The Spirit Life

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make 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’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13 (BSB)

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It is my opinion that the spirit realm's dark forces and the impact it wields on this world and our individual lives is sorely underestimated and frequently understated by modern Christendom. Most of us fail to credit the whys and how come of humanity's unrighteous chaos to a devilish spiritual influence. We downplay our own personal struggles as we try to live in a manner glorifying God. Some believers think their salvation makes them immune to sinful temptations and the enemy's devious influence. Yet, all one has to do is read Scripture to understand the era in that thinking. In Matthew 4 we see the enemy trying to tempt Jesus Christ. The adversary did not succeed, yet it makes a point that if he would try to tempt the anointed and perfect Son of God, he will certainly wield temptation on those of us in the Body of Christ no matter how holy and sanctified we think we are.

look around you at this world and honestly look within yourself and it should become clear we have to battle such active and determined principalities with an agenda to separate us from our God and Savior's Grace and Mercy. Humankind is contaminated with pride, disobedience and carnality. Only through the Divine Power of Christ's Sacrifice and Resurrection can there be victory for our salvation and subsequent spiritual battles. 

Hollywood has very much made the spiritual world appear to be some spooky fictitious nonsense. The supernatural has been reduced to entertaining movies and television shows depicting everything from vampires that fall in love, zombies taking over the world and a wise cracking, cigar smoking devil. Is it any wonder it's difficult for believers to put a finger on the real supernatural and spirit world. We've been brainwashed by media's false depictions. But to understand the Truth of the matter one need look no further than the Scriptures in the Holy Bible.

 
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (KJV)

 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

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Who or what are we fighting? We are fighting against powers and principalities in the heavenlies and rulers of the darkness of this world. We are fighting against the unseen but not the unknown. Too be more precise, we fight against invisible enemies of the spirit realm, evil manifestations called unclean spirits, demons or devils. These adversarial entities can touch each and every aspect of our lives as well as affect the cultural landscape of the world around us.

 The presence of an unseen realm is scriptural.  Throughout the Holy Bible the spirit realm is clearly demonstrated as an actual existence connected to what happens in our time-constrained natural world. When studying Scripture, one quickly comes to a startling realization that there is more than what we see around us.  From the Bible we begin envisioning the spirit world and understanding how that realm impacts our natural realm. That gives an entirely different and more accurate perspective on our present lives. Comprehending the unseen but very real enemy is essential to living a genuinely productive Christian life whether dealing with conflicts of our own personal walks or navigating through this fallen ungodly environment. 

 Be sober-minded; watch. Your adversary the devil prowls about as a roaring lion seeking whom to devour, 1 Peter 5:8 (BLB)

  The thief comes only that he might steal and might kill and might destroy. I came that they may have life and may have it abundantly. John 10:10 (BLB)

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The end goal of all saints is to spend eternity with our Most High Father God and Savior Son. Defeating death (separation from God) and enjoying everlasting life in a glorious environment with none of the misery and heartache of this present world. Unfortunately, there are forces set against us achieving our desired destiny. Forces that work constantly with much success in frustrating our spiritual journeys. 

 And having summoned His twelve disciples, He gave to them authority over unclean spirits, so as to cast them out and to heal every disease and every sickness. Matthew 10:1 (BLB)

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 “Don’t hide behind the Word of God. Faith is the shield, the Word of God is the sword. The sword isn’t used to defend you, it’s used to attack.”   Derek Prince 

The major battlefield for our salvation is the mind. The mind is the soul of mankind, and the soul is what the adversary wants to control in all of humanity including disciples of Christ Jesus. It's in our minds the enemy whispers his temptations and ideas to deliberately thwart our Christian character or walk.

 You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. Mark 13:13 (CSB)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7 (CSB)

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A disciple of Christ Jesus is automatically conscripted into the Divine Army because of the born-again spiritual status. Saints become soldiers, opposing the forces of sin and evil. Those in the True Church of Christ Jesus are draftees of the Lord's army in a spiritual conflict, God vs the devil or, in a more secular term, good versus evil. Standing on our faith, embarking on the journey toward eternal life can be a struggle of sorts. Being among the anointed troops of the Lord we must stand immovable even in our own personal struggles. We are participants in God's Kingdom Armed Forces fighting this longstanding cosmic war. The ultimate challenge and desired end in any war is accomplishing the main objective with those fighting surviving.

For the Body of Christ, the struggle is ongoing; the battles continue as long as we live in this fallen natural world. The goal is to endure. Through the highs and lows, the good and the bad we are to spiritually hang on and grow in faith as we navigate through all circumstances. We do not have to try and win the war. Our Redeemer has secured the ultimate victory by His Sacrifice on the tree at Calvary and His resurrection. We need to just fight our personal battles and, by whatever way we are called, continue to advance the Gospel and serve in God's Kingdom. With spiritual weapons we fight and in faith we endure until the end; the end of our natural lives or the end of this world's age when Messiah returns, whichever comes first.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.  

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (KJV)

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Any effective fighting against the enemy; any meaningful spiritual push back from those of us in the Body of Christ comes from the Power of God and not of ourselves. Our Creator and Savior is Omnipotent, all Powerful and we have access to that power through Christ Jesus. It is because of the God in us that we defeat our spiritual foes. The Creator God and Redeeming Son, equips saints with the ability to thwart the powers of sin, darkness and death by Power from on High.