The Battle for Your Soul (Part 1)

The Battle for Your Soul (Part 1)

by Ron Wilkerson

The battle for your soul has just begun anew today and thus the chance to pursue Christ and skirt the world exists once again for you. How glorious it is that we have another day to live in pursuit of righteousness, though we will all fall short. Hey, its okay, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous, if we will just call on Him. That is what I shall do today.

So, here it is my brethren, in my studies I am finding three chief enemies which I battle with constantly. I pray that it is not just me that fights these three things. They are as follows:

1. The Flesh

2. The World

3. The Devil and his angels

Pretty much in that order for the most part and number three on this list likes to take special liberty to tempt you with first in the list above, if indeed you need temptation to succumb. If you need no temptation, then he has no need to worry of you. Don't worry though, you keep following Christ and soon you will feel the sting of Satan's fiery arrows of temptation and he'll use one of the two human vices above to tempt. 

For my Christian brothers and sisters, I want to encourage you first. Though the flesh, the world, and Satan be a hindrance and place you under a heavy yolk on a daily basis; never question your salvation. God is nearer to you when you can least tell He is there than at anytime, for He knows your trials, temptation, and your time of need. I believe it is appropriate to point out here a principle found in Paul's letter to the church in Rome. God says, "Behold, I work ALL things together for the Good of those who are called according to my purposes, to those who are called by My name." There is much to gain by suffering in the flesh, in the world, and by Satan. Without these principle enemies with which we battle, it would be impossible to know that God's Grace is Sufficient for Thee. 

It's true, you so often here a Christian quote that famous passage, that God's Grace is Sufficient! If the believer quotes it enough and puts it to practice in their walk with Christ, then as a believer you will be put to the test to see if you personally believe it. Perhaps I should rather say, if they truly seek God, that statement of belief will be put to the test see if there be any true faith at all. I don't want you to wonder about these things as if something strange has occurred to you. For to whom much is given, much will be expected. You have been given the Kingdom of Heaven if you have the blessed Holy Spirit within, for you have been sealed up. Whether or not you realize it, you are a king and priest in training here on this earth. If you be given the Kingdom of Heaven so freely, know that your worthiness will be put to the test. But worry not, Christ overcame this world and so will you. Run this race of life with endurance and find that sweet inheritance laid up for you when your last breath has been drawn.

The beauty of life cannot be ascertained until someone dear to you has been given over to trials, temptations, hardships, sickness or even death. Grace cannot be known unless it has been tried. You cannot know joy if you have not known pain. You get the point.

To the point I am making. You battle three things daily. The principle fight starts with the flesh the moment you wake up each morning. Why?  Because a nature which of evil resides within you and is inherited from your human father Adam (the flesh). This flesh will keep you from perfection for the time being, so do not expect to win this battle every time. Go into the battle expecting to win, and if/when you lose a this battle with the flesh, do not give up. God's grace is sufficient for thee. You must keep doing battle though, after all you have a great inheritance and must be a wise steward of the gifts you have been given from on High. Since this flesh will be with you all your days, you will suffer and subsequently the statement Paul made to the church in Rome is proven true, "I see a law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity". This flesh... He then says, "Who will deliver me from this body of death"? Answer: Your advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous will deliver you from this body of flesh and death. Do not ever give up my brothers and sisters in Christ, for when you are tried that is when God's strength is made manifest in you. Then you will know His Grace as you begin to overcome this flesh and mortify the members of your body. For it is written,

Mark 14:38 "Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
1 Corinthians 9:27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Romans 7:23-24 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from this body of death?

Galatians 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Colossians 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.


Next dear friends is the world. This one is particularly dangerous because its poison can dwell in its sublety to overtake you. The love of this world's things bring many a soul to hell. This fight is disastrous and frought with danger and pain. I myself know. When I first came to Christ on November 2, 2002 at the Baptist Hospital in Little Rock, AR, I was elated. However, it was not soon after that my life just went on as normal. I believe God is very happy to let His beloved experience His ultimate joy and peace at the time of conversion. But soon His Holy Spirit which came to live within me had to begin His work of sanctifying me. Believe me, this is a work which will last my entire life. The world soon overtook me again with its devices. I did whatever I wanted and whenever I wanted. Soon though, a purging began of those things and it was quite painful. I could not know the joy of following after Christ if those IDOLS had not been purged. My personal idols were television, sports, inappropriate relationships, bars, and general acceptance of my friends in whatever activity was being pursued. 


