Confidence in God

 Instilling self-confidence in a child is an essential task for a parent. If the child doubts their self-worth, it will be an ongoing problem in adulthood. However, it is even more important to instill another kind of confidence. This is the confidence that God gives us that we belong to him and that nothing can take us away from him. We get this confidence when we give our heart to him—at our conversion. Paul wrote to Ephesians: “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

The helmet of salvation is the assurance of salvation. Any helmet gives us confidence that we are protected to some degree. This helmet enables us to stand and fight in a spiritual war. This confidence is that God will not will not abandon us. The work he began will continue until he has done what he intended to do in our lives. He does not walk away from his projects. He doesn’t leave us like an abandoned building project that went belly-up. He finishes the job.

Christians with that helmet have spiritual confidence in their God, not themselves. Do you need that confidence? Do you need help to refute the lies that you belong to the king? Do you doubt that you matter? Do you doubt your worth to Him? Then, reach for your helmet and put it on.

Paul encouraged the Ephesians to take up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Bible. We must understand that when we take up God’s Word to fight spiritual warfare, we have the weapon that defends us and enables us to fight. When Satan attacked Jesus in the desert, he tempted him three times. But each time, Christ responded from the Scriptures. If Christ, in battle with Satan, used the sword of the Spirit, how much more should we. Moses told Israel that the scriptures are not idle words, but they are your life (Deuteronomy 32:47).

The simple preaching and teaching of God’s Word will change lives. Yet many pastors do not expound its truths. It is a great deal of work to extract the truths and let them speak to your soul before sharing them with others. Second, it is far easier to speak about what is trending and what everyone else is talking about. Third, sharing something nobody else is saying is exciting. This can be done by stringing together illustrations and stories that grab people’s emotions. Sadly, this will not prepare people for the battle they are facing. They need to hear the truth of God’s Word. It must speak to them!

We are at war and must not keep the sword in the sheath simply because our culture tells us that it is irrelevant. Today, pastors are afraid to say what the Bible says for fear of ridicule. Our culture has become the umpire of what is right and wrong. How shameful this is! We must be Jeremiah or Ezekiel who stand and speak God’s Word even though those who hear it don’t like what it says.

The Peace of God

Peace is very scarce today. Many people find themselves alienated from their families and even friends. That may have happened through divorce and broken relationships, but they even feel isolated when they are alone. Something about their life is broken, and they don't know how to fix it. There is that gnawing feeling that something good is missing, and if they could find it, everything would be OK. They try to pursue it but can't find it. It disappears like a mirage even when they feel they are about to lay hold of it.

Real peace comes from God and is found when we give our lives to Jesus. The Apostle Paul said, "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

But it is evident when a person finds peace with God through Christ. The greatest gift is knowing that one's sins are forgiven and forgotten through Christ. Knowing that you are reconciled to God brings joy. The burden-lifting nature of forgiveness of sin is a comfort we so long for, and once experienced, we realize that is what was missing.

In the story of Pilgrim's Progress, Christian, in his long and arduous journey, when he finally arrives at the cross, something extraordinary happens:

         Now I saw in my dream, that the highway up which CHRISTIAN was to go was fenced on either             side with a wall; and that wall was called "Salvation".

Up this way, therefore, did burdened CHRISTIAN run; but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.

He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending; and upon that place stood a Cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in my dream, that just as CHRISTIAN came up to the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble; and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.

Then was CHRISTIAN glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart,

"He hath given me rest by his sorrow, And life by his death."

 Paul spelled the ingredients of peace in his letter to the Philippians: We are told to not be anxious, but instead, rejoice, be gentle, be thankful, and pray (Philippians 4:6-7).

When we have peace, we have self-control. Self-control is the basis for a successful life. Yesterday, I watched a football game between Oregon State and Ohio State. In the first few minutes of the game, a top receiver for Oregon State was ejected from the game and removed from the field for spitting in his opponent's face. This was this young man's biggest game of the year, but he was disqualified because he could not control himself. Without peace, we find ourselves disqualified from life.

Spiritual Weapons

The Battle of Stalingrad, where the Nazis attacked the Russians, resulted in the bloodiest battle in history. Over 2 million died in this one battle. The Germans anticipated taking the city in a few weeks, but it turned out to be six months, and they never took it. An entire German army was surrounded by the Russians and killed and taken as prisoners.  

