Spiritual Battles

I don't know how you all feel these days about the state of Britain spiritually, but from the view of someone on the outside looking in things seem very dark and getting darker.

In Korea I don't get to see much or be involved in many things concerning the UK but what I do do without fail, is watch Question Time every Friday morning, and when I listen to some of the debates, some of the points of view of both the audience and the politicians and commentators who are on the panel it really rips a hole in my stomach.

Christianity is mocked and Christians are ridiculed and condemned, while other religions are not just tolerated but encouraged to be accepted. There was a whole debate recently about homosexuality, concerning the case of those Christian B&B owners refusing a gay couple to sleep in the same room and the government making it compulsory to teach about homosexuality in schools as being an acceptable alternative, and the reaction of both the panel and the audience was unbelievable!

Not only was the Christian's stance on homosexuality as a sin ridiculed but they also began to mock anyone who believed in Creation over evolution!

Even one member of the audience stood up and said 'I am a Christian, a deacon [or something] in my local church and we believe that homosexuality is fine! If 2 people love each other then God is happy with that!'

Then you look at the news and see the rise of crime, especially knife crime amongst youths and it paints a bleak picture.

Drug use seems rampant and with the rising unemployment, that seems only to be getting worse.

Then you have the behaviour of the politicians and the expenses scandal and the lack of honest people leading the country is frightening, but the worse thing about it is, if we were in the same position as them, and encouraged to abuse the expense account then I'm sure many would!

And finally, just looking at the Church and the lack of numbers and the amount of churches closing paints a very dark picture!

Hearing some of the church leaders of this country describing the atonement as 'cosmic child abuse' and unnecessary for salvation is beyond terrible!

I'm not one of those people to see judgement in everything as some do but I must say, seeing the Bible colleges in Wales closing or in difficulty makes me sit back and think. I must say, seeing the Bible College of Wales, 'God's college' as it was labelled when it was opened, close and the testimony that place had of the provision of God throughout the years seemingly gone really hurts inside and makes me think the future of this country is not looking good.

Yet, God always has a remnant, He always has His people! Remember Elijah 'I am the only prophet left!' But God said to him, 'No I have _____ who have not bowed the knee to Baal' and even Obadiah who met Elijah on the road to see the king was a godly man who hid 100 of God's prophets in caves when jezebel was killing them off.

And as this passage says 'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it'.

Yes, things maybe looking bleak, we may be in the midst of darkness, but while there is light still shining, while there is still a church, while there are still men and women who love and seek God, while we are still here, the darkness will not overcome!

There is hope for this town, this country, this nation, as dark as it may be but it's not going to be easy! No, it's going to be a war!! And that's what I want us to look at this morning, spiritual battles.

And what I want to talk about this morning doesn't just apply to the 'Big Things' the 'Big Problems' but rather to every battle we will ever face in our walk with Jesus! Whether it is a battle for the country or a personal battle against temptation or whatever else we face on a daily basis that hinders our growth, what I want to speak about this morning applies to it all!

Now, there is 1 thing we all must know, that we all must understand and be aware of. When we come to Jesus, when we call on His holy Name for forgiveness and salvation, we enter a war! And what's more we go straight to the front line!

Now this is something we must know, we must understand and we must be ready for it each and every day!

The 2nd thing we need to know is this: the war we're in, the battles we fight are not flesh on flesh or country against country. There'll be no landmines planted in your path, no sniper waiting to take you out, no planes dropping bombs to worry about.