Fighting the Spiritual Battles

             The persecution of Christians continues to rise all over the world.  According to Christianity Today, one in seven Christians live in countries with high levels of persecution or discrimination.  However, the persecution of Christians is nothing new.

            John the Baptist lost his head because he spoke Truth to the ruling authorities.  Peter and the other apostles were thrown in jail because they preached the Gospel and performed miracles.  Stephen became the first Christian martyr because he too preached truth and performed miracles.  The apostle, James, was killed by King Herod because he belonged to the Church.  Paul, the apostle who traveled the world, spreading the good news, was beaten and stoned many times, and ultimately imprisoned for his faith.  It is no wonder then that the persecution of Christians continues to this day.

            Why is Satan so intent on destroying the Church and killing Christians?  Just like us, he knows that Christ has already won the victory.  The best Satan can hope for is to take as many with him as possible.  That is his goal.

            As for individuals who war against Christians, I think there are several reasons for their intense hatred. 

            First, they live in darkness, surrounded by evil, with no hope.  In contrast, Christians live in the light of Jesus, made righteous through His blood, with the hope of eternal life.  That is a contrast that the persecutors cannot comprehend—unless someone takes the time to enlighten them.

            Second, people often fear what they don’t understand.  Many people equate Christianity with American society, which includes every kind of sin and depravity.  They want no part of the drugs and sexual sins that our society embraces, so they denounce Christianity as evil. 

            So, how do we stand against ever-growing persecution?  “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11 NIV84).  We are fighting a spiritual battle—a battle that can’t be won with human weapons.  It is only with the power of God that we can stand. 

            Persecution will continue until Christ returns.  Our job is to advance the Gospel through the power of Christ, stand our ground, “and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6: 13b NIV84).  We can only “stand” through the power of Christ, so all of us must pray for strength for each other and especially for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.  “Pray that whenever they open their mouths, words will be given them so that they may fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (Paraphrase of Ephesians 6: 19 NIV84).

Ephesians 6: 10 - 20

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hi, I'm the Sun Porch Lady

  Hi, I’m the Sun Porch Lady. I recently retired and while most of the world thinks that is a wonderful thing, I've found it to be anything but wonderful. I've been going to school and/or working since I was six years old so finding myself with nothing, but free time is a whole new experience.   I have no structure, no daily schedule, and seemingly no purpose in my life.   While that may sound like heaven, I believe that Christians never retire.   God just repurposes them. As I struggled to find new purpose and bring some structure back to my life, I turned to writing.   Over the years, I have often written devotional thoughts or put various ideas to paper.   I can’t say that I’ve ever been very good at journaling but from time to time, I have written about events in my life that taught me values or made me more aware of God working in my life.   So, to keep busy and hopefully spark an interest in others I've decided to create this blog. I’m callin...
Read more

Is there a "Banana Cake" for you in 2025?

                 Most families have at least one Christmas tradition.   Our family is no exception.   One of our traditions when I was growing up was my Mom’s banana cake.   She only made it once a year, at Christmas time, and the whole family loved it—even my Father who was a very picky eater.   Once the cake cooled, Mom would cut it down the middle and then hide half of it.   She wanted to make sure that we would still have some when friends or family dropped in.   We knew better than to search for her hiding place, and she knew that if she didn’t hide part of it, we would eat it all.               When my Mom got sick and could no longer bake the cake, my Dad decided that it was my job.   As my closest friends know, I am not much of a cook—although I’ve seen some improvement since I retired.   That first year was a disaster.   Th...
Read more

Freedom Isn't Free!

             On Christmas night, 1776, George Washington engineered a surprise attack on Britain’s German allies, capturing 1000 Hessian troops.   The story of him and his troops crossing the icy Delaware that night gave hope to a new nation fighting for its life.   Regrettably, the celebration was short-lived.   Just a week later, the enlistments of most of his troops were ending, and it seemed unlikely that they would stay to continue the fight for freedom.   As he faced that prospect, Washington lined up his troops and offered this plea. “My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do, and more than can be reasonably expected; but your country is at stake, your wives, your houses and all that you hold dear. You have worn yourselves out with fatigues and hardships, but we know not how to spare you. If you will consent to stay one month longer, you will render that service to the cause of liberty, and to your cou...
Read more