Ebola. ISIS. Moral decay. The battle around us is raging! (See link to this song at the end,) How are we supposed to respond? In prayer, yes. But when the battle grows closer, more personal, what then?
At a recent prayer gathering I watched as alternating light and shadows flickered across the faces of those gathered. Flames of hope in Christ's redemptive power alternated with shadows of overwhelming fear and confusion as to how to respond to all that seems to press against us, personally and corporately.
As I pondered all this, the Lord reminded me that even though the battle lines are growing closer in the natural, the real battle is still taking place primarily where it always does: in our minds. The mind has always been the enemy’s favorite battleground, because there he can paralyze us with fear and distract us from the true work of the kingdom. 90% of the battle is won or lost right here. And the primary weapons the enemy will be using are the same as usual: temptations (targeted to our individual weaknesses) and fear (which leads us to anger, worry, doubt, and much more). In this battle, our tactics must remain the biblical tactics we have learned and practiced all along.
At a recent prayer gathering I watched as alternating light and shadows flickered across the faces of those gathered. Flames of hope in Christ's redemptive power alternated with shadows of overwhelming fear and confusion as to how to respond to all that seems to press against us, personally and corporately.
As I pondered all this, the Lord reminded me that even though the battle lines are growing closer in the natural, the real battle is still taking place primarily where it always does: in our minds. The mind has always been the enemy’s favorite battleground, because there he can paralyze us with fear and distract us from the true work of the kingdom. 90% of the battle is won or lost right here. And the primary weapons the enemy will be using are the same as usual: temptations (targeted to our individual weaknesses) and fear (which leads us to anger, worry, doubt, and much more). In this battle, our tactics must remain the biblical tactics we have learned and practiced all along.
We have many questions about how we fight the other 10% of
the battle (the part not in the battlefield of the mind), and the answers are
not as clear. How should we respond when we are actually faced with the threat of harm? Should we respond with Sermon on the Mount turning
the other cheek? In what situations are we to "kill them with kindness," and when is it more wise to draw a gun to protect those we love? There obviously aren’t easy answers here, and Christians are going to disagree with each other, sometimes
very strongly.
The truth, however, is that until we get the 90% settled, the 10% will remain unclear. If we aren't fighting and winning the spiritual battle taking place in our own minds, then we will remain in fear – which is right where our enemy wants us to be. In fear we cannot make the right decisions. Our "fight or flight" instinct will take over, causing us to either fight from the wrong position, or run away when we need to stand. Therefore, it is imperative in this hour that we return to the Word and walk out the wisdom that we have already learned from scripture.
The truth, however, is that until we get the 90% settled, the 10% will remain unclear. If we aren't fighting and winning the spiritual battle taking place in our own minds, then we will remain in fear – which is right where our enemy wants us to be. In fear we cannot make the right decisions. Our "fight or flight" instinct will take over, causing us to either fight from the wrong position, or run away when we need to stand. Therefore, it is imperative in this hour that we return to the Word and walk out the wisdom that we have already learned from scripture.
When we experience fear, anger, or confusion, our first line of defense in the battle is to take every thought
captive and make it obedient to Christ.
The weapons for these battles are found in Ephesians 6. As you pray the following, imagine yourself putting on each piece of spiritual armor. I challenge you to pray it out-loud!
"Lord, we thank you again for our helmet of salvation to protect us from the onslaught of intimidation. As the enemy continually whispers that we are not safe, we put our trust in You, our hope and our salvation, and we proclaim that we are eternally yours! We rejoice that in your wisdom, You have given us the breastplate of righteousness that will guard our hearts from hatred and violent thoughts, so that we can walk in your Love. And we praise you for the shield of faith with which we will deflect arrows of fear and the onslaught of temptations to not trust in your goodness. With the belt of truth You give us the desire and wisdom to know what is really true and eternal and to not walk in any deceit or accept any tempting lies (remembering that in the last days many will be deceived). We thank you that with Your provision, we will walk in shoes that are called by the name “peace” allowing us to walk into places everywhere with the good news of God’s redeeming love. Finally, we thank you for giving us the true sword – the powerful Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God on our lips and in our pens."
