BATTLE STATIONS!

"27Whatever happens, keep living your lives based on the reality of the gospel of Christ. Then when I come to see you, or hear good reports of you, I’ll know that you stand united in one Spirit and one passion—celebrating together as conquerors in the faith of the gospel. 28And then you will never be shaken or intimidated by the opposition that rises up against us. Your courage will prove to be a sure sign from God of their coming destruction. 29For God has graciously given you the privilege not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for him. 30For you have been called by him to endure the conflict in the same way I have endured it—for you know I’m not giving up." - Philippians 1:27-30 TPT.

The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground. We are sons and daughter's in the family, enjoying the fellowship of the gospel; we are servants sharing in the furtherance of the gospel; but we are also soldiers defending the faith of the gospel. And the believer with the single mind can have the joy of the Holy Spirit even in the midst of battle. There is an enemy who is out to steal the treasure from God’s people. "10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." - John 10:10(a) ESV. If Satan can only rob believers of their Christian faith, the doctrines that are distinctively theirs, then he can cripple and defeat the ministry of the gospel.

It is sad to hear people say, “I don’t care what you believe, just so long as you live right.” What we believe determines how we behave, and wrong belief ultimately means a wrong life. No wonder Satan attacks our young people in particular, seeking to get them away from "the faith."

How can a group of Christians fight this enemy?

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” - 2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV. Peter took up a sword in the garden, and Jesus rebuked him "10Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant" - John 18:10 ESV. We use spiritual weapons; the Word of God and prayer "12For the Word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12 AMP, and we must depend on the Holy Spirit to give us the power that we need. But an army must fight together.

There are three essentials for victory in the battle to protect "the faith".

Consistency: The most important weapon against the enemy is not a stirring sermon or a powerful book; it is the consistent life of believers. Paul says: "Whatever happens, keep living your lives based on the reality of the gospel of Christ." - Philippians 1:27 TPT. Paul was suggesting that we Christians are the citizens of heaven, and while we are on earth we ought to behave like heaven’s citizens. The church of Jesus Christ is a colony of heaven on earth! And we ought to behave like the citizens of heaven. We do not behave in order to go to heaven, as though we could be saved by our good works; but we behave because our names are already written in heaven, and our citizenship is in heaven.

We should "walk worthy of the calling" that we have in Christ "1So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation]," - Ephesians 4:1 AMP, which means walking "worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing" "10so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord [displaying admirable character, moral courage, and personal integrity], to [fully] please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing in the knowledge of God [with deeper faith, clearer insight and fervent love for His precepts];" - Colossians 1:10 AMP.

It is worth remembering that the world around us knows only the gospel that it sees in our lives. You are writing a gospel, A chapter each day, By the deeds that you do And the words that you say. Men read what you write, Whether faithful or true. The greatest weapon against the devil is a godly life. And a local church that practices the truth, that "behaves what it believes," is going to defeat the enemy. This is the first essential for victory in this battle. But there is a second essential for success as we face the enemy, and that is cooperation.

Cooperation: "Then when I come to see you, or hear good reports of you, I’ll know that you stand united in one Spirit and one passion—celebrating together as conquerors in the faith of the gospel." - Philippians 1:27(b) TPT. Paul pictured the church as a team, and he reminded them that it is teamwork that wins victories. The important word is together, standing firmly together in one spirit, striving together against the enemy, and doing it with one mind and heart. In other words, Paul was reminding us again of the need for the single mind. There is joy in our lives, even as we battle the enemy, if we live for Christ and the gospel and practice "Christian teamwork." We are citizens of heaven and therefore should walk consistently. We are members of the same "team" and should work cooperatively. But there is a third essential for success as we face the enemy, and that is confidence.

Confidence: "28And then you will never be shaken or intimidated by the opposition that rises up against us. Your courage will prove to be a sure sign from God of their coming destruction." - Philippians 1:28 TPT. Paul gave us several encouragements that give us confidence in the battle. First, these battles prove that we are saved "29For God has graciously given you the privilege not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for him." - Philippians 1:29 TPT. We not only believe on Christ but also suffer for Christ. For some reason, many new believers have the idea that trusting Christ means the end of their battles. In reality, it means the beginning of new battles. "In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world." [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]" - John 16:33(b) AMP.

Second, this is a privilege; we suffer "for his sake." In fact, Paul told us that this conflict is "granted" to us, it is a gift! If we were suffering for ourselves, it would be no privilege, but because we are suffering for and with Christ, it is a high and holy honor. After all, He suffered for us, and a willingness to suffer for Him is the very least we can do to show our love and gratitude. A third encouragement is this; others are experiencing the same conflict "30For you have been called by him to endure the conflict in the same way I have endured it for you know I’m not giving up." - Philippians 1:30 TPT.

Satan wants us to think we are alone in the battle, that our difficulties are unique, but such is not the case. Doesn't matter where you are or where you are going, the fact is, a change in geography is usually no solution to spiritual problems, because human nature is the same wherever you go, and the enemy is everywhere. Knowing that my fellow believers are also sharing in the battle is an encouragement for me to keep going and to pray for them as I pray for myself.

Actually, going through spiritual conflict is one way we have to grow in Christ. God gives us the strength we need to stand firm against the enemy, and this confidence is proof to the enemy that he will lose and we are on the winning side. As we face the enemy and depend on the Lord, He gives us all that we need for the battle. When the enemy sees our God given confidence, it makes him fear. "7So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you." - James 4:7 AMP. So, the single mind enables us to have joy in the midst of battle because it produces in us consistency, cooperation, and confidence. We experience the joy of "spiritual teamwork" as we strive together for the faith of the gospel.