The ravages of war were never more brutal than in the battle for Stalingrad. The atrocities of war, where men died every few seconds. The Germans had three enemies, the Russians, the Winter, and Hitler, who refused to allow this army of 330,000 elite soldiers to retreat. Only 91,000 survived to surrender to the Russians and only 6% of those survived.

We, too, are in a long battle with an enemy that does not give up. Spiritual battles are being fought every day. Unlike the Germans, who had a madman as their leader, we have a commander who empowers us to win. The Apostle Paul introduces us to his perspective on spiritual warfare. He tells us that we do not battle "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 6:12).

Paul illustrated the believer's spiritual armor by highlighting the Roman Soldier's armor. He began by mentioning the belt and the breastplate. "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place" (Eph 6:14).

When a soldier tightened his belt, he was ready for combat. He cinched his belt and tightened his tunic so it could not impede him as he charged into battle. The belt also firmly held his sword in place. With it, he would be prepared to fight.

The belt calls us to truth—objective truth of scripture. This is what equips us to do spiritual warfare. We are often sloppy with giving details, so our carelessness results in falsehoods. God wants men and women of truth. We are to study God's Word and live it out.

The second weapon is the breastplate of righteousness, God's righteousness freely given to those who believe in Jesus Christ. Isaiah describes what our righteousness looks like to God: Isaiah "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;" (Isaiah 64:6). The Apostle Paul eloquently described the righteousness of God to the Corinthians: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" 2 Cor 5:21).

Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, the Southern Kingdom of Israel, was informed that a vast army was coming against him. They were in a desperate situation and in no condition to fight such a powerful army. The first thing that Jehoshaphat did was to pray and inquire of the Lord. He proclaimed a fast for the people to come together and seek help from the Lord. The people came and sought the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:1-3).

Jehoshaphat prayed and asked God for help. He admitted that he did not know what to do. Their army was inadequate to fight, but their eyes were on the Lord (2 Chron 20:12). The Lord responded that they should go out and meet the enemy, but they would not have to fight. The Lord would fight for them (2 Chron 20:17).

King Jehoshaphat and all the people worshiped the Lord in gratitude. Then, the Levites and singers stood and praised the Lord in song. As they sang, the Lord set ambushes against the enemy so that they began to kill each other.

Spiritual warfare recognizes, like Jehoshaphat, that we cannot defeat the enemy and that our eyes are on the Lord. We need God to fight this battle; he will do so if we depend on him.

A Spiritual War

There are two extremes: The first is to disbelieve in the existence of the Devil and his demons. The second is to believe excessively that the Devil is everywhere. It is possible to move from practical disbelief in the Devil and his minions to a preoccupation with them. Believing that the Devil is a demon in your car’s transmission or in your boss at work is taking it too far.

Apostle Paul warns us about spiritual warfare: “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 6:12).

We know from Paul that this is a supernatural struggle in which human weapons and human power are futile. These powers and angels are organized into a formidable force. An example of these mighty angels is the angel prince of Persia and Greece, who hindered the archangel Gabriel in his divine errand in the Book of Daniel. When the angel finally got to Daniel, he explained, 

Daniel 10:12-13 “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

After he explained the meaning of a vision that Daniel had received, he said this to Daniel:

Daniel 10:20-21 So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince. Daniel was given an explanation of the future that was far beyond his own lifetime. But Gabriel pulls the curtain back and allows us to see this spiritual warfare around Daniel.

There is a great demonic enemy with a defined chain of command. The evil described here is not the trivialized little red Devil with a pitchfork.

“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood.” Our enemy is subtle and powerful.

• He hates Jesus.
• He hates everyone who loves Jesus.
• He hates the Church.
• He hates God’s Word.
• He hates our dependence on the Holy Spirit.
• He hates the people who love God and obey his word!

I hate snakes, but I love what happened when Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh to ask for God’s people to be released. At God’s command, Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh, and it became a snake, demonstrating that God’s power was with Moses and Aaron (Exodus 7:8-12). Pharaoh’s magicians did the same, and their staff became snakes, too. What a scene! However, this is what happened! “Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs” (Exodus 7:12).

 Aaron’s snake swallowed all the rest. This was a scary but decisive moment as Aaron’s snake eradicated each snake one by one. That demonstration said, “God has power over Satan, and it is far greater!” Think how Aaron felt when he reached down and picked up his huge snake, and it again became his staff. The message is that God has no equal!