Be Strong and of Good Courage

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: 

I am come that they might have life, 

and that they might have it more abundantly. 

John 10:10

Have you ever been caught in a bad or negative situation and you have no idea how you got there?   You  were blindsided; it just seemed to come out of nowhere and you are not prepared or equipped to deal with it.  Sometimes life just happens; so it appears.  This has happened to me on occasion down through the years.  Spiritually, this happens to us because of the war that Satan has waged against God.  The enemy constantly tries to turn believers away from God in any way that he can.  He doesn't want our love centered on God simply because God requires believers to love Him with all of our hearts, minds and strength.  

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.   Luke 10:27

In order to comply with this, our focus has to be continuously on God.  The enemy will do everything in his arsenal to divert our attention.  This war, fought in the spiritual realm, is an invisible war that is manifested or made visible on earth.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12

Satan fights to maintain control of the kingdoms of the world. He does not want them to come under God's authority. The battle also rages within the hearts, minds, and souls of men and women. Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers and attacks believers in the areas of worship, the Word, their daily walk, and their work for God.  

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  2 Corinthians 4:4

Satan does not discriminate; this same attack is used on believers as well as unbelievers.

The invisible war started in Heaven with an angel named Lucifer who was originally a beautiful angel created by God and was part of the Kingdom of God. Lucifer decided he wanted to take over God's Kingdom; he was arrogant, pompous and totally deluded to think himself equal to God. You can read about his rebellion in Isaiah 14:12-17 and Ezekiel 28:12-19. A group of angels joined Lucifer in this rebellion. Lucifer and the rebellious angels were cast out of Heaven by God. They formed their own kingdom on earth:

And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (Satan); and the dragon fought and his angels. 

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:7, 9)

Lucifer became known as Satan and the angels which followed him in rebellion as demons. Demon spirits can enter, torment, control, and use humans who belong to Satan's Kingdom. They motivate evil acts which are done by men and women. Satan directs his demons in their evil activities. He combines these powerful forces with the world and the flesh to war against all mankind.

Man was originally created in the image of God and for the glory of God (Genesis 2). The invisible war against man started with the first temptation in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Satan influenced Adam and Eve to sin. This resulted in all men inheriting the basic sin nature and committing individual acts of sin due to this nature:

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.  Romans 5:12

It also resulted in the invisible war between man and the forces of evil:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.   Genesis 3:15

Because of sin, man was separated from God and condemned to death. But God loved man so much that He made a special plan to save him from sin:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.  John 3:16-17

Through belief in Jesus, confession of and repentance from sin, baptism in Jesus name and receipt of the Holy Spirit, men and women can be released from the power of the enemy. The death and resurrection of Jesus not only resulted in salvation from sin, it also defeated the enemy, Satan:

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.   1 John 3:8

One may ask, why then if Satan is defeated, does the war still rage? 

Following any war there are always pockets of enemy resistance, rebellious troops that will not give up until forced to do so. Although Jesus defeated Satan, we are living in territory which is still occupied by enemy resistance forces. Understanding spiritual warfare strategies gives us the ability to deal with these evil powers.

Satan is trying to keep men captive in sin. Through deceptive methods, he is enticing men and women to lusts of sinful living. He aims for the affections of the soul and spirit which rightfully belong to God:

The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.   John 10:10

Satan still wants to be the supreme ruler. He is waging an intense battle for the heart, mind, soul, and spirit of man. His strategies are directed at God, His plan, and His people. The battle will continue until the great final conflict.   This is what was told to King Jehoshaphat:

Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.  2 Chronicles 20:15

We should stand strong in the assurance that God has given us through one of the greatest commander-in-chiefs recorded in biblical history, Joshua:

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.    Joshua 1:9

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