1 Tim 1:18, 6:12 Christian Warfare CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In the Lord’s work we are likened to laborers, fishermen, shepherds, etc. and here we are likened to soldiers.  Paul said that we are soldiers in 2 Tim 2:3-4.  He said that he fought a good fight in 2 Tim 4:7.  He told us that we have armor in which to fight in Eph 6:10-18.

So what’s the fight and where’s the war?  You say, “Well, my fight is against sin and my flesh.”  That’s true.  We have weapons for that fight that are not carnal, 2 Cor 10:3-4.

But we read in 1 Cor 9:7, 26 that in the ministry we have a larger battle related to preaching the gospel, and thus we need to be soldiers of the gospel because:

We’re in a fight with the Lord – He’s our “Captain Salvation,” Heb 2:10.  We are his army, Rev 19:14-17.  And at the Second Coming of Jesus, we are going to be supernatural soldiers, perfect and invincible, Joel 2:7-11.  However, our war is not only future but now.  Notice that Paul had fellow soldiers, Phile 2, Phil 2:25.  We don’t fight like they did in the Crusades because Christ’s kingdom is not yet from hence, Jn18:36.  But we do fight with him today.  The children sing, “I’m in the Lord’s army,” and the adults sing, “Onward Christian Soldiers.”

We’re in a fight against the devil – He fought Jesus when Jesus was here.  He fights us today, 1 Pet 5:8.  Look at the kinds of attacks he has brought.  He desired to sift Peter as wheat, Lk 22.  He filled the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira to lie to the Holy Ghost, Acts 5.  In 1 Thes 3:5 Paul was concerned that the devil had tempted the Thessalonians and ruined his work.  He’s the god of this world and he is opposed to everything and everyone that’s for the Lord.

We’re in a fight for souls – In our armor in Eph 6, our feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.  The devil blinds the minds of the lost and so we have to keep bringing the light of the gospel.  Here’s a beautiful illustration about a lady named Angel who was saved last week and commented on the darkness that lifted and the light that came in after she had gotten saved.

Sure people may slam doors in our faces but we are out trying to Rescue the Perishing.  We can get the devil’s children out of an eternity in hell.  Thank God that he cannot get the Lord’s children out of an eternity in heaven.  But he can sure mess with them until we get there.  And what we do we need to do together.  A missionary called the other day, a young man, and in his zeal said, “I don’t need you; I just need God.”   There’s an element of truth in what he said but in reality, he’s wrong.  We are an army and we fight for souls together.  In WWII, everyone sacrificed, supported, labored and went when they were called.  We need to do the same!!