My Grandad used to tell me stories of battles he fought as a young man during the Second World War.
It’s hard to put myself in his shoes as I never had any experience what is it like to be in a war. I grew up in the UK during a time of peace, as a result I’ve had things pretty easy and, if I’m honest, it has made me pretty soft. If war broke out tomorrow, I probably wouldn’t be much use as I have not trained for battle and got myself into shape!
Why do I mention this in an article about sharing your faith? I believe the Spiritual opposition that we face as Christians can often be a forgotten obstacle when it comes to sharing our faith. But it is real and not to be ignored. Paul knew this as he warned the church in Ephesus:
“Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:10-12
When we forget that we are engaged in a Spiritual battle, we become soft and will struggle to be of much use! That’s why Paul encourages the church in Ephesus to put on the armour of God. This is something we need to do daily and not as a one off. When was the last time you consciously put on the armour of God before catching the Bus to Uni or going to the office (Eph 6:10)?
This is an ongoing battle that will continue until Jesus returns. Until that day, Satan wants to stop you advancing the kingdom in any way he can. So how do we overcome his onslaught?
- We dress ourselves, daily, in the armour of God [Ephesians 6:11] so that we are able to stand against any schemes of the devil.
- We regularly pray, intercede and contend for our classmates, housemates, lecturers, neighbours and our communities.
- Identify how the devil tries to undermine you? What things you can put in place to withstand his schemes? Are their people that you can keep yourself accountable to when it comes to being intentional in sharing your faith?
- We remember the result. When Jesus rose from the tomb, he defeated death and ushered in the coming of His kingdom. Though the battle is ongoing. When we remember that Jesus has won we are encouraged to keep fighting on and know that in Christ we can overcome our shortcomings.
Matty's Story | yesHEis from CVUK on Vimeo.
