War in the World

We are at war. I’m not talking about the war between the United States and terrorists. I am talking about an even more intense and fierce battle than any soldier on any battlefield in history has ever witnessed. It’s a spiritual war -- a battle between God and Satan, and as followers of Christ we are soldiers on the front line. Ephesians 6:12 says, “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”. Even Satan knows that God will win the war, but he still fights tirelessly to hinder God’s work on earth. Satan loves nothing more than to see broken marriages, lost jobs, financial ruin, dissention in the church, and anything else that causes God's people pain.
As a woman, it may be difficult to picture yourself as a soldier, but 2 Timothy 2:3-4 calls us just that. Think about it this way, both God and Satan (the enemy) have a battle plan. Satan’s battle plan is to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). But God’s battle plan is to overcome the enemy and advance His kingdom. Like soldiers in any war, we sometimes feel the fatigue of daily battle and our wounds are so deep we feel like surrendering. But we must always remember that when we were saved, we enlisted in the army of God and His battle plan will not fail. We will be victorious over sin, death , and hell. The Bible says we are “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37).
While God is the author of your salvation, Satan is the author of deceit. There will be times when the enemy takes you captive for a brief moment and whispers lies into your ear (“that isn’t gossip“, “its only a little lie“, “you are your own boss”, “this wont hurt anybody“). But be encouraged, while Satan may influence you for a short time, it is God who is your commander and He will let NOTHING separate you permanently from Him. The soldiers who “fight the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7) will receive an awesome reward - Jesus. Satan has launched a full-scale attack on our homes, our families, our church, etc., but God already has the victory party planned. So next time you feel like going AWOL, remember the war may be long, but Jesus wins and He is the ultimate prize.