Call of Duty
Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT
“10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
This past Wednesday at Impact30.87 I continued to preach about what it means to be sent out into the world by Jesus. Jesus prayed very specifically that the Father would not take us out of the world, but that He would protect us from the devil as we live in this world. Before Jesus ascended to be at the right hand of the Father He commissioned His disciples to go into the world and make disciples. We as the disciples of Jesus in this present age are to carry on with this amazing legacy that has endured for almost 2,000 years.
But make no mistake about it, this is a war! We live in the midst of a constant spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:10-12 teaches us that we are in an active battle with unseen spiritual forces. This is a reality that every Christian should be keenly aware of. After all, how can you possibly win a fight that you have no idea is going on in the first place? As we answer this call of duty we must know our enemies well. I believe that we face three main enemies in this war; and they are the world, the flesh, and Satan.
The world is our enemy because it is based on a system that it cursed by sin. The values of the world’s system are completely opposed to the values of God’s kingdom. The bible says that to be a friend of this world (to bear allegiance to this world’s system) is to be an enemy of God. I am reminded of the words of Jesus when He told His disciples to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. Thank you Jesus!
The flesh or sinful nature is our enemy because it will keep us under the power of sin and death. Romans 8:8 says that those still under the control of the flesh cannot please God. The flesh is only concerned with pleasure regardless of whether or not it is right or wrong. We see many tragic situations of crimes and injustices committed because of people who are controlled by their sinful nature and desires of the flesh. This lifestyle leaves people hurt, broken, and lives ruined in its wake. The solution is found in Galatians 2:20. The apostle Paul spoke of being crucified with Christ. It takes constant encounters with the cross of Jesus Christ to set us free from the flesh.
Finally, our third enemy is none other than Satan himself. He is a liar, thief, and murderer. He hates everything holy and he attempts to pervert everything that is true. Demon spirits seek to hold people captive and exert their evil influence upon people in order to lead them down the path of destruction. Satan desires to populate hell with as many as possible so that they will share his fate of eternal torment under the wrath of God. I am so grateful that Jesus defeated Satan and every force of darkness through His victory on the cross.
The key to living in victory is to live under the authority of Jesus Christ. He is the One who died for us, rose again, and is coming back again. The Holy Spirit lives in us and empowers us to live in the freedom that Jesus purchased for us. It is God’s will that we live as overcomers over the world, the flesh, and the devil. Get in the fight!
