Battles, Where they come from; How to Win!

What A Soldier Battles                                  by Capt. Kelly Durant    8-12-12

2 Tim 2:3-4

3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs-he wants to please his commanding officer.

2. In the trench warfare of WWI each side would make long trenches and no one could pass from one side to the other. How was the scenario? Every time someone put their head up to try and run to attack, they would get shot at! That is the way our enemy, Satan, operates. As long as you stay comfortable in your trench he doesn’t bother you, but when you come out and get some victories for Jesus, or when you expose sin, he attacks you. The attacks come in many different ways. We are all often in a spiritual and often physical battle!

We are God’s soldiers and the only way to fight this war is to be disciplined! What is our discipline? Prayer, the study of the Word of God, and the standing up for the right causes, proclaiming Jesus as the Savior and solution to all needs!

3. Soldiers, when you have a hard time standing for your Commanding Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, when you are weak and can’t stand, you can at least to kneel! Kneel and get strength from outside your self! Prayer is a weapon that works!

Remember also you are not in this war alone and there are more than 1 million Salvation Army Soldiers in the world! Statistics show there are more that one billion Christians too! In this Corps everyone does pray and most everyone cares and acts when called to battle!

I sincerely hope all of you are praying for each other. If you are a friend and a help to someone, then they, or someone else God will send, will be a friend to you in the time of need! We must be communicating during the week, supporting and loving each other, helping with each other’s needs in the same way the disciples did it!

4.  Eph 6:12-18

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

6. These are the classic verses on being prepared for battle. We must pay attention to these verses and put on each item or we might take a hit in a weak spot and it will take months to heal if it doesn’t kill us! Eternal security requires eternal vigilance!

That is symbolic armor but the uniform helps you in battle, do you know how? We are not in an official killing army, we are a saving army. Be reminded you that are we at war with evil! Just as a firefighter in his uniform is prepared to fight fires, just as a policeman identifies himself as the keeper of the law, we as Christian Soldiers represent the fight for the salvation of souls, for their righteousness, purity, love and we identify ourselves that we render dedicated service to those suffering!

Each of us represent our Commander and Chief Jesus Christ! Everyday we fight for what is right! Even in heaven we will wear a uniform of pure white reflecting the light and purity of God! So a uniform on earth is a good practice for wearing one in heaven!

As you know we do not train to fight with a rifle or a gun, we train to fight the enemy with the sword of the word of God, quoting scripture to the enemy, and after being resisted, he will flee from us! James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you

7. In the verses in Timothy we see that we are to endure hardships, as the soldiers of the world do, for our Lord Jesus Christ. And when you think about when Paul was writing, the Romans had a very strict code of conduct, and they would march on foot for months carrying heavy metal armor, and they suffered many more hardships back then than what a soldier suffers today!

There are three basic battle fronts; The one with Satan in your head in yourself; the one with those close, your family & friends; and the one with the evil people of the world.

8. One of the first ways our accuser and adversary attacks you is inside. He will either fill you with pride, or accuse you, and bring on discouragement! You and I may be doing great for a while and life was good, but then Satan the tempter appears in your mind he shorts out circuits with negative thoughts! He attacks you with lies about yourself and others and discourages you!  He says you, look you are a failure, no one loves you!

You and I are either tempted from Satan to be like him and to think we do not need God since we are so smart, or to believe the lie that there is no God when we feel abandoned due to illness, depression, or rejection from others!

Satan reminds us we are a sinners, but hating on yourself, or anyone, provokes destruction to yourself and to others! Satan always deceives you that you are sick in your mind, and sick in your spirit, and ultimately he wants to make you sick in your body as well! He wants the destruction of as much life as possible! So how will you ever get back to God then? How can you ever feel better? He wants you to think you never can! But this is a lie! Just claim the Word!

Say it, “Get behind me Satan!” I claim the blood of Jesus!(repeat)

1 John 1:7

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

You will tell Satan, “I belong to Jesus, I am forgiven and God wants me and loves me and Jesus died for me to have eternal life!” Jesus has cleaned me and my past sins are forgotten!  Pray, “Jesus heal my mind, heal my heart and body in pain!”

So the first battle for most Christians usually begin with your own evil self and discouragement. Get encouragement from the Word, pray and get others to pray for you too, and you open the door for God to work in you because you are doing your part!

9. Battle two will be with those closest to you, with those people in your life, those in the church and those in your family.

