Letting God Lead Devotions #23 – Are You Ready for the Fight?

Scripture:  “For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” – Deuteronomy 20:4

Examination: In today’s culture, total destruction of the enemy in a war is often viewed as unacceptable. However, God knew that the intermixing of cultures would bring sins such as idolatry and immorality, and ultimately disaster to His people. In Deuteronomy 20, Moses gives clear warfare instruction to the Israelites, but reinforces that their strength and victories will come from the Lord.

Application: While it would seem that the world is against all believers, it is important to remember that our battle is not against the physical world; it is a spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6;12 states, “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.” These evil forces are led by Satan, who, as a formidable enemy, is relentless in his attack on Christians. We are warned in 1 Peter 5:8 about Satan. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

As soldiers of the cross, we must faithfully follow our leader, the Lord Jesus Christ. To rush into our battle without being properly equipped and without following our Commander is spiritual suicide. Because of this, God has given us what we need to be prepared for the fight. In Ephesians 6, we find the description of the outfitting of a Christian warrior.

• Defensive armor: These protect us physically, mentally, and spiritually.
  • The truth (v14)
    • “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” – John 17:17
  • The breastplate of righteousness (v 14)
    • “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness…” – Isaiah 61:10
  • The gospel of peace (v 15)
    • “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27
  • The shield of faith (v 16)
    • “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” – 1 Peter 1:5
  • The helmet of salvation (v 17)
    • “But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.” – Psalm 37:39

• Offensive armor: The Word of God is the only weapon we can use to successfully defeat our enemy.
  • The sword of the Spirit (v 17)
    • “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” – Proverbs 30:5 
    • “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” – Psalm 119:11

• Battle plan:
  • Matthew 4 and Luke 4 record the battle Jesus fought with Satan in the wilderness. The Lord’s only weapon was the Word of God, and with that He was victorious. Satan had to flee! We must continually study the Scriptures so that our arsenal is full, and we are ready when the fiery darts from hell come.
    • Prayer
      • “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” – Ephesians 6:18
      • “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Matthew 26:41
    • Bible study
      • “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” – Joshua 1:8
  • Combining the Word of God with prayer, we can go forward in faith, following in the footsteps of our Commander toward victory!

Gear up! It’s time to fight for our faith, so that one future day, we can say, as Paul did, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Memory Verse: “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 15:57

Encamped along the hills of light, ye Christian soldiers rise,
And press the battle ere the night shall veil the glowing skies;
Against the foe in vales below let all our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory, we know, that overcomes the world.

Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.

His banner over us is love, our sword the Word of God;
We tread the road the saints before with shouts of triumph trod.
By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath, swept on o’er every field;
The faith by which they conquered death is still our shining shield.

Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.

(from “Faith is the Victory” by John Henry Yates)