TOPIC: SPIRITUAL WARFARE - 8 May 2018 Tuesday
Memorise: Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin. Hebrews 12:4
Read: 2 Timothy 2:16-19 Open Heaven 8 May 2018
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
Spiritual warfare is the fight of resistance and enforcement against the forces of evil (John 10:10). Although not discernible to a lot of people, this is a constant ongoing occurrence in the realm of the spirit (Luke 10:18). Spiritual warfare has its origin in the rebellion of Satan and his allied angels against God ( Isaiah 14:12-15, Revelation 12:7-9). Satan is the prince of this world, and he leads a coalition of forces against God and anything connected to His purpose on earth. It is therefore important to note that mankind is the target of his attacks, regardless of religious affiliation, academic qualification, gander, age, culture or tribe. For this reason Revelation 12:12 says, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath”
Many people do not accept this truth, and so they fall prey to the tricks of the enemy to make them oblivious to his activities. When people begin to seek for natural or scientific solutions to a spiritual problem, it is bound to end in total failure. However, all thanks be to God , because the Lord Jesus has defeated and destroyed the devil through His death and resurrection. As a child of God, your responsibility is to enforce the victory won by Christ and utilize the enormous power He has vested in you against the tricks of Satan and his demonic angels (Ephesians 1:18-23). If you do not recognize who you are as a child of God and enforce your position in Christ against these evil forces , they will end up robbing you of what is rightfully yours.
As Christians, we are involved in a fight of faith to live un the reality of the victory that Christ has won and given to us over the devil, the world system and the flesh (Hebrews 2:14-15, 1 John 5:4, Galatians 5:24). Satan deploys his attacks on Christians from two major fronts. He empowers the world system to attack and work against Christians externally though persecution, deception and seduction. He also attacks us internally by using the weakness of the natural body we currently possess to try to frustrate our commitment to serving God fully. The primary focus of the devil’s strategy is to entice us into sin, so as to break our fellowship with God. Jesus is our perfect example. He came into this world to destroy the works of the devil and to show us how to live above sin. He went through trials and temptation like we are facing today and yet He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). He therefor expects us to be determined to resist sin, no matter the cost. Our loving and compassionate Father has perfected the mechanism to assist us to triumph over the wicked attacks of the devil, but He expects us to resist the temptation to sin with everything we have and not to fall prey to the antics of the devil like weaklings (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Action Point: Assess every area of life where you have been falling like a weakling, and ask God for grace to triumph
Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
