As the Battle Increases, We must also Increase!

 

Saints, 

We must increase in strength, faith, hope, love, and joy!  Remember our weapons are not physical. They do not harm those who come against us, but rather, they defeat and chase away the demons who prompt them to do evil.  It is a spiritual battle and therefore must be fought in the spirit.

 

• Love defeats hate
• Light defeats dark
• The name of Jesus defeats all evil spirits and disease
  
• Joy in the Lord defeats depression
• Faith defeats fear 
• Kindness and humility defeat antagonism
• Obedience defeats temptation
  

 

I've heard from many of you who struggle with depression in these last days. It's hard to know about all the evil in the world, isn't it? It's hard and LONELY to be among the few who "get it". Many of you, like me, have family members who have turned against you, other family members who defy you at every turn, others who don't want to hear anything you say about Jesus or end times. You may or may not have a church to attend, and if you do, many of your fellow Christians have no clue what's going on in the world, nor are they interested. Many have taken the death jab and they look down on you if you haven't. If you have Christian friends who are on the same page, you are very blessed. I am alone here in California. No one in my family wants to hear any of what I know.  Some aren't even talking to me anymore, and there is no church here that preaches the full Gospel.  Yet..... the Lord is with me! His presence sometimes is so overwhelming, I start to cry. It is wonderful.

 

Anyway, as we approach the end, I believe many of us will no doubt experience more and more opposition from those closest to us. Which brings me to the verses I came across this week. We do not lord it over others just because God has revealed things to us. We don't get angry, frustrated, or insulting. The enemy hates you and he is going to throw as much opposition your way as he can. He may know that he can't get you to reject Jesus, but he knows he may be able to get you to lose your temper, say something you shouldn't, get depressed, or become prideful. You do not want to cross the finish line with stains on your white garment!  

 

 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 3-4

 

This is one of the hardest things for me to do. I'll be honest... to put others, especially those who hurt me, above myself! To become a servant to them!  But Jesus is our prime example. He was God yet he became a servant to those who did Him more harm than you will ever experience.

 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name  5-9

 

Jesus could have called the entire crucifixion off at any moment, could have merely spoken a word and incinerated all those who came against Him. (Something I often wish I could do LOL)   But He was obedient to His Father and He humbled Himself to the point of the most extreme humiliation known to man.

... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.  v 12

 

We are to be the same as Jesus, obedient unto death and in the process, become a servant to all, especially those who mistreat us. (I'm not talking about being abused here. If someone is abusing you, the Lord does not expect you to be treated like that.)  

 

Notice also that we are to work out our salvation, not get saved and then do what we want.

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. 12-15

 

Note: Paul's goal was to get as many people saved as he could. If the Christians he was speaking to were all going to heaven, how could he have labored in vain? Only if some of them turned away from the Lord and didn't make it. Yet another verse which speaks against Once Saved Always Saved. 

 

Paul wanted the Christians of his day to be able to shine brightly in the middle of a perverse generation (sounds a lot like our generation today). This is our greatest weapon against all our enemies--to imitate Jesus by being obedient to God, humble, and put others ahead of ourselves! It's not glamorous like a shiny sword. It's not fun like a cool pirate sword fight. It's hard work. But it will crush the plans of the enemy, leave those who oppose you speechless, bind demons, increase your joy, and maybe even help save those who are lost!  It's a tall order, but if we are to cross that finish line victorious, we must armor up and with the Lord's help, we can shine brightly and dispel the darkness in those who come against us.