Title: Spiritual Warfare (James 4:6-10)
Contents
It is said that Iran received a warm welcome on the way back home despite being eliminated from the round of 16 with a record of 1 win and 2 losses in the recent World Cup. Soon after, they won a match against the United States, which has been politically contested for a long time. They even declared a holy war ahead of a match against the United States. Since we won the match, we can guess that the whole country had a festival. In Islamic countries, the word victory is often used.
But the true victory is the fight against the devil. When a person enters a church saying that they will believe in Jesus, it is a declaration of war that they will wage a battle with the devil. From this point on, the battle with the devil will be fierce. The devil is the destroyer and destroyer of souls. Therefore, the spiritual battle is fierce, and this spiritual battle must be won. The success or failure of the saints in the present life as well as the future life depends on this. If you fail in the devil's battle and are ruled by the devil,
First, it gets arrogant.
A typical attribute of the devil is pride. People who do not know God and live under the control of the devil are proud people who say, 'We can live without God.' Pride is the habit of humans under the control of the devil to say that they live by their own strength, wisdom, and effort, ignorant of the grace of God, even though their existence is insignificant in the sight of God. That is why God says that He gives grace to the humble, but He resists the proud (James 4:6).
Second, the devil separates us from God.
The people who have the best life of faith are those who live close to God. A person who knows his will well and lives according to his will. But the devil hates when man draws near to God. People under the control of the devil hate the name God itself. There are people who frown just by hearing that name. It is because the devil is in his heart. If you go to church and do not receive the control of the Holy Spirit, you will hate the church, you will get tired of worship, you will not be able to sing, and you will not be able to hold the line of prayer. Churches come out, but there are people whose purpose is not to worship and glorify God, but to pursue the benefits of the flesh. He is truly a pitiful and sad person. If you enjoy reading novels, newspapers, or literary magazines, but only open the Bible, you will get distracted, fall asleep, and strange things will happen over and over again. My prayers are not working well and I am babbling over and over again. It feels like a waste to give to God, and a loss in life of faith. In doing so, we keep getting further and further away from God and from the life of grace.
Third, it will eventually lead to destruction.
In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man arrogantly did not know God, and when he left this world, the fire of brimstone fell into the boiling fire of hell. The end of the devil and those who are controlled by the devil is hell (Revelation 20:10). He said that those who have enjoyed wealth, glory, and comfort in this world are like strangers and passers-by. It expresses that life is short and short. The eternal afterlife awaits us. The devil hates people being saved.
So, what must we do to win this spiritual warfare?
1. You must increase your strength.
A soldier in war cannot fight without strength. In particular, believers who are engaged in spiritual battles must develop their spiritual strength. They must be trained in the Word, they must be trained in prayer, and they must be trained in evangelism and service. Therefore, whenever the devil comes, you must immediately defeat it.
2. We must cultivate the habit of obeying God's Word.
Obedience to God is itself a victory in the battle against the devil. Obedience does not happen overnight. When you obey the little things, you can obey the big things. God does not require obedience to cause harm and harm to me. Greater grace He demands obedience in order to give greater blessings.
3. It is a positive attitude of faith.
It is important to have a positive attitude in everything in your life of faith. Even in the face of infinitely difficult, difficult and gloomy reality, if you deal with it with a positive and positive attitude, there is no problem. God's blessing is not far off if you live your life of faith with the conviction that nothing is impossible for those who believe. Everyone has failure, but frustration is a sin. It is like denying God. The devil keeps blowing negative thoughts, but if you shake off such a heart and live with the belief that God is with you, you will surely receive God's help and the grace of victory.
4. It is against the devil.
The text says, 'Resist the devil, and he will escape'. The devil has to keep defeating and fighting the enemy. Jesus defeated the devil with the word. He gave the same authority to the saints (Mark 16:17). We must overcome the power of the devil who takes away our faith, the devil's power that guides our souls on the path of destruction, and we must win in faith.
Spiritual warfare is a war that our saints cannot avoid. Only victory can experience God's help, blessing, and grace. Through victory in spiritual warfare, I pray that you will live your life while enjoying the joy of victory and the joy of God's grace at the same time.