Victory

God wants you to experience peace. A deep, settled peace. An unexplainable peace. A continual peace that is experienced every day. A peace that is felt all the way to heaven. That peace can only be delivered by Yahweh Shalom. Let me set the context for today’s passage.

Worry, anxiety, fear—have you ever experienced those emotions? No doubt you have. Even the strongest believer has been riddled with fear. But thankfully, for those who follow Jesus, these emotions are “drive-bys,” not destinations. We need not live with anxiety, worry, or fear because we serve God Most High.

Do you feel it? There is a battle raging within us. On one hillside of my heart the sinful nature is encamped. This army, hostile to God, desires to be in control.

Ever feel like you are alone in the battle? The fighting and chaos surround you, and there seems to be no chance of winning. Listen to today’s passage.

In our Battle Ready study, we have learned of four anchors that are foundational in all our spiritual battles. Let’s review those anchors.

The greatest weapon in the spiritual battle is prayer—talking with God. We can only be strong in the strength of his might. And that strength comes when we are in conversation with the One in charge of the battle. Even when we are all buckled up in our battle gear, we must hear the voice of the Sovereign Commander. He is the only One who brings the victory.

Training and preparation produce confidence. An army moves assuredly when they have studied the enemy, understand the terrain, and are properly suited up. Battle readiness produces victory. To be battle ready we need the right gear. We have learned that the belt of truth allows us to move freely without stumbling. The breastplate of righteousness protects our heart and keep us on the right path. Today, let’s consider additional components of our battle gear—the shoes, the shield, and the helmet.

In the past few weeks, the world has been engulfed in a crisis that started with a terrorist attack on Israel and its response. We have seen Israel’s “Iron Dome” fend off a barrage of rockets from Hamas and Hezbollah militants. We have watched Israel striking back at the terrorists’ stronghold in the Gaza Strip. More recently, Israel has sent in ground troops maneuvering through underground tunnels determined to find the enemy and in hopes of rescuing innocent hostages. This war is being fought in the air and on the ground. Our greatest enemy, the devil, fights against us on the same two fronts.

We are in a battle, but not with other people. Our struggles with people and circumstances are real-life events and cause real-life problems. However, hiding behind every circumstance, there is a conspirator. Hiding behind every deception, there is a deceiver. Hiding behind every hurt, there is a hunter. Hiding behind every lie, there is the father of lies. Our clash is not with “flesh and blood.” We are in a spiritual battle.