Warfare! It's Real! It's Here!

 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6:12.13

Recently, I have heard several people, including myself, say that they suddenly found themselves in a battle. They were almost blindsided, and before they knew it- BAM! Hit by the schemes of the enemy. Just before this, our Church experienced a visitation of the power of God two weeks in a row. In the fist service, the Spirit took over and we were in worship and praise, bowing before Him. There was confession, repentance, intercession, manifestation of the gifts. The Lord was really dealing with us as a body of Christ. The following week, without us trying to duplicate  the previous week-(because you can't duplicate the moves of God) the Lord once again showed up in power and the message was FIRE!  We need to be part of God's fire, we need to be consumed with His fire and His power. Again, a time of repentance and a new commitment to God.

We say- Wonderful!  Praise God for such a manifestation of His power and His spirit and His Word! But then--- the battle comes. Satan is not happy!!! And he will try to do anything to derail us, defeat us and cause us to give up. I have heard several churches are going through the same thing. The enemy knows that God is about to SHOW UP in His  Church- His Bride- and satan is not happy about it. He will do what he can to discredit what God is doing inside of His true worshipers. Satan knows that something great is about to take place in the body of Christ- that manifestation of the sons of God spoken about in Romans 8. He knows that his time is limited, and he is trying everything, every tactic, every scheme- to get the Church off track, to get the Bride of Christ feeling defeated and alone; to cause separation and division in the body of Christ. We must be aware of his tactics and be always vigilant, on the alert and not allow him to cause us defeat.

You may find yourself in a battle. You may feel, like Elijah- "I, and I only, am left alone!" You may have been feeling isolated, fighting darkness, fighting the very things that you have come out of in your past. The enemy will instigate "evil surminsings' in your head- you know those thoughts that come out of "nowhere"- no one cares, no one understands, I am all alone, no one appreciates me, and the list goes on. The battle always begins in the mind- don't forget that. Peter said is 1 Peter 4:12: "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you:"  It's the enemy's job to try and derail us-- and--- it is God's grace and truth that leads us through these fiery trials. They serve an eternal purpose- to train us, to develop our character, to make us draw closer to Him. They come to further equip us in these last days- so that we will be ready and prepared for what is to come- that we will be victorious and lead many souls into the kingdom of God.

I would say: Beloved-with the fire of God comes the battle of satan. You can't have one without the other- but know- that God is always on our side. While I was going through this latest battle- I continued to pray, cry out to God- try to understand what was going on. I felt isolated, alone and unappreciated. All I wanted was to feel God's presence. But- sometimes He withdraws that "feeling" and makes us walk by faith. I have experienced God's presence in reality many times. It is comforting and loving. But more often, He requires us to walk by faith. I had to take Him at His Word, that He will never leave us or forsake us. We walk by faith not by feelings.  Jesus told Thomas, when He appeared to the disciples after His resurrection:  "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29) You can also say, blessed are those who don't feel His presence, but still believe and walk by faith and not by sight.

We must stay ever more vigilant in these days! With the fire of God comes the battle of the enemy. Expect it, but be prepared! We are more than conquerors through Christ. We have already won the battle in Christ's name- we are co- conquerors with Christ- because He is the Head of the Angel Armies and we are not fighting the battles alone.

 

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Ephesians 5:10,11

"Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." 1 Peter 5:8,9

 

~Donna