We know that there is a war, good against evil  so we attempt to fight it yet seem to get no where.  We believe, we have faith and we pray to God asking Him for our victory – and nothing.  Some of us don’t ‘do the battle thing’ and rest in ‘our faith’ – and consider this a form of battle.  Some are waging war by what is known as ‘warfare praying’.   We will declare certain scriptures – as a promise and stand upon it with all we got, yet in all these we become battle weary.

There is certainly a battle to fight, but not in the way most are fighting it.   Strangely, we are to fight in a battle that has already been won.  This kind of thing never happens, right?  Fighting a battle that has already been fought and won??  But this is the thing about living in God’s Kingdom, it looks nothing like the kingdoms of this world.

Jesus claimed the victory, and has given us all the tactical equipment to go and take back that was stolen from us.  He has given us his arsenal, yet how many of us leave it in the closet while we sing ‘Victory in Jesus‘

Shall we have a look at what occupies us on a daily basis?  What consumes us and our attention?  This will reveal to us our position in the battlefield.

Contrary to the world’s counsel, our battle in life is not against another human being – who is doing us wrong.  Nor is it of one who has harmed us long ago.  It is not the sickness and illness that plagues us nor our state of mind either.

The true war is against our flesh from rising up to take the position of Commander and Chief.  We have got to fight this at all cost!  The day we allow this, is the day we become victims of defeat.  When our flesh rules, we are going to be lead down  roads that will expose us to all kinds of evil and temptation where we do not have any defense.

Our first line of defense is to never let our circumstances become our occupation.  A picture of this is when Jesus was answering Martha.  She was consumed with the tasks at hand, as being the host for company.  Mary her sister let all the tasks slide and she sat with the company, listening to every word Jesus spoke.  Practically speaking, Martha had every right to be annoyed and dismayed, in the position she placed herself in.  She took on a great responsibility.  In Jesus’s answer to her, you could see that this is not what he desired from her.  Had she only sought Him first, she would have saved herself all the grief she was under; Luke 10:40-42.

Our occupation and what is to consume us is the Lord.  Our circumstances, deeds done to us, or life’s challenges and hardships take a back seat.  When we go and listen to our Master, like Mary did, He fills us with all we need to get us through.  He already knows what we are going through and everything that we need and desires to direct us through it.

For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matt 6:32-34

Our enemy makes every aim to distract us.  He will whisper into our ears what we should fear, what we rightly deserve, why we need to be angry and take action.  He is skilled in knowing our weaknesses and will set his ambush in these places. He does everything so that our flesh will rise up by appealing to our emotions and lusts.  For he knows that when we fix our eyes upon the Lord and determine to walk by faith in His Spirit he can do nothing to touch us.

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.