Tag Archives: spiritual battle

Spiritual Battle — Master & Disciples

Prepared for Spiritual  Battle

Christians are disciples with a mission, and must be equipped with the spiritual “footgear” that will help them fulfill their role. There is a spiritual war being waged and our Master has prepared us to fight our battles. As spiritual warriors, part of being prepared is wearing the footgear, that will give us stability when facing the enemy. So what must we wear? Paul says the footwear is an understanding that we are disciples with a mission. And, we are prepared and ready to move forward and preach God’s good news … the gospel of peace. Sometimes this mission is understood as the “Great commission” that Jesus gave to his disciples. “Go and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with your always even to the end of the age.” As disciples with a mission they were to inculcate all the lessons from their master and then continue his work in the world.

Rethinking Masters and Apprentices

Today in the world of academia, there is a concerted effort to destroy the whole idea of master disciple/apprentice relationships. This relationship has ensured the effective transfer of knowledge and skill from one generation to the next, but it is now under attack.

Recently, Jordan Peterson wrote of this issue:
“The training and mentoring of new generations of professionals must be attended to by proper relationships of “masters and apprentices” without dilution of standards…Two conditions must be met if the successful transfer of skills is to occur: first, the knowledge in question must be transferred within three generations, or risk being lost forever; second, there must be an unconditional submission of the apprentice to his/her master.” 

Biblical Model for Effective Teaching

This is the biblical model that Jesus the Messiah used and still uses to prepare his apprentices for spiritual battle. Through a personal relationship of trust and respect, our Lord transfers his knowledge of the mission to his followers, his apprentices. Then, he expects them to move forward and engage in battle. Their stability in crisis comes from knowing they were prepared and trained by the best of master teachers. Disciples have confidence in knowing that they were taught by the Messiah. Their footing will be sure, as long as they are following as he leads. The master has provided the needed training and the personal example and mentorship. But  the question remains as to whether the apprentices will do the hard work of labouring alongside their master.

Like Master, like Disciple

As followers of Jesus Christ, disciples know the master’s voice. They have an intimate relationship with the master, having known that he was willing to offer his life for them. They know that he hears and listens to their concerns. And, as a result, they are willing to walk the path he has set out for them. Disciples have trust in their master, not only for direction in the spiritual battles in this life, but in his promise of eternal life. Like master, like disciple, those who embraced their mission have the hope of being resurrected in the same likeness as their master.

We, as apprentices, have the perfect master! And he has willingly transmitted to us the knowledge he has received from his Father. This is the vital understanding of how to walk in covenant with God. The master has taught and lived by the commandments that he expects his disciples to follow. In his love for his disciples he has promised to never abandon them. And, he has left his disciples with a mission. to love others as their master has loved them.

A Labour of Love, In the Master’s Footsteps

This meant that Jesus’ apprentices were to teach as they had been taught. With vigilance and dedication they would work to preach, encourage, and rebuke. They would follow the doctrine and way of life of their master, and teach others to follow their example. And, in their labour they would suffer reproach willingly, just as their Master had done.

Having our spiritual battle dress given to us by our master, we will have our feet shod with the truth of the gospel of God. This knowledge of God’s ways, purpose, and nature will guide our every step. And we will move forward following the path that Christ walked and accomplishing the mission he has given to his disciples.

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Spiritual Battle – Helmet of Salvation

Fighting the Mind Worms

Everyone who believes Christ’s message is engaged in spiritual battle. Yet, too many Christians are losing the war by playing old worn-out scripts in their heads. They have developed a negative mindset, and constantly their thoughts replay familiar refrains. And these messages, the “I will nevers” prove to be a stumbling block to spiritual engagement. When the mind worms of “I will never succeed” or “I will never change”, or “I will never measure up”  or “I can never leave the past behind” start gnawing at us, do we have a strategy to combat them? Are we able to put on the helmet of salvation and overcome our cultural scripts, negative mindsets, and destructive thoughts? Paul gave us some advice in fighting these spiritual battles. He knew the source of the power to beat back the ugly, discouraging thoughts that sometimes seem to overwhelm us.

The Helmet of Salvation

Paul reminded the Corinthians that they had “died” to their old way of thinking, so they could live for Christ. He understood that we, all believers, have a helmet of salvation. The sure knowledge that having been bought by Christ we have an unchanging hope for the future…this is our salvation. Having had our sins forgiven, and our freedom purchased, we could rid ourselves of negative thoughts. Paul, was also a realist, and knew that changing our thoughts was a process that would take time. But with our hope in our future salvation secured, we could face our daily mental battles wholeheartedly. Replacing the dark thoughts with God’s words to enlighten us.

The message of salvation brings with it a deep understanding that we are God’s children — his family. He has moved us out of darkness and into the light. And now he dwells with us by his spirit. But to remain in this relationship we must do battle with an implacable spiritual enemy, daily. So God’s advice as a Father to his children, is that we guard our thoughts with the helmet of salvation.

Capture Every Thought – Spiritual Warfare

Christ made it clear that the things that ‘defile’ people are not physical, but spiritual. It is the vile or evil thought, that when entertained leads us to foolish action that separates us from God. So Paul warns believers to be diligent, alert, and sober-minded. We must root out the evil thoughts that defile us and are motivated by: guile, pride, foolishness, laziness, deceit, and selfishness. Why? Because, we are God’s children and want to be diligently thinking and doing the things that represent his values.

