At the fitness center where I work out there is a kickboxing stand. While I have never used it, many others abuse this freestanding punching bag on a regular basis. As I go through my routine, I watch people punch and kick the daylights out of this exercise device. One guy in particular is especially good at delivering a punch. As he delivers blow after blow in rapid fire succession, the kickboxing stand just stands there and takes it.
One day as I watched this piece of training equipment take yet another brutal beating, it occurred to me that it was similar to the experience of many Christians. They get a beating from the enemy, and they just stand there and take it. Satan attacks, and they never fight back. Maybe they don’t know how. Or maybe they don’t know they can.
The Bible is clear that we are in a spiritual battle against a supernatural enemy. It’s called spiritual warfare. But spiritual warfare doesn’t mean just standing there and getting shot at. At some point you return fire. You transition from a defensive position to an offensive position.
Like the wizard in The Wizard of Oz who made himself out to be bigger than life in an attempt to intimidate and manipulate the inhabitants of Oz, Satan comes on strong in his effort to paralyze believers in fear. He brings giant-size adversity against us hoping we will abdicate the field of battle and go into hiding with panic-stricken Saul and his army in the tents of unbelief.
Have you ever been there? Beaten up. Beaten down. Praying for it to stop.
So why doesn’t God do something? He did. He provided us with spiritual armor. He armed us with the sword of the Spirit, and the strong weapon of prayer. He gave us authority in the name of Jesus, and filled us with the power of the Spirit.
Maybe Satan has backed you up against the ropes, and you have assumed a defensive position just hoping to survive the beating. It’s time to fight back!
Pastor Todd Weston
One day as I watched this piece of training equipment take yet another brutal beating, it occurred to me that it was similar to the experience of many Christians. They get a beating from the enemy, and they just stand there and take it. Satan attacks, and they never fight back. Maybe they don’t know how. Or maybe they don’t know they can.
The Bible is clear that we are in a spiritual battle against a supernatural enemy. It’s called spiritual warfare. But spiritual warfare doesn’t mean just standing there and getting shot at. At some point you return fire. You transition from a defensive position to an offensive position.
Like the wizard in The Wizard of Oz who made himself out to be bigger than life in an attempt to intimidate and manipulate the inhabitants of Oz, Satan comes on strong in his effort to paralyze believers in fear. He brings giant-size adversity against us hoping we will abdicate the field of battle and go into hiding with panic-stricken Saul and his army in the tents of unbelief.
Have you ever been there? Beaten up. Beaten down. Praying for it to stop.
So why doesn’t God do something? He did. He provided us with spiritual armor. He armed us with the sword of the Spirit, and the strong weapon of prayer. He gave us authority in the name of Jesus, and filled us with the power of the Spirit.
Maybe Satan has backed you up against the ropes, and you have assumed a defensive position just hoping to survive the beating. It’s time to fight back!
- Did you not know, “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world”?
- Did you not know, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God”?
- Did you not know, “We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us”?
- And have you not read of those who overcome the enemy, “By the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony”?
Pastor Todd Weston