battle

In the message "We Will Overcome" we were encouraged to hold on to Jesus when our strength fades and we become weary. We saw that our faith, not our strength, ensures we will overcome and receive the gift of eternal life. We can take great comfort in knowing Jesus will carry us and not let us fall. But we must also remember we were not born into His family to be permanently carried: "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles" (Isaiah 40:31). As we continue to draw near to God, He WILL renew our strength; and when He does, we must once again march into battle.

We often forget there is a spiritual war being fought all around us. We tend to become passive because we don't completely see the fighting. There are no official announcements of enemy strength and no news flashes of casualties. But make no mistake...it is a war!

Ephesians 6:12

"For our struggle 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."

Just as surely as there is a God who gave His Son to die for our sins, there is also an enemy doing battle in an ongoing war. The good news is that we can be certain of the war's final outcome; "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4).

The end of the war is certain, and we know who wins! But until that end, the enemy is attempting to disrupt God's plan and remove as many as possible from the fight. The stakes of this war are high. The enemy continues to attack and rejoices any time we think we are defeated.

But we are NOT defeated! We may lose our focus - we may stray from what is really important and trust in things which are fading, or even face trials which cause fear and doubt - but we are definitely not defeated! The road to victory has been paved with the blood of Christ. We walk in victory as we remain on His path with determined steps of drawing closer to God and loving Him with all our heart.

As our strength returns (and it will!) we must get back in the fight. There are many all around us with deep wounds who are literally dying for help, dying to be loved and restored back to health. There are many more heading down a path of destruction in desperate need of someone who truly cares. Let's not be content to sit on the sidelines or be forever carried. Let's present our lives to God and allow Him to work through us to encourage others in their walk, to love beyond what is humanly possible, and to share the hope of Jesus with whoever crosses our path. Let's rededicate our lives to an uncompromising faith and, once again, join the battle!

-steve troxel