Our spiritual warfare helps us to capture every negative thought that makes us vulnerable. We can recognize the thoughts that are the enemies tactics: doubt, negativity, hate, hypocrisy, fantasy, and falsehood. And we can guard our thoughts with the helmet of salvation, the promise of eternal life with our Father. When the evil thoughts are attempting to overwhelm us, we can have direct contact with our Father. Through prayer and study, our Father will fill our minds with his thoughts. His thoughts will give us the correct perspective on any situation. His thoughts will be a source of stability and protection in our daily conflict with evil. And his spirit will guide us into an ever deeper understanding of God’s love for us as his children. This will give us confidence.

God asks us to guard the doors of our minds. We do this by focusing on the future that God has promised to his children. If we have the humility to walk with him, he will be our joy and delight. God will hear our prayers, supply our needs, and help us succeed. This is God’s plan for us. We must put on this helmet of salvation daily, in order to effectively combat the old ways of thinking and put on the mind of Christ. Are you prepared to fight the battle of the mind, and engage in spiritual warfare?

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Spiritual Battle — Gird with Truth

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Are We Prepared for Battle?

Our spiritual enemy is powerful and relentless, so scripture tells us that we need to gird our loins with truth. Jesus having done battle with the Adversary, knew we needed to stay alert and be prepared. In his final prayer before his crucifixion, Jesus asked the Father to protect the disciples from the evil one. They had to live in a world under the sway of this enemy, but they would not belong to his world. They were a part of the Father’s Kingdom and could rely on his help to do spiritual battle. Jesus in his example prayer reminded us to pray that the Father would rescue us from the evil one, the Father would not fail to do his part. So are we preparing and doing our part?

We Need Spiritual Armour

Paul and Peter, both admonished the believers that times would come when people would be caught up in the false doctrines of demons and deceived by spiritual wickedness. There would be strong adversaries who would attempt to undermine God’s people. So Paul gave us the warning to protect ourselves, when he commands, “Put on the full armour of God!” Paul realized that he did not have the strength to combat spiritual wickedness. He knew he needed power from God. And God provides that power in the form of spiritual armour that we must ‘put on’ so it will be effective. God wants us to steadfastly resist the evil and stand our ground, so we will be victorious.

When we gird our loins with truth, this piece of armour, helps us stand tall and face the enemy with confidence. It is the truth, the reality, that sanctifies us, or makes us ready for God’s service. If we are girded with truth, we will not embrace the lies, fantasies, or delusions of the Devil. We will understand that the Adversary is the source, the Father of lies. We will have discernment to determine fact from fiction. We will not be fooled!

The Truth Gives Freedom and Strength

The truth liberates and strengthens us. When we walk in the truth we are free from the penalties of living deceitfully. And we are strengthened by Christ’s spirit – the spirit of truth. We are strong because we are living without hypocrisy and there is no disconnect between our belief and our practice. If we are rightly dividing God’s word of truth we will not be deceived by human traditions. Nor will we be tripped up by false assumptions. The truth frees us, but it also requires us to be truthful. We must not only understand the truth, but we must live it! So that what we do and say reflects the truth.

“Gird our loins with truth” is a call to action. In Paul’s time, the band around the hips was used to hold the other weapons and tuck in the loose ends of a garment to allow for swift and agile movement. This freedom of movement was part of the spiritual preparation for battle. Peter wrote of “girding the loins of your mind” so it was as much a matter of mental preparedness and readiness to do the work that needed to be done. It was also the part of the armour that kept the other essential pieces in place. And importantly, it protected the reproductive area of the body, in a powerful metaphor of truth keeping our creative and generative capacity intact.

The Truth Transforms

The truth transforms our mind, so we are conformed to God and not to the world around us. Truth gives us direction and clarity of purpose. It is truth that helps us to discern light from darkness, friend from foe. Truth helps us to know what we are fighting for, and how we are to fight. For in fighting our intentions must be clear, our motivations transparent, and our actions sincere and truthful. It is the truth that will give us consistent character and the strength to stand against spiritual enemies.

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Spiritual Battle – Forewarned & Forearmed

Forewarned is Forearmed

It is challenging to be a Christian! Do we have the armour of God to help us? We live in a world that, as Paul said, has been enslaved to a dark lord for millennia. John’s writings in the book of Revelation envisioned a future age, our age. There will come a time in which a great evil power will control the whole world and deceive its inhabitants. And yet, there was hope, because Christ will return and his kingdom will finally be established. And how will the evil empire be defeated? By the blood of the Lamb, Jesus the Messiah, and the sacrifice of those who had sworn allegiance to him. God will have his Christian soldiers, but their warfare is not on the battlefield.

Christ’s Warriors and their Weapons

Christian soldiers are those who have been given a new life, and the courage and resources to endure as lights in the darkness. Since a Christian’s lifestyle is often at odds with that of the society around them, life can be a series of running battles. For there are never-ending conflicts with the adversary and foes both domestic and foreign. But Christ is returning as a warrior king to destroy the wicked, and it is those who are faithful to him that will join him in spiritual battle. And, though we must do battle even now, our weapons are not the same as those of the world around us. We need the armour of God.

Spiritual Armour for Spiritual Warfare

God gives us what we need to prevail in battle. He provides a full complement of all the defensive armour and offensive weapons that we need for spiritual warfare. Christ our commander encourages us to meet the enemy and stand our ground. We must continually wear our spiritual armour and follow Christ’s orders with unflagging steadfastness. We do not fight as the world fights for we see the spiritual reality. God’s weapons are able to destroy human reasoning and counter false philosophies. They help us to discipline ourselves so we can bring every thought into captivity. And they give us strength to take courage and not be overwhelmed by our fears.

The armour of God, that the Lord of Hosts provides, is perfect, complete, and essential to our resisting the enemy and overcoming. That is why we must put on all the armour of God so we can stand firm in our spiritual battles. Do you know the weapons at your disposal?

Watch the video:
https://youtu.be/bkdOxv30ssI

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