Stand Strong In Spiritual Battle – Part 1 Series

Comfort says, “If I did not tell you these things it would be like a doctor not telling you that you have cancer and you would die a slow and painful death unaware of your true circumstances.”

Many people disregard spiritual warfare, spiritual influence and the unseen realms altogether because of ignorance, fear, or unbelief. Some just don’t want to know. Heaven and Hell, Angels and Demons, the Holy Spirit and Satan; people do not take these things seriously. They are all very real and we interact with them every day. People can even deny, but humans have no choice because their lives are in the trenches of the spiritual from birth through death; whether they like it or not. We are spirits, we just have a body. The prevalent problem is that all lost human beings and most Christians do not know how to train for, focus on, live for and within the realm of the spiritual that affects our lives; every moment of every day. We do not know how to stand in battle against the foes of darkness and we do not understand the spiritual power of standing in the supernatural awesomeness of God.

You see, people have this huge misconception that the devil and his fallen angels come up from hell to harass and attack you and then leave. No. First off they are not in hell yet. They are roaming the earth and trying to accuse you for your actions before God in heaven. They could be next to you. In your home or on the street; riding in your car, whispering in your ear while you sleep. They are all around us tempting, harassing and ready to destroy. If you do not believe in it, feel that it is irrelevant or does not concern you; then you have already lost the battle. Satan has already deceived you by one or more of the relentless means of spiritual combat.

I want to give you an example. Jesus said in John 10:1-10: “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up from some other place [on the stone wall], that one is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep [the protector and provider]. 3 The doorkeeper opens [the gate] for this man, and the sheep hear his voice and pay attention to it. And [knowing that they listen] he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out [to pasture]. 4 When he has brought all his own sheep outside, he walks on ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice and recognize his call. 5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what He was talking about. 7 So Jesus said again, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I am the Door for the sheep [leading to life]. 8 All who came before Me [as false messiahs and self-appointed leaders] are thieves and robbers, but the [true] sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the Door; anyone who enters through Me will be saved [and will live forever], and will go in and out [freely], and find pasture (spiritual security). 10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].”

In Jesus’ day sheep were protected at night in a sheepfold. A sheepfold was an enclosure with 6-foot-high walls, there would be a gate and a doorkeeper that guarded the sheepfold and sharp bushes with thorns laid across the top to keep out robbers and wild animals. But what would happen is that at times a robber would climb the wall, get in, slit the throats of as many sheep he could and throw them over the wall to his companions to steal. This is the same way that our enemies come for us, by cunning, by stealth, when we are caught off guard. This is why we have to stay close to the Shepherd! Do you not understand that we are always targeted? All you have to do is open your eyes and see the havoc that is being wreaked upon mankind, upon society, upon the church, upon our bodies and our minds. If people cannot see the evil fog that is slowly choking the life out of this world and the people therein then they are blind fools or ignorant or both. Being naïve will not be an excuse when we stand before Jesus.