Tuesday 18 November 2014

The Real War: The Supremacy of Christ, Satan & the serving soldier part 2.

The Battle and its Focus
There is no doubting the severity of the conflict.  Peter stresses the ferocious of the opposition by saying that the devil ‘prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour’ (1Peter 5:8).  Paul thinks rather of the cunning employed by the evil one.  ‘Satan disguises himself as an angel of light’ (2Corinthians 11:14), so that it is small wonder his missions appear in an attractive guise…The effect of such passages is to emphasise that Christians…are engaged in a conflict that is both relentless and cunningly waged.  They are not in a position to retire from the conflict.’  (New Bible Dictionary, page 1064)

Armed and Dangerous
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take 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 dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.’ (Ephesians 6:11-13)
To be successful in this struggle we need not the armour of men, - which might work if our battle was ‘against flesh and blood’ or if we were wanting to ‘stand our ground’ in a human battle or if we simple were up against wooden arrows from wooden bows - but the armour of God.  That armour alone means we will stand against ‘spiritual forces of evil’, in ‘the day of evil’, ‘against flaming arrows of evil’ (Ephesians 6:14-17)
Is imprisoned Paul looking at the armed guard chained to him and inwardly smiling knowing his steely, harden armour is the wrong kit for this battle?  Or is he drawing on the Isaiah 11 & 59 imagery of a true warrior of God with a resolute confidence in his gut?  I’m not going to add to the land fill of wasted ink speculating on why Paul attached which element of armour to which attribute.  The main thing is the plain thing – life is a spiritual battle at every level.  Are you rightly dressed?  Are you armed and dangerous?
The Battle and its Focus
But notice the main weapons - prayer and proclamation.
Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.' (Ephesians 6:18-20)

Prayer is not a bell to call the servants to satisfy some desire we happen to feel, it is a battlefield transmitter for staying in touch with the general. Have we taken a wartime walkie-talkie and tried to turn it into a civilian intercom? The power of prayer was not given to the church to request comforts but to wield a weapon – and perhaps that is why so much of our prayer goes unanswered?  Are we hijacking a military frequency with civilian chatter?

Pray for ‘all the Lord’s people’, not as circumstantial friend around a mutually agreeable activity but as fellow soldiers battling for the very freedom of humanity.

Pray for fearlessness: in clarity of explanation (19) & courage in proclamation (20).  It is prayer that wields the weapon of Word proclamation.  CS Lewis (1898-1963) powerfully says: ‘Prayer is the only weapon in our arsenal that hits home every time.  We can put the gospel on the radio, and they will tune out.  We can put the gospel on the TV for them to switch off.  We can knock on their doors to have them slammed in our faces.  We can even bring them to church for them to stare at the rafters.  But every time we prayer it is an arrow that hits home.


Prayer is the frontline of the battle.  Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) is right:  'Prayer does not equip us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work.'  Prayer wields the weapon to the throat of Satan.

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