THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE


A. "WAR A GOOD WARFARE"
  1. The word "war" fills a person with horror:
    1. It is associated with all that is most horrible and in most instances disastrous.
    2. David was a man of war, yet he prayed "O God, scatter the people who delight in war" - Ps. 68:30
    3. Who can describe the wretchedness, woe and wailing, war has produced on our earth?
      1. The earth is filled with the blood of those who lost their lives in war.
      2. It is said that no less than 37,000,000 persons perished during World War II. This includes the different effects the war had on the lives of the people involved in war.
  2. But this we know, that so long as sin exists the conflict will continue:
B. THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE
  1. Some readers may be baffled when they read in the Bible about war in heaven: "And there was war in heaven":
    1. The Bible shows clearly that there was war in heaven - Rev. 12:7
    2. That it was the beginning of the great controversy between Christ and Satan.
    3. Our Lord calls Lucifer a murderer - John 8:44
  2. Satan transplanted this war to this earth:
    1. It began with the conflict over the doctrine of the immortality of the soul.
    2. This was the beginning of man's conflict with the prince of darkness - Gen. 3:15, 16
  3. War implies enemies:
    1. Satan is our chief enemy - 1 Pet. 5:8
    2. Fallen angels or spirits in the air - Eph. 6:12
    3. Our carnal nature is one of the devil's channels - Rom. 7:14-18, 23
    4. The Trinity of the flesh is also a means used by Satan in his fight against Christ - 1 John 2:15, 16 These are facts to think over; they will help us.
  4. The battlefield of the Christian:
    1. The heart - occupied by Satan.
    2. A faithful description of it - Jer. 17:9
    3. Christ describes the condition of the unregenerated heart - Matt. 15:19; Rom. 1:29-31
  5. Weapons of the Christian soldier:
    1. Negatively -
      1. Not carnal - 2 Cor. 10:4
      2. Not of man's devices - Mi. 2:1
    2. Positively -
      1. Spiritual.
      2. The whole armor of God - Eph. 6:11
    3. Earnest prevailing prayer is feared more by Satan than any other effort by Christians.
C. WHAT THE ADVENT BELIEVER MUST TAKE TO HEART ABOUT THIS WARFARE IS
  1. It will increase in intensity as we near the end of the great conflict between Christ and Satan:
    1. Satan is a student of Bible prophecy, and he knows that he not only has lost the conflict to Christ, but that his end is near at hand - Rev. 12:12
    2. "He knoweth that he hath but a short time."
    3. He not only is angry, but he has great wrath - 1 Pet. 5:8
  2. His attack will, in the last days, be concentrated against a small group of Christian believers:
    1. He will make war against the people that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus - Rev. 12:17
    2. He will use the nations to seek out the commandment keeping people and attempt to destroy them from off the earth. Matt. 10:18-23
  3. Bible prophecy reveals Satan's method of attack against Christ and His people:
    1. He will use the latest and most modern means to spread deception.
    2. Paul warns against this deception.
    3. John reveals the success of this warfare. Compare Matt. 24:4, 5; 24 with 2 Tim. 4:1-6


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