face of the schemes and attacks of our enemy until our Lord returns.
We are to stand — in essence remain still — because God is the One who wins the battle. In the Book of Revelation the saints who are the “overcomers” do defeat Satan’s plan by our spiritual might. In fact, the many of them will lose their lives at his hands. Satan’s final defeat will not come from the hands of the saints, but from the hand of the Lord as we are told in Revelation 20:9-10 “And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” In spiritual warfare the battle is the Lord’s and the command of our Father is to stand still and watch Him win the victory.
The Christian’s defenses are directly tied to the gospel. They are truth, righteousness, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the word of God. Our deliverance from Satan’s power and our defense from his attacks are found in Jesus Christ and Him alone. In the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord we will find the power for our defense and the reality of our deliverance.