War A Good Warfare

War a good warfare - 1 Timothy 1:18.

War has been declared. On the one hand, warfare is DEFENSIVE. We face attack. Let us: BE VIGILANT. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Be on guard! Our families and freedoms are under fire. We have an enemy to counter.

Warfare is OFFENSIVE also. Let us BE VALIANT. Hebrews 11:34 tells of God’s people, …valiant in fight... War means it's time to sound the trumpet! To rally the troops! We have need of courage! To stand fast in the faith! Welcome - to the Battlefield!

By God’s grace and through faith – You can BE VICTORIOUS.

CONSIDER:
1. THE DEFENSIVE ASPECT to this warfare. We are at war. There’s a… battle – on the home front - for the family.

Nehemiah 4:14 Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

A fight is raging - a propaganda campaign, breaking down morals, and attacking morale.

Militant radicals are pushing leftist agendas. There’s increasing controls and globalism; erosion of personal and religious freedoms. Radical climate change alarmism and pandemic scares. A new order is being set up.

On the church front, error prevails, false prophets, false teachings… There’s a dumbing down, a watering down of doctrine, and a rise of counterfeit gospels.

Some churches focus more on feelings than actual Biblical faith. Our Lord has called us to be salt, light, and a city on a hill.

The Cultural Marxists want to cancel Christianity. They hate Christianity, and call the Bible “hate speech”. Some want to ban so-called “hate prayer” - to make certain prayer illegal! They ultimately want the criminalisation of Christianity.

We must hold our ground against the devil’s attacks! Our defensive strategy is this:

(1) Be Sober.
• Keep your senses
• Abstain - avoid anything that dulls your thinking.

1 Peter 4:7 …the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

Be of sound mind. Understand what’s going on. 1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober… The mind needs to be “belted in” –under God’s control and care.

(2) Be Vigilant.
Keep on guard.Be always watchful. Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.
• Be careful.
• Be prayerful.

Colossians 4:12 Epaphras… was a prayer warrior… always labouring fervently for you in prayers..

Our enemy is hostile. He’s on the prowl. Like a lion on the loose! Let us be on the alert. Be aware of what the devil uses against you. Wise up to his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:11 …for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Take courage. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Believe God.

God is a shield for us
• A SURROUNDING shield - Psalm 5:12
• SAVING - Psa 18:35
• PERSONAL - Psa 3:3
• SHELTERING - Psa 119:114
• TRUTH - Psa 91:4.

CONSIDER:
2. THE OFFENSIVE ASPECT to this warfare.

1 Timothy 6:12 - Fight the good fight of faith...
Jude 1:3 Earnestly contend for the faith…

Peter, tells of our adversary: 1 Peter 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith…

We have need of an aggressive Christianity. There are strongholds to pull down, and gates of hell to advance against. There are systems and levels of principalities and powers we must oppose.

We have need of courage. Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

We must not compromise. We are called to have a zeal for truth. 1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war (contend) against the soul.

It’s a wrestling match – a struggle. But the Lord will enable us. Romans 13:12 …cast off the works of darkness …put on the armour of light.

Let us arm ourselves. Set yourself against the devil. Make no concessions. James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Be manly - be courageous. Proverbs 28:1 The righteous are as bold as a lion.

By faith, we have VICTORY: 1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

We are soldiers of the Lord. We are called to be militant. Let us press on, despite hardships.

2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ…

Our God fights for us: 2 Chronicles 32:8 …with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles…

Let us persevere, endure, and press on.

2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Lord Jesus brings us victory. Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.