Notes of Faith April 18, 2024

The Spiritual Battlefield

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:32

Paul’s image of the believer’s spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:10-17 clearly suggests the activity of warfare. And warfare suggests there will be captives. But in spiritual warfare, there are no physical conflicts or captives. Indeed, Paul says elsewhere that our battles are not in the physical realm as worldly battles are

(2 Corinthians 10:3). So whom or what are we fighting? And whom or what do we take captive in order to win?

It has been rightly suggested that spiritual warfare takes place “between the ears.” That is, in the mind. That’s where history’s first spiritual battle took place. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had to weigh Satan’s words against God’s words and make a choice—the activity of the mind. They should have done what Paul says we should do: take “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). We must weigh every thought. If it is a lie, or dishonoring to God, we capture that thought and subdue it with the truths of God’s Word.

We can only find victorious freedom by knowing God’s truth (John 8:32).

Every good [spiritual] warrior constantly asks himself this question: What does the Bible say about this?

Stu Weber

Take every thought captive…sounds impossible, but the Spirit of God lives within the believer in Jesus and has the power of God to do the impossible! We have many decisions that it seems we don’t even think about, just act or react, rather than allow the Spirit to be our guide in truth and righteousness. This takes discipline and practice to prove effective in what we say we believe. The ultimate battle is already won. Who’s side are you on?

Pastor Dale