Top 10 Things to Remember While in Spiritual Warfare

Image copyright © http://freestockphotos.com Used according to the freestockphotos.com Copyright Terms.

Being Christian is “not a cakewalk,” as a friend of mine once said.  Christians are under attack day and night.  We have Jesus as our protection and hope, however Jesus has expectations for us that we must abide in and live up to.  We can learn all of these expectations that we have as a human from two sources.  One is our conscience, and the other is the Bible.  In the end, one will not be able to claim ignorance to escape culpability.  We must keep our end of the deal.  However, it does not have to be complicated action after action.  Luckily, we are saved by grace and Jesus, but we must also follow Christian teaching at all times.  Following this Christian mental survival checklist will ensure that “I have followed the teaching, now I am ready for the teacher!”

1. Am I actively trusting in people or things that should not or cannot be relied upon?

The enemy can appear as an angel of light, or as servants of righteousness (2Co. 11:14-15).  They cannot be trusted.  One cannot place one’s trust in earthly hope and the things of this world, they will fail to help a person come to salvation.  We should earn the approval of God, and not of humans (Gal. 1:10).

2. Am I placing my trust and belief in the Lord?

The one who believes in Him will never be put to shame, stumble, or fall (Ro. 9:33).  Believe in Jesus at all times, no matter the circumstance, and when it is beyond reason to believe.

3. Have I ceased sin?

Desire gives birth to sin, and full-grown sin gives birth to death (Jas. 1:15).  One should avoid all sin.  No one who is born of God will continue to sin (1Jn. 3:9).  Jesus purifies us from all sin (1Jn. 1:7) and if we should sin, we have Jesus as our perfect atonement (1Jn. 2:1-2).  Jesus paid for our sins, they have been forgotten by God (Isa. 27:9, 59:20-21; Jer. 31:34; Jn. 1:29; Ro. 11:26-27; Col. 2:13-14; 1Jn. 2:12).

4. Am I walking by faith, or by sight?

Christians live by faith, not by sight (2Co. 5:7).  Sight causes hopelessness, faith brings hope.

5. Am I doing my own will, or the will of God?

We should think as Jesus did, “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (NIV Mt. 26:39).  God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect (Ro. 12:2).  If we live according to the flesh and our own will, we will die (Ro. 8:13).  Everything we do must be for the glory of God (1Co. 10:31).  We must love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind.  This is the greatest commandment (Mt. 22:37).

6. Am I sinning in my anger?

We are not to sin in our anger, or to “let the sun go down while you are still angry” (NIV Eph. 4:26).  Anger happens, but showing or acting upon the anger is a mistake.  When one becomes angry, all one need do is quit thinking about objectionable causes of anger, and the emotion will subside.  Love towards one’s neighbor is the second greatest commandment (Mt. 22:39).

7. Am I forgiving of others an unlimited number of times?

We must forgive someone who sins against us (Mt. 18:21-22; Mk. 11:25; Lk. 17:3-4; etc.).  If we forgive them, God will forgive us (Mt. 6:14-15; Mk. 11:25; etc.).  Forgive, but be on guard against brothers and sisters who continue to sin.  They should be rebuked and avoided.

8. Am I patiently keeping the commandments and remaining faithful to Jesus?

One must have patient endurance, keep the commandments, and remain faithful to Jesus to refuse the mark of the beast (Rev. 14:12).  Every command in the Bible is fulfilled by love (Mt. 7:12; Ro. 13:9; Gal. 5:14).  Stay patient, loving, and faithful.  It is worth the effort!

9. Am I pursuing salvation by works or by faith?

Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works and deeds.  It is a gift of God and cannot be earned (Eph. 2:8-9).  There is only one way to be saved, and it is by faith in Jesus.  Deeds come with faith, but do not make one righteous before the Lord (Ro. 3:20).  However, we must produce the kingdom of God’s fruit.  We receive the kingdom through our belief in Christ and subsequent repentance and production of fruit (Mt. 21:42-44).  Fruit can include simply our progressive belief in Christ (Jn. 6:29), which is priority number one.  Deeds come thereafter, and can lead back to faith in Christ and salvation.

10. Am I rushing hastily or relaxed and hopeful?

Those who believe will not rush or make haste (Isa. 28:16).  One should proceed in the Lord’s kindness (Ro. 11:22), knowing that one is protected and under grace, possessing the time the Lord has given.  The Lord has a master plan greater than the enemies’, and a believer will not be cowardly (Rev. 21:8), or rush while in warfare.

Refer to this checklist to defeat the enemy!