Friday, September 2, 2016

The Good Fight


UV 2058/10000 The Good Fight
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
I Timothy 1 v 18

Spiritual warfare is the only type of war that can be described as a good war. It is based on the precept that everything physical, emotional and social has a spiritual root and these are but reflections or shadows of the spiritual realm. It is not violent. It is bloodless and does not involve physical combat. It is nonetheless warfare and tough fighting as it involves the struggle of good versus evil, the godly against the unrighteous, the children of God against the enemy of their souls. Spiritual warfare is the responsibility of the royal priesthood, of kings and priests. It is meant for the extension of the kingdom of God. We fight it on our knees in prayer. We fight it on a daily basis. The Lord gives us authority as kings to claim and proclaim victory over the forces of darkness. He gives us the heart as priests of the Most High to plead or intercede for souls.

Faith involves engaging in spiritual warfare. It involves pulling down spiritual strongholds, fighting against the rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places. The might and power of the Lord is revealed as we battle with these forces in the spirit. Over the garments of salvation, we need to wear the armour. The enemy would always focus on hitting us with fiery arrows of temptations, trials, troubles at vital points. For our protection, we need to hold the shield of faith firmly, wear the belt of truth implying that we are led by truth and not by falsehoods or illusions, carry the sword of execution of the Word of the Lord. We need to wear the protective gear for our faith in terms of a steadfast knowledge and hope of our salvation in Christ. Our feet should be protected by the shoes that make us a messenger for the Lord in this world. We should wear knee guards to safeguard our knees in endless hours of prayer.

Spiritual warfare involves being still in the presence of the Lord. He will fight the battle for us as the battle is in His realm. He decides the timing, the strategies and secures the victory as we stand in faith. On our part, we only need to prepare to endure hardship as a faithful soldier. We need to be disciplined and obedient, refusing to engage or meddle in civilian affairs or the affairs of this world. We need to constantly work to keep ourselves spiritually fit and alert to sense the moves of the enemy of our souls. Prophetic word and other spiritual gifts play a role in guiding, encouraging and exhorting us as we engage in the good fight.

Prateep V Philip

No comments:

Post a Comment