We all hold within us a secret desire to hold on to this world and we fight with it daily. Know that you can overcome this because Christ first overcame it. Christ faced this same battle as you and I. Satan used the world to tempt Him when taking Jesus high on the mountain to offer Jesus this world, if only He would bow to Satan and worship at his feet. Here I will take some liberty to say, what a fool Satan was to think he could tempt our Lord and Master and win... Dumb with a capital D. So then, Jesus is familiar with your sufferings and you are admonished to overcome and be victorious in this world. It is easy enough to say that Jesus overcame the world, but to actually live this out is much tougher, as we believers know all too well. He never said it would be easy, just that it would be possible for the believer because He overcame it first. However, to achieve victory over this world, you must live in obedience to the Holy Spirit as He guides you down that very narrow path which leads to everlasting righteousness. You are commanded not to be conformed to this world. For it is written,


James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Galatians 6:14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
 

Lastly my brothers, you must overcome Satan. Here you must be very careful! Satan is not a mere human by which you will over power him. No, he would slaughter you and all of humanity up in mere seconds were this a physical battle, and I thank God it is not. This battle with Satan is spiritual and he will toss you up if you seek to confront him without the covering of His Holy Spirit. I tell you now, do not ever confront Satan or his angels unless you have been led by God to do so. This takes a special walk with Christ, one that does not ever waiver, for if you ever give Satan an opportunity, you can bet he will take it; and you know not in how he will take the opportunity. I find that Satan is content to wait a long period of time to accomplish his goal through the most devious of means and persuasions. He won't come at you dear Christian head on, for He knows the power that is within you. He will likely use the two vices listed above which so easily besets the Christian; the flesh and the world. Only Satan's anger has now been kindled since you have dared to do battle with him directly. I counsel you to flee from him, to flee from temptation, lest the devil gain an advantage over you. 


Satan is not dead. He has studied humanity for thousands of years, he was present in the realm of existence when humans were first created. Scripture tells us that "he roams about the earth to and fro", and this he does for one purpose only, to ruin your souls. He never slumbers or sleeps (although he is not omnipresent like God), he is a lion that is never far from you dear friends. Satan is always near watching our paths and looking upon all of our ways in life watching for our weaknesses to use for his exploitation. Satan is a murderer and a liar from the beginning (he is the father of all lies and was a liar from the beginning), he labors night and day to see us cast us into hell; even standing before the Father to accuse us at our death! But alas, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous. Notice how Jesus keeps showing up, always as our protector and guardian.... Hmm, reckon it is the Holy Spirit sealed within us which ensures that Christ will always be with us????

Satan, your mighty adversary must DAILY be resisted! He will not leave easily. Remember when Jesus disciples tried to cast out a demon and were unable to do so in Jesus name. Jesus heard of this and then came to the place where this demon held possession a captive, he then told his disciples that this kind of demon does not come out easily, prayer and fasting are required to expel this kind of demon. This tell me that some demons are stronger than others, or there stronghold is deeper than other strongholds a demon may gain over the captive.   This also tells me that there are ranks within Satan's armies of demons, potentially. Now if Jesus was this serious about this particular demon, how much more so should you be serious and very careful in consideration of the "Cherub that Covereth" as he was formerly known in heaven. You must put on the whole armor of God to resist this foe. Do not confront him, let the Lord lead your battle; you are simply commanded to resist Satan, unless/until God leads you into direct spiritual confrontation with him. It is a very dangerous affair to battle spiritually for the untrained believer with any spiritual forces of darkness/wickedness, how much more so when confronting Satan himself! By untrained believer, I mean one who is not fully aware of the reality that we are daily battling in the spiritual realm. This daily battle must occur, for it is written,


Job 1:7 The LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it."
1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Luke 22:31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
I have no more time this morning brethren. Take heart, He who is in you is greater than he who is in this world. Overcome says the Lord! May God be with you today as your eyes are fully opened to the battle at hand. Be blessed and overcome. To each of you, may God supply you His grace in full measure.
 

Shalom!