Know your Enemy.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." - (1 Peter 5:8)
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - (Eph. 6:12)
"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." - (2 Cor. 10:4)
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” – (Matt. 5:44-45)
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.” – (Luke 6:27-29)
Wear your armor.
"If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer." - (2 Cor. 1:6)
Claim the victory.
“…I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." - (Matthew 16:18)
No human being is your enemy.
Your warfare involves prayer, love, and becoming a blessing to those who hate you.
Lives may be lost in this battle, and your own life is most certainly one of them.
If blood must be shed it must be your own.
You must look out for the well-being of your fellow-soldiers, and your enemy.
You are a sheep, not a wolf. Trust in your Shepherd for protection.
That's right my fighter lives in me and we live at the throne
ReplyDeleteSo often we see the enemy as being our neighbor. That causes us to treat those around as the enemy. In difficult situations we need to step back and understand that we all have been deceived by the ha-satan (accuser). People who hurt us are acting on the lie about happiness... which leads them hurt others and themselves in it's pursuit.
ReplyDeleteAll these thoughts sound quite spiritual and good. Unfortunately, even as we love those who try to force us to celebrated a union of two men as a marriage, they call it hate, because we don't join in their celebration. It isn't hate; it is honesty. It is our conviction that we cannot celebrate such a thing. We decline respectfully, but they call it hate, anyway. That does not mean that we have done anything at all to them. We have simply refused to participate. This is the same reason we would refuse to drink poison as a social event. Or join in a gangbang as a social event. We decline to participate in wickedness.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the opposition does not permit us to politely decline. If we invite them to worship with us at church, they might decline, and so what? We don't call that hate speech.
The aggressive advocates of behavior no Christian can sanction or participate in are doing everything they can do to harden their view into law, with fearful consequences for noncompliance. Well, how is that different from the Roman Empire? Christianity survived, but many individual Christians did not. Don't fool yourself. This really is religious persecution. It may not meet the legal definition for a courtroom, but it is in fact persecution of people who choose to stand apart because of convictions that grow out of their commitment to God. Call it whatever you want. The outcome is bad.
Fantastic list! I love it. Thanks for alerting me to this, Keith.
ReplyDelete