Double Battle

Jeremiah 4:1 “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord…”

“The battle is lost or won in the secret places of the will before God, never first in the external world.”                                                                                                                ~Oswald Chambers

We think that our battle starts externally because of all the things of this world that push in on us, and how Satan uses the things of this world to draw us away from God. It is true that we are in a battle, and this year has made that fact very evident. We are battling globally against the same little insidious enemy. However, in actuality, we have always been fighting against the same enemy, and the battleground is our very soul. God calls us to Him and Satan tries to lure us away with every weapon in his arsenal. There is only one way to resist the darkness that he brings, and that is to yield to the Savior and walk with Almighty God, seeking Him in all things through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Chambers writes, “Nothing has any power over the man who has fought out the battle before God and won there.” This refers to the battle of the soul through the submission of my will; once yielded, I am free through the gift of His mercy.

In scripture we are told, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 (ESV)

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:2 (ESV)

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV)

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (ESV)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27 (ESV)

Chambers writes, “I must get the thing settled between myself and God, in the secret places of my soul where no stranger intermeddles, and then I can go forth with certainty that the battle is won.” This is the battle for my very soul. Once I truly yield to Jesus and ask for forgiveness for my sins, I am saved, and the internal battle is finished; yet Satan never wavers and the external battle rages on. The effects of this can also be a continued internal struggle with sin. Now is the time for armor.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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 spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:1-18 (NIV)