Journey into Lightl

Last week we talked about the vicious war that we are in. It was not with ISIS. It was not a racial war. It was a spiritual war for where people live after they die.

We are all soldiers and fight for one of two sides. Many of us unknowingly fight for Satan. We conform to the ways of the world. A few of us have the privilege of fighting with God in a giant rescue operation to save people from their appointed destiny (Hebrews 9:27).

This time we will discuss what weapons we need to fight with and win this spiritual war – that people may “come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:26).

Being Equipped to Win

Our most important weapon is prayer. Prayer connects us to God. Only his power can defeat our enemy. “The effective prayer of a righteous [person] can accomplish much” (James 5:16).

Another important weapon is to be filled with the Spirit. “How do you do that?” you may ask. Ask confidently to be filled, for God commands us to be filled with the Spirit and obey him as he leads. If he convicts you of sin, ask forgiveness and keep on obeying (1 John 1:9).

Another important weapon is our new identity in Christ. “The old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We don’t need to be led astray by trying to please the wrong people, earn worth by not doing what God wants us to do, and trying to meet standards that waste our energy. Living in our new identity means resting in God’s great love, acceptance and worth he has for us. This frees us to avoid the traps that Satan lays for us.

A final weapon that we need to use to be victorious is the Bible. The truth of the Bible frees us from the lies that can dominate our lives – lies like “I am what other people think I am,” and “I will be more important if I get promoted.” These are lies and are exposed to us as we learn to live in the truth of the Bible.

The Bible is also an offensive weapon. “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword… and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). As the Spirit leads, he often takes the Word that we share and supernaturally uses it to convince people that they need God.

Closing Thought

Jesus’ final command to his disciples was to equip others to be good soldiers (Matthew 28:18-20). May we not only use the weapons of war for ourselves, but also to teach others how to use them.