The moment you gave your heart to Christ, you stepped into a battlefield. You were not given a special uniform nor did you go through basic training, but the battle in which you are engaged is as real as any military conflict. The major difference is that your enemies are invisible, lurking beyond your senses. Your conflict is NOT with those who have different political, social, or religious views than you. We make a mistake when we say hateful things to people who differ from us on those issues. It’s one thing to speak our mind, and though we might disagree, we should not be disagreeable.
This is not to say that we aren’t to confront people that break our laws and harm others. I’m thankful we have police officers and soldiers. Shootings, murders, thefts, scams, trafficking, and terrorism must be stopped. It’s just that the Christian has enemies that are beyond the reach of man.
Who are these enemies? In Ephesians 6:12, the Apostle Paul identifies our real opponents. “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.” The unseen devil himself, the master of evil, and his henchmen are the real enemies against which we struggle.
Where is this battle waged? The battle takes place in our minds. What I believe about God will determine my actions. That is why the devil tempts me to distrust God and His wisdom, and choose my own ideas. That’s what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote 2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your MINDS may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” Remember, the devil’s challenge to Eve was when he whispered, “Did God really say…”
Because our thoughts are the battlefield, we must learn the difference between truth and error. Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your MIND. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Transforming our minds means that we need to replace any false ideas with truth.
What weapons do I have for this battle? When our police and soldiers go into battle, we want them outfitted with the best equipment. For our unseen battle, God has provided the weapons we need to be victorious. He said in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every THOUGHT to make it obedient to Christ.” Often, the battle is between truth & error.
What is your battle these days? How is the devil attacking you? The attitude of our mind is so important in this fight.
I don’t know of anything more powerful in this renewing process than the Bible. Remember, when the devil tempted Eve he said, “Did God really say…?” He attacks the Word of God. This is why we must open its pages each day. A helpful step in renewing our mind is to memorize verses or passages from the Bible. If this is a new idea for you, you can get help doing so by contacting The Navigators.
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