I hope you are doing well and excited in your new life with Christ as your Lord.
I wanted to share with you a passage that tells several things about our relationship with God and the reality of evil in the world. The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 2:3-4, “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”
Being a soldier is hard, and often involves suffering. A soldier not only suffers, but also takes care of his fellow soldiers. Their very lives depend on each one carrying out his assignment. The Christian life is not easy. The church is not a social club, but a place to prepare and equip us for battle. We give our energy and attention to help our fellow soldiers win the battle.
As we prepare ourselves, the Bible says, “For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms”. – Ephesians 6:12
If we are in a battle, then who is our enemy? Ephesians 6:10-11 tells us that our enemy is the Devil, or Satan. That’s right, Satan and his evil spirits are real. They lie to us, accuse us, and they wish to destroy our relationships. Scripture tells us that Satan is the Father of all lies. So, how do we fight this enemy? Just like Jesus did! Our weapon is truth – God’s word and prayer. The key is to remember that the Bible promises that the Holy Spirit who is in you is greater than Satan is.
Here’s God’s promise to you: “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world” (1 John 4:4).
What do you think about that promise?