2 Corinthians 10:4-5. (NIV): "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
What are my thoughts when I feel intimidated and threatened? My immediate response is anger, which springs quickly from fear. In a millisecond my mind can shift from contentment to extreme anger, wishing fire and brimstone to pour out on the person who has just rammed his car into mine, for instance. In those moments the fear and anger bring a feeling of being totally out of control. I cannot allow those thoughts to take root and poison my mind. I must capture and examine these thoughts in light of God’s
Word and God’s love. The Word says
that “nothing else matters except faith expressing itself in love.” Gal 2:6. And that without love, the other things don't even count. 1 Cor 13. So, do my thoughts line up with faith and
love? If not, I must wrangle these
thoughts, wrestle them to the ground, and make them obey God’s truth as
revealed in scripture. The weapons for these battles are found in Ephesians 6. As you pray the following, imagine yourself putting on each piece of spiritual armor. I challenge you to pray it out-loud!
"Lord, we thank you again for our helmet of salvation to protect us from the onslaught of intimidation. As the enemy continually whispers that we are not safe, we put our trust in You, our hope and our salvation, and we proclaim that we are eternally yours! We rejoice that in your wisdom, You have given us the breastplate of righteousness that will guard our hearts from hatred and violent thoughts, so that we can walk in your Love. And we praise you for the shield of faith with which we will deflect arrows of fear and the onslaught of temptations to not trust in your goodness. With the belt of truth You give us the desire and wisdom to know what is really true and eternal and to not walk in any deceit or accept any tempting lies (remembering that in the last days many will be deceived). We thank you that with Your provision, we will walk in shoes that are called by the name “peace” allowing us to walk into places everywhere with the good news of God’s redeeming love. Finally, we thank you for giving us the true sword – the powerful Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God on our lips and in our pens."
In thinking of the Sword of the Spirit, I am reminded of a
true story told by Beth Guckenberger.
She was in a battle over the custody of two of her foster daughters, and
if the girls’ extended family members took them, they would be used in the
family “business” of criminal activity.
She desperately spent hours and days gathering evidence in boxes to
present to these family members and their advocates. When the day finally came, her much older
friend arrived to help her. Their
enemies were numerous, rowdy, and demanding.
Beth’s older friend stood up with a large Bible in her hand, right in
the midst of this angry crowd, and began reading Psalm 1. Then Psalm 2, and then she kept right on
reading. The enemies didn’t know what to
think, so they just waited for her to finish.
Finally, when she got to Psalm 9 or 10, and read how the Lord protects
the orphans, the crowd started to huff and puff and gather themselves up to
leave. Without a further protest about
the custody of the girls, the whole lot of them got into their cars and drove
off. Beth’s friend told Beth, “When you
go into battle, don’t ever forget that this,” and here she held up her Bible, “is
the only weapon you really need.”
Lord, help me to have this kind of faith! Help me to understand the power of the Word
of God on my lips and to know how to use this weapon effectively in various
situations. Help me, Holy Spirit, to walk in this kind of faith, knowing
the Lord as my shield and salvation. I
want to be convinced that this battle belongs to the Lord, and I want to say, “Some
trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our
God!”
Scripture overflows with accounts of God providing a way of
escape, each one unique to the circumstances.
In every story the keys are listening to the Lord, trusting his words,
and obeying his instructions. God didn’t
give his people a formula to follow.
Only once did he have them march around a city seven times. Only once did he use an earthquake to set
prisoners free from jail. But from all
the accounts of faith and rescue, there are abiding principles that apply in
every battle --
Look to the Lord, and put
your trust in Him!
Obey and repent of
all disobedience.
Praise and worship Him regardless of the circumstances.
Stand firm in faith, and remember that even if we perish, our eternal destiny in Him is a much higher reward than any we could ask for or imagine here on earth.
To live is Christ, and to die is gain.
But let us be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.
There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out all fear.
He will keep us in perfect peace when our mind is stayed on him.
And to Him who overcomes, I will give … the right to eat from the tree of life, hidden manna, a white stone, the morning star, the right to rule nations, and more … Rev 2 and 3.
Yes, Lord; we seek wisdom and understanding to fight the
good fight of faith, to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Your
will, and to effectively STAND in the midst of the battle, using every weapon
You have so graciously provided. You are
training our hearts, minds, spirits, and tongues for battle, even as we face
the day to day skirmishes with worry, anxiety, and distraction. In You alone is our strength. You are our victory. We may walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, but we will fear NO evil.
