Prepare to Fight
There’s a lot going on around us today. So many things happening in so many areas, it can be frightening. I don’t think I need to mention any of it outright. However, let me just say, while scary in their own right, it’s not surprising.
There’s no need to go into detail. What I will do is continue my own journey, however paltry it may seem to some, and continue to write the messages I’ve been given to write, by a God, my God, the world seems to shun.
We should not be surprised. We should not really be appalled, or galled, by what’s going on around us. Yet, I see, hear, and read the reactions of many people, both Christians and non, alike, and it saddens me.
Why should we not be surprised? Because this is not new! As I sat writing this, I had three different Bibles opened in front of me. I read the same passage in three different translations and they all said the same thing: there’s nothing new under the sun. To be specific, “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NLT)
Something else which bears repeating is that those of us who are Christ-followers, followers of The Way (Jesus), or more well-known as Christians, need to realize the importance of making sure we are fully prepared for battle. Our armor needs to be on. We need to be ready, not only mentally, but also physically and spiritually, for the battle ahead.
In one of my books, Warrior Princess, I made note; “Perhaps one of the most important things we can do to be prepared is to make sure we have on the whole armor of God. All of it. We must constantly be covered from head to toe if we are to protect ourselves from the onslaught of the enemy.”
Do you not think what’s happening in and around the world is an attack of the enemy? It is. And the closer we get to what God has called us to do, the more intense the enemy will attack. The closer we get to Jesus returning, the more intense the enemy will attack. People, it’s time to wake up and prepare to fight.
Even though we are fighting the same battles our ancestors once did, clear back to the beginning of time (or, if we’re being specific to our current events, lining up with history, 1400 BC), we still battle the same way. Like an eagle fights a snake – in the air – we must put on all our armor (the full armor of God) and take our battle to the air.
What does that mean?!
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)
No soldier goes into battle unprepared. Just as in the military, the soldiers are trained. We are also trained when we spend time in God’s Word and in prayer. Prayer is taking the battle to the air. When we do, we become a powerful force because in the spiritual realm, the battle may rage, but we win!
You see, difficult as it may seem to grasp at times, this ancient battle has already been fought and won. Yes, we still have ludicrous circumstances that come against us, and even those who can’t fight for themselves. However, unless those who can fight will stand and fight, those who can’t fight will lose.
Maybe you’re wondering, if the battle is already won, why do we have to fight? Let me explain: Have you ever had a pest problem? Those aggravating little ants that seem to show up every spring, marching in a line across your countertops, floor, table, or wherever you have snacks? Or what about those disgusting little rodents that sneak along your floor when they think you aren’t looking. They gnaw holes in your furniture, slip under the door of your pantry and chew holes in your boxes of cereal, crackers, or bags of bread? You know the vermin I’m speaking of.
We set traps, we spray poison, and yet, those pesky things return, over and over again. They’re a nuisance. You get my drift? That’s just like the enemy of our souls, the devil. And just like ants, mice, cockroaches, and all those disgusting critters that invade our house; they keep coming back. It’s the same thing with the devil.
If he can’t get at you one way, he will find another way to attack. This is why we must constantly be covered in our spiritual armor. This is why we must be vigilant in our stance against him. Until we realize that the things happening in our world are not of this world, we are powerless to do anything about it.
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT)
Stomping and screaming at other people is not fighting the battle. The battle is fought on our knees, in prayer. Or stand, declare God’s promises not only over yourself, but your family, your home, your city, your county, your state, your nation, your world. That is how the battle is fought. In prayer.
We can no longer afford to be idle and watch as things crumble around us. We can no longer ask God, “Why don’t You do something?!” Because if you truly listen, you may hear Him respond, “I did. I created you.”
