II Timothy 1:9 NKJV “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,”
Ephesians 4:1 NKJV “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,”
As we grow in our faith in Christ is important to know that we will encounter difficulties on our way and even increased hostility from our enemy, Satan. What we must keep in mind is that we have been called by God and He has a purpose for us as we read in 2 Timothy 1:9, He saved us and paid such a great price for us, He saved us to set us free and to be His ambassadors bring others to christ. The enemy will do anything to stop people coming to Christ, and if he cannot stop them growing and following the call of God in their lives. Unfortunately Satan is succeeding at bringing many to that place of stunted growth and even giving up the call. He doesn’t want to necessarily kill the militant Christians and make a hero of them, but his strategy is to make them deserters and bring shame to the Kingdom of God. Imagine whole regiments of professed believers being too timid to fight and too smug to be ashamed, surely this is what Satan wants.
Have a look at these Scriptures below
II Peter 1:10-11 NKJV “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Matthew 22:14 NKJV “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Same verse in the Passion Translation says,
“For everyone is invited to enter in, but few respond in excellence.”
The Footnotes of the Passion says, “Many are called.” This can be understood to be a Semitic figure of speech that universalises the invitation. The Greek word ‘eklektoi’ can mean “chosen,” but it can also be translated “worthy,” “pure,” “choice,” “excellent.” Here we have it, many are invited but many are not worthy because they don’t follow that call to the end.
Satan hates Christians for many reasons:
A. God loves us, and whatever God loves the devil hates.
B. As children of God we bear the Father’s resemblance and we remind him of God.
C. We were former slaves under the dominion of darkness and now we have come out of it.
D. As militant Christians we are a threat to Satan’s government. May we clarify that a Christian must always be militant, which means engaging in spiritual battle against the enemy. A Christian who doesn’t engage fight is not a true Christian, he/ she is still a prisoner of the enemy. We have been freed to advance the government of Christ. In Ephesians chapter 6 we see that we have been given an armour and it’s not just look good but to use it in battle.
E. As born again believers we have full access to the very Throne of Grace where the Father dwells and this makes him mad because he doesn’t know from what direction the danger will come to his dominion.
Bellow are Scriptures regarding spiritual warfare. One is an exhortation of Paul to Timothy to fight and the other one is of Paul at the end of his days telling Timothy of his battle and the it’s outcome
I Timothy 6:12 NKJV “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
II Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Many today are being disqualified from the call because of false teachings or inadequate teachings, many pastors and leaders are happy to let the people stay dependent of their anointing instead of training them to rise up in the call of God and grow in faith, we are not saying that growing in maturity means you’ve got to leave your Church and be off on your own around the world, this is not maturity but stupidity. On your own you will not survive. But just imagine a regiment of militant Christians united in battle, taking ground and rescuing people from darkness while advancing the Kingdom of God. Surely if Christ is for us, nothing can stop us, no matter what the threats of the enemy are. They are only threat to makes us afraid and retrieve, Christ won the battle, He defeated the enemy and He will come back triumphantly for us, will you stay strong in the battle? Will you stay faithful to the call of God in your life?
Matthew 6:33 NKJV “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Romans 8:31-39 NKJV “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Colossians 2:15 AMP “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross.”
Don’t let distractions, fear, discouragement or offences stop you fulfilling the purpose of God in your life, rise up in the power of the Holy Spirit repent and let’s fight together and cast out the work of darkness in our lives, family, neighbourhood and nation in Jesus Name.
Pastors Steve Maile & Karina Maile