Matt 10:34-36

34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

When you live as a Soldier for Jesus Christ, doing what is correct, pure, and Godly, you will make enemies without even trying! In both Regina and my families there are some people that have no desire whatsoever to see us because they know that we love God, and talk about the Bible, and since they love the things of the world more than the spiritual things, they do not want us around them making them feel uncomfortable. In this battle you will lose some friends and family, but you will gain others that will be more helpful and loving than the ones you had before!

This Corps church, being filled with sincere Christians, is like family to you and me! But sometimes there are brothers and sisters who say and do things in their automatic carnal nature, not praying over their words, stumbling others in the faith.  In life we will face many rough seas so place your anchor ion Jesus to prevent a total loss! Never let your focus be distracted on the complainy weak soldier full of confusing words, focus on Jesus, and hang out with those who are strong!

Remember, people will always fail you, but Jesus never! He is a friend forever! Be prepared to have some ugly bad experiences sometimes, it is a part of the battle. You may be justified to complain when you experience hypocrisy, but hypocrisy is everywhere in the world! Just look at the current politics going on! Focus of God answering prayers, and know that He does bless those who remain pure, loving, and patient! 

10. And finally battle number 3, you will have war with the evil people of the world!

When people who practice sin and do evil see peace and love in your face and eyes it makes them mad and they want to kill you! It was the same with the hypocrites that wanted to kill Jesus! They want to see everybody sour and bitter, and angry and going to hell just like they are! They want to destroy your clean appearance making it appear all dirty and stained like theirs is! But never go to their level! Live in peace, turn the other cheek, and don’t do something foolish and let them destroy you or your testimony! In your mind or when necessary, say out it loud, “I rebuke you Satan in Jesus name!”

Here are few contrasting mindsets exposing why we have a spiritual war. 2 Timothy 3:13

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

The evil ones in the world love destruction death, and war, and abortion but…

  We as Christians love life, and peace, and children!

The evil ones in the world love exploitation, idolize material wealth and pride but…

We love righteousness and justice for the poor; we seek spiritual wealth, and desire to         be humble!

The evil ones in the world love to accuse, condemn, hate and create scandal but…

   We love forgiveness, like the prostitute forgiven by Jesus, we are the peacemakers who just want to love and heal!

11.The values of the world and its evil empires with its anti-Christian news media outlets daily promote anti-Biblical values. Bottom line, Satan hates Christians with a passion! There is a very active war of propaganda to destroy all values of purity and love by all means possible. It is by power abuse, by the promotion of the acceptance of perverse sexual behavior, by the stripping away of human rights, and by the destruction and ridiculization of the people of faith. There are continuous lying attacks on good people and it all comes from the powers that be on high just as it was in Paul’s time writing to the Ephesians in chapter 6. 

Satan exalts everything that is totally diametrically opposed to God’s values insulting Jesus and all Christians. Take notice, one does not win a defensive war! We all must speak out for God and His love, defending his basic principles that produce respect and dignity through high standards of values fighting for justice and the right causes!

12.I am going to tell you about a war story so you will see to what extreme people will serve man, and how much more we should serve God! This is in the time of Napoleon as related by George de Espartes. When Napoleon and his army were surrounded by the Cossacks, the only way out was across an icy river, but the bridge had been washed out. He ordered his men to put up a bridge. When they tried, many men were swept away by the currents, others, frozen and went under the water washed down never to reappear. Finally the bridge was set up and the army marched across to safety. As Napoleon looked back he saw many columns holding up the bridge. The columns were frozen men that had given their lives to hold the bridge up! It is reported that even Napoleon shed tears for them. Just think, if men in this world have given their lives for the empty cause of dictators and conquest, how much more should we give our lives as living sacrifices to God!

The Lord wants absolute love, dedication, and loyalty! And He is the only One who is worthy of fighting for! The very first commandment is to… Love God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind! But if you give your loyalty to men on this earth, they will always let you down!

13.But now we are all blessed to be soldiers with Jesus as our General! You have a Commander that is all loving, all forgiving, all-powerful, and he knows where you will best serve Him.  But you must first battle the enemy and obey His call! If we do not choose to be governed by God, then we will end up being governed by a tyrant!

Just think how many people are stuck on this earth all of their lives as slaves to men and not to God! Satan wants to enslave and condemn to hell anyone he can with distorted thinking, vices, crimes, temptations and sins, producing a sick body, mind, and spirit!

Today we all are given an opportunity to serve the true God like never before! We must fight with the truth to free the souls of men and or they will have hell to pay! First of all, you have to fight to keep your own soul and body remaining strong in the Lord!   Philippians 2:12

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

You may lose some battles but in the end in the final battle of Armageddon we know who wins, it is Jesus! You are the chosen ones to represent your Lord in battle, so march forward to the prize of the high calling of God! Prayer…