Do you sometimes feel like you are fighting an uphill battle for God’s way of life – and for the true faith of Jesus Christ? If you do,…then don’t feel surprised, but do take courage!

As true Christians striving to faithfully live God’s way of life – we should be fully engaged in living the same faith and way of life that Jesus Himself lived when He walked on earth during His human lifetime over 2,000 years ago.   

By contrast, and in conflict against us, are the sinful spirit powers of Satan the Devil and his genuinely evil, cohort of fallen angels. These demonic spirit enemies are real, and they harbor no love for mankind!

The nature of spiritual war

Note this…these fallen (meaning “sinful”) angels, in particular, fight against the faithful brethren right down from the few called-out-ones in the Old Testament, through the time of Christ and the beginning of God’s true church in the New Testament, and all the way to today! The apostle Paul warned Timothy, who was just beginning his ministry, about this danger.

What form of deception do Satan and his demons use?

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,…” 1 Timothy 4:1. These false doctrines may vary a little over time, but if it doesn’t track with God’s word and with the careful, consistent teachings of God’s true Church, then it originates, ultimately, with Satan. Be alert!

Consistency triumphs over hypocrisy

Hopefully every day you are personally striving wholeheartedly against the deceptions of Satan! However, remember…our battle is primarily spiritual, not physical—and always has been since even before Satan deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

As baptized members of the historic, true Church of God (also known as the “Body of Christ”), we have a vital calling and duty to perform in the spreading of the true gospel yet today. How faithfully we live our lives—our personal example—is critical. Hypocritical conduct does not do God’s Work, nor exemplify Christ to others! Be consistent and faithful in the truth!

No doubt you have “been there and done that” as you have lived God’s way of life for many years. Or, maybe you’re just arriving “there” now in the process of your spiritual conversion?

Either way, when we are faithful in obeying God, we share a genuine kinship with the spiritual brethren of all eras of history.

God’s Word recharges us

The great patriarchs… Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and King David plus the prophets of old in ancient Israel, and the apostles and brethren in the New Testament era experienced the same feelings that we often do today.

And precisely for our benefit God inspired King David (and others) to write beautiful and powerful accounts of those battles (both the physical and spiritual) in the Psalms and the historic books of Scripture. 

Although God does not call us today to fight in physical wars, He does call and expect us to engage in those spiritual conflicts against Satan, false teachings, and personal sin.

In fact, if we’re not fighting the good fight spiritually, then we’re not truly resisting the spirit forces of evil. If you find yourself sidelined from the path and progress of overcoming, consider that a wake-up call! Activate a personal re-dedication to studying, deeply, of God’s word, and of the truth preserved through His true Church. Put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20)!

We are committed to victory! Stand firm in the true faith of Jesus Christ!   

–Randy Stiver