A WARRIOR'S WEAPONS FOR BATTLE

WEAPONS, THEN AND NOW

We've all heard or read some of the history of the Israelites in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, or perhaps in actual accounts by historians such as Josephus and others. These battles were life or death events. It was kill or be killed. Warrior leaders were ruthless. Even some of God's commands to warriors were ruthless, e.g., kill the men, women, children, cattle and every living thing!

In the New Testament, we were given new weapons. We are instructed to "love our enemies," not kill them! If you are following current events in our nation today, you may have noticed that in our society, government and politics, "kill your enemy" has emerged as the primary approach to battle! In some criminal matters, murder ends the physical existence of another person. In government and politics, words and positions of power are used to denigrate and destroy the well-being of individuals, classes of society and even other nations. 

So, how do we identify the new weapons?" I like the instruction in 2 Timothy 2:15: 

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (NKJV) 

This may come as a surprise to some believers, but this division is between the Old Testament and the New! It is the warrior's new weapons for battle that came with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ! If you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you were there with Him!

The New Weapons in Scripture

John 19:30:

So, when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (NKJV)

God’s plan for mankind at creation was restored through Calvary.  Everything we were created to be became available in Christ.  In Him, God’s plan for us is restored.

Romans 8:29:

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (NKJV)

1 John 4:15-17: 

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. (NKJV)

Knowing God's love is demonstrated by our words and actions. We are called believers, not doubters.  As disciples, we are learners.  Learners seek more than knowledge and information, they seek revelation.  Once they receive revelation, they put it into practice, and it becomes wisdom.  Only when we receive revelation of God's Word and demonstrate it in our lives can we give away what we have and change the lives of others.  It all begins with knowing and believing who Christ is and what He has done for us.

 John 6:28-29:

Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." (NKJV)

Here is the question for analytical minds like mine: How does one believe?  The answer is not simple, and it rarely happens overnight.  If I were to ask you right now, “Do you believe Jesus is the only begotten Son of God?” most Christians would probably answer yes.  If I were to ask, “Do you believe Christ is in you? the answer would likely be the same.  Yet the truth is we may confess these things with our mouths (give mental assent to them) and really not believe them in our hearts.  This is when we default to our old weapons! 

How do we know if we believe God's Word in our hearts?  

Here is the Lie  

Because we usually don't experience all the promises of God in our lives, we are taught that there must be unconfessed sin in our lives, that we must pray harder, that we must confront and assault the enemy with our words and attitudes and that we must fight, fight, fight! In other words, God is not capable of winning the battle so we must help Him out with our old weapons!

 Here is The Truth

Hebrews 11:6:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (NKJV)

Believing and trusting Him are the Keys to the Kingdom.  If Christ is in us through His Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God is in us!  Every anointing, every promise of God, all His love, His righteousness, His wisdom, His grace, His mercy, and His power is in us!  We do not access these weapons by mental assent but by believing who Christ is in our hearts.

Of course, we pray! We ask God to defeat His enemies, not our perception of who or what the enemy is! For heaven's sake, we are the finite; He is THE INFINITE! Those among us telling us we must pray in certain ways and for certain things are usurping God and His will. We MUST ask for His will to be done, not ours! We bless our enemies, not denigrate them! God is the judge, not us! The New Testament warrior's weapons are found IN CHRIST, as He is!