And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28: 18-20

The

Battle

Is His.

Finally, my brethern, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation  of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints –

Ephesians 6: 10-18 NKJV

We like to believe that the struggles we come up against in life as earthly struggles, but if you are going to believe that the Lord Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, exists, then you must also believe that there is an opposing force looking to garner your soul.

Ultimately, the events that happen to you and others throughout your life have the ability to pull you away from or closer to the Lord. Your part in the battle is to keep your heart stayed on the Lord, to share the Gospel, to have faith that God goes before you into battle, to meditate on the Word of God so that you have weapons to fight with, and to pray.

That doesn’t mean that there won’t ever be a time when you have to fight an actual battle. What it means is that you know where your strength comes from for that battle, and that you fight it in a way that brings glory to the Lord.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delievered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also make intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, hall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:31-39 NKJV

While earthly battles rage, it is important to keep an eternal perspective in all situations. Notice that Paul (the author of Romans) does not say that life if perfect. On the contrary, many Christians at the time were being martyred. The real enemy is not against human opponents, rather it is against Satan, the one fighting for our very souls. Therefore, since our battles are not simply worldly battles, they cannot be won using merely worldly resources.

Spoiler alert, God has been fighting this battle much longer than you have and he already won when Jesus rose from the dead. Now you fight along side him in the battle for your soul and your neighbors.

The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righeousness

For his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, the comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You annoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

Psalm 23 NKJV

There is great reward for those who persevere until the end, and do not deny the Lord their God!

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

 

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

 

And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thrists. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Revelation 21: 1-8 NKJV