You’re At War

You’re at War

I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

Romans 7:22-24

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4

Who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 John 5:5

Imagine what it would be like to wake up to gunfire and exploding grenades all around you. One minute you were comfortable in your bed, and the next you were under attack!

That’s what happens to us as believers. We can be going along enjoying life when suddenly we find ourselves assaulted by a flurry of doubts, attacked by gripping fears, or burned by difficulty or suffering. But it shouldn’t surprise us. The Bible says we’re in a war “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). When you leave behind a life of death and slavery to sin and enter into a new life with Jesus, Satan declares war against you. He uses every means he can to urge you to satisfy yourself with anything other than Christ, and to tempt you to doubt God’s goodness.

If you are a Christian, there’s a war going on inside of you. You’re going to be victorious in the end, but not without many battles, occasional defeats, wounds, and scars. The Spirit inside you will win against the powers of darkness in this world, but know that you’ve got a fight on your hands.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

How does a person who’s at war live differently from someone who isn’t?

What are some of the tactics Satan uses in his war against your soul?

What is your part in fighting this battle? What is God’s part?