Christian warfare is a constant theme in the New Testament. While the Old Testament is full of flesh and blood warfare the New Testament deals with a whole different, but no less real warfare.
‘Fight the good fight of faith,’ Paul writes, ‘lay hold to eternal life.’
As we fight this good fight of faith we have eternal life to cling to. Fighting is never easy. Spiritual warfare can be really tough because at least in a physical fight you can see your enemy and know how to fight.
But our war is not against flesh and blood. We can’t fight it with carnal weapons guns guns and swords and bombs. Our motive is not to against mankind. We think it is against sinners, but our war is against the one who holds them captive in their sin. Our battle cry is not ‘Remember Pearl Harbour’ but our battle cry in ‘Love Your Enemy.’
No warfare is easy. We think of soldiers going to war and how often warfare is just a matter of plodding away. I always think of the Allies advance across Europe to Berlin in 1945. Every kilometre cost lives, but there was no turning back after D-Day. Press on and press on no matter how tough the enemy was. The goal was to win the war and to do that Berlin had to fall.
Our spiritual warfare cost us as well. We get weary and the opposition is going to win new battles, but we must carry on with our eyes on eternal life.
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