Striving For The Finish Line
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our
faith…” (Hebrews 12: 2)

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the
most of every opportunity, because the days are evil…Be strong in the Lord
and in his mighty power. Put On The Full Armor Of God so that you can take
your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh
and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers
of this world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore, Put On The Full Armor Of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground…” (Ephesians 5:15-17; 6:10-13a NIV).

The postmodern gospel message assures people that they can be liberated
from death and guilt by accepting Jesus’ free gift, but omits the truth that one
must consider the cost. Namely, an unreserved commitment to their Savior.
So, people are lulled into a false sense of security, making them feel safe and
comfortable with their sinful lifestyles. As a result, God’s grace is degraded.

Sadly, many unsuspecting souls fall into the trap of the devil. For Satan is
very subtle or crafty. He operates by stealth. One of his strategies is to convince the masses that he actually does not exist. Yet he is the god of this
world, who blinds billions of people so that they may not see the light of the
gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (cf..2 Corinthians 4:4).

Satan hates Christ, because He is [God the Son] the second Adam, who
has regained the title deed of the world through the cross (cf. Matthew
28:18). Therefore, Satan also hates all the loyal disciples of Jesus. Not only
because they are co-heirs with Him, but mainly, because they are the heralds
of the Gospel, and the ambassadors of hope in this dark and confused world.

The adversary is a ruthless thief. His aim is to steal, to kill, and to destroy
(cf. John 10:10). As it were, Satan attacks every committed disciple of Christ
with flaming arrows. His scope is either to silence the Gospel or to corrupt it.

Besides being an adversary and an antagonist, Satan is also the accuser of
God’s elect: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat” (Luke
22:31). In the book of Revelation, one learns that Satan accuses God’s
children day and night (cf. Re.12:10). So, one ought to be very, very careful!

The apostle Peter wrote out of his own experience: “Be self-controlled
and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for
someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” (1Peter 5: 8-9a).
When the Lord appeared to Saul of Tarsus, who later became the apostle
Paul, He told him: “I will rescue you from your own people and from the
Gentiles. I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to
light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified in me (Acts 26:17-18).
The Bible states that in the beginning, God appointed the first Adam as the
federated head of the world (cf. Gn.1:26). However, Satan disguised as a
serpent, deceived Eve and usurped the title deed of the world from Adam.

So, Satan has his own kingdom: “The devil led him [Jesus] to a high place
and showed in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him,
‘I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me,
and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will be all
yours’” (Lu. 4:5-7). But Jesus overcame the devil by using God’s living Word.

Why then, are the armor of God and the shield of faith so important for
every child of God? Because true Christians will be continually engaged in
real skirmishes with cruel, insidious, invisible spiritual entities, which
operate under Satan’s control. Thus, as stated, the devil not only accuses the
saints day and night before God, but he also targets them with his fiery darts!

In ancient times, flaming arrows were lethal weapons used in warfare.
The archers dipped the arrow tips in pitch or in other flammable materials,
set them on fire, and shot them against wooden forts or fortified doors of
walled cities setting them on fire. As a result, the enemy conquered the cities.

The true Christian is a soldier of the cross. As such, one must live a holy
life and walk obediently under the command of Jesus Christ. For, He is both
one’s Savior and Lord. As well, the soldier of Christ must put on a particular
uniform. That is, the full armor of God, which consists of five components:
(1) the belt of truth (2) the breastplate of righteousness (3) the shoes of the
gospel of peace (4) the shield of faith (5) the helmet of salvation (vv.14-16).

Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation, constitute the grace of
God. Therefore, such an armor can neither be obtained through good works,
nor from human agencies or religious denominations. Instead, the armor of
God is granted to those who have been called by God, who are regenerated
by the Holy Spirit, and have been washed by the precious blood of Jesus. In
sum, the armor is for all those who are freely justified by faith in Christ Jesus

Besides the five defensive pieces of the armor, the soldier of the cross also
needs two offensive weapons: The sword of the Spirit—the Word of God (cf.
Hebrews 4:12-3); and continual, fervent prayer in the Holy Spirit (cf. Jude 20).

For the born again, Bible believing Christian, the spiritual warfare is real.
And, the battle is for the control of the mind, So, when doubts assail the mind
and evil desires war against the soul, they are mostly satanic attacks. What to
do? We flee from temptations, for the Spirit who lives in us will keep us safe.
~ Prayer support ~ Biblical counseling freely available