Did you know that Satan has an outreach program? He is waging a war with our God, Christian, whether or not we participate.
His weapons are guile and style mingled with tact and congeniality. The prince of the power of the air, he reaches out through his one-eyed demons into our homes, into our lives, wagging his double-tongue, playing on our fears and pouring honey in our ears. His agents preach his gospel without shame and with total commitment and conviction; their pulpits stand in courthouses, schoolhouses, and white houses. His lures are pleasure and peace and tranquility. He offers the world as a free gift ("no purchase necessary"), but ("some restrictions apply") the cost is your eternal soul. His rewards are greed and immorality and the wages God has appointed for sin--death (Romans 6:23). ("While supplies last, call now!")
The cross of Christ is the difference between immorality and immor†ality. Through the cross of Christ, we are freed from greed. By the cross of Christ we exchange our earnest wages for God's greatest gift, for which we are not worthy; by the cross of Christ we become more than earthy.
"Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you" (1John 3:13). Indeed, we are in the midst of a war. This war has only two sides, and eternal repercussions. "...Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2). What is one called who does not take a side in this spiritual war? A casualty. Logically, what is one called that positions themselves between that which is light and that which is darkness? Dim.
Don't be left out in the dark. God is waging a spiritual war, Christian, whether or not we participate. God's weapons for us are prayer and petition in the Spirit at all times to keep us in constant communication with God, faith to shield us from the devil's spiritual flaming darts, the preparation of the gospel of peace to spiritually squash our adversary under foot, and the spiritual sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God to spiritually cut through the lies and deception. His lures are righteousness to captivate our hearts and truth to capture our innermost parts. God's reward is salvation and Himself, who is love (Ephesians 6:10-20; 1John 4:8, 16).
So put on your spiritual armor, Christian, pick up your spiritual sword, ready your spiritual shield, and stand at your spiritual post. Soon we spiritually march to enemy "pneuma-tory", and even the gates of hell will not prevail against us. All thanks and praise be to Christ Jesus.
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