Who you fighting?

In case you have questions, there is a battle going on and you are in it.  There is a battle happening and you are enlisted.  There are some fights you can run away from and there are those fights that you simply cannot.  This is one of those cannot escape fights.  

So if you are in a battle, who are you fighting?  First off, if you have to ask this question - not so good.  In any fight you want to know who you are fighting.  You certainly do not want to get put in a fight when you have no idea with whom you will have to grapple.  Imagine walking to the cage with all the intro music blaring and the adrenaline rush only to find out you are fighting a mammoth of a person, twice your size with a big, shiny champion’s belt around the waist?  Not so good.  

Now imagine being deployed on a mission, only to find out when boots hit the ground that you are facing a fighting force so much greater than your own that your’s can only be considered a suicide mission.  Well, this is not our situation.  We can indeed know exactly what and who we are fighting.  Although, to be honest, you may not be so excited when you find out.  You are fighting the oldest and most powerful of evil that has ever existed in all the universe.

Paul explains our fight as one with “rulers”, “authorities”, “cosmic powers over this present darkness”.  According to his writing in Ephesians we are fighting “against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”   We are fighting against the king pins, the head honchos of Satan and the evil forces he has at his control.  We are fighting against beings that have been around for a millennia and that have affected the lives of humans since man sinned.  These are bad - period.  

Now, before you lose heart in battle, it is important to understand Who you have on your side in the battle.  To some this battle may seem very lopsided in our enemy's direction, but that view would be from those who have no understanding of God.  In Ephesians, Paul describes how we should face the powers that we will face in battle.  We should put on the spiritual armor of God which includes Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation and the word of God.  Important note at this point -  we do not fight flesh and blood.  The battle we are in is not with our fellow man.  Surely they may be instruments, but that is all they are.  The true battle is with those spiritual powers that manipulate weak people and cause pain and grief to mankind.  

So, here we are completely equipped with the armor of God - now what.  Well we are to stand - “stand firm”.  God does not ask us to fight His battle.  He asks us to stand and see Him fight.  We get wounded when we try to fight a battle we are never intended to fight.  Stand!  You are not strong enough to defeat Satan in yourself.  But thankfully it is God’s battle.  So, we are to stand.  

Have you ever considered that in war the enemy is not really concerned with the individual soldier?  Yes they have to fight on an individual level, but their fight is not with an individual in war.  A war is between countries.  Battles are fought by individuals who are acting on behalf of a much larger collection of people.  They may be defending or attacking, but the individual soldier is acting on behalf of many more people in his country.  

Our enemy could care less about us.  His battle is not against us.  We are just the soldiers in his way.  God is his focus and God’s kingdom is what he wants to destroy.  To our evil enemy we are nothing more than fodder to be destroyed in his ever existent hatred of his Creator.  Now, just because we mean nothing to our enemy, does not mean that we are nothing to God.  God loves us.  He cares for us.  That is why we are not required to fight the enemy.  We stand and God moves.

Don’t be fooled, it is going to take all your effort to stand firm in this fight.  A lifelong battle is not something that is done easily and our enemy does not give up easily.  But thanks be to God our wonderful Champion, we are not in a helpless combat.  We are in a war in which our victory is assured.  If we stand and do not falter, we shall share in the victory that God accomplishes through His power.  

We stand.  God moves.  We share with God in the glorious victory through Christ Jesus.  That is the beauty of God’s strategy.

Ephesians 6: 10-20