The Promised Victory of an Invisible War

Christian, you're at war. 

All around you is a cosmic struggle between good and evil, between the forces of the Lord and the forces of the devil—and this struggle has gone on ever since the world was created. 

It's a little intimidating to be at war, to be honest. We'd like to stay safe, living our lives like nothing's going on around us.

But it is. Spiritual warfare is real, and it's something we've got to think about. 

So what do we know about this war that we've entered into?

 

This war is active.

Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places."

Notice the wording. Paul specifically uses the word "wrestle" to describe the conflict that we're a part of. Not "oppose." Or "disagree with." Or even "resist," in this context.

Wrestling is an extremely active word. When you wrestle with someone, you're using your whole body to fight them, and it's close-range and personal. It takes a lot of energy.

So when Paul says that we wrestle against the spiritual forces of evil, he's implying a far more active struggle then we usually imagine.

1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

The devil "prowls around." "Devour." Satan is out there looking for us, and he wants to destroy us.

We often don't think about this war. It's out of sight, so it's out of mind—it's invisible.

But we need to be active in fighting it. 

We need to shift our daily mindset from "how can I get through the day with as little pain as possible?" to "how can I win the battles that are in store for me?" 

Instead of just thinking about superficial, day-to-day projects and problems, we need to remember the reality that we're at war—and act like it. 

One way to do this is to fight drift. If we don't actively resist the temptation of the devil, we will slowly sink further and further away from the Lord without realizing it.

But actively pursuing holiness—almost violently pursuing holiness—will help us in our efforts to do the work of the kingdom of God.

Because that's the only thing that really matters.

 

This war is spiritual.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood," Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12. 

And again in 2 Corinthians 10:4, "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds."

This war is happening around us all the time, but we can't see it, because it isn't a war of the flesh but of the spirit.

The spiritual realm is really confusing to us, if we're honest. 

Cosmic powers? Angels? Demons? it's incomprehensible, and we can't understand it. So we don't think about it.

But that doesn't change the fact the spiritual world is real.

The conflict is between God and Satan, and though we can't see either with her eyes, we can see the effects of their actions. We see war and hatred and chaos, and we also see order, kindness, and love. It's implausible to think those are somehow unrelated to the spiritual realm—we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, after all.

And therefore we need to be spiritual in the way we fight this spiritual war.

I don't mean weird mystical behavior. I mean that we need to depend fully on the Holy Spirit, and to remember that no amount of outward success will guarantee our spiritual safety.

Pray without ceasing. Resist temptation. Hold fast to Jesus.

Remember that the Holy Spirit is inside of you, if you're in Christ, and that he will guide you and help you.

And put on the armor of God, because the spiritual armor God gives you is how you fight this war.

 

This war is certain.

Don't worry: you're going to win.

The outcome of this conflict is decided already. And we are guaranteed the victory.

1 John 4:4 says, "Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

And John 16:33 says, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

We are going to win this fight. Actually, God is going to win this fight—we shouldn't fall into the trap of thinking that we're strong enough on our own.

If we put our faith in God and live our lives by the spirit of truth, we will stand in the day of adversity. Because ultimately, the conflict is between God and Satan—and which one of those is the more powerful? 

The entire book of Revelation is about God's ultimate victory. This victory is sure.

And so we should be certain while fighting it.

Be anxious for nothing. Don't worry about the outcome. Have faith that God knows what he's doing, and that even though you might lose a battle or two, you'll win the war in the end.

And it's true, you will lose a couple battles. Nobody stands strong all the time except the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

But when you do face those defeats, remember two battles fought on one night nearly two thousand years ago. 

Jesus, bloodied and brutalized, dying on a Roman cross. And Peter, denying his Lord out of fear that he'd be next. 

But Jesus's death turned into the Resurrection, the greatest victory of all. Sometimes what looks like a defeat isn't actually one at all. 

And Peter repented of his sin and grew so much that later, when he was dragged before the Jewish Council and ordered to stop talking about Jesus, he told them, "We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:25) 

God can redeem our greatest failures. And the victory is certain.

So go into the world today, Christian, and fight.