Engaging the Battle

Have you ever felt like you were under attack? You might not be able to put your finger on it specifically, but you feel attacked? You know, one of those days were everything that could possibly go wrong actually goes wrong. If you didn’t know better you’d have sworn someone was conspiring against you.

Well if you thought that, your not too far off the reality of the situation. The Bible tells us that there is an enemy of our souls that seeks to destroy us. Satan is called the “accuser of the believer.” He has deployed his spiritual forces to attack believers and distract us from what is going on.

The problem is, we think the war is coming from other places. We blame our parents, our friends, the bully at school, our irritable boss, etc. Paul tells us in Ephesians that we are not fighting again flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces. These spiritual forces, Satan and his demons, are trying to destroy you. One way he does this is to get you to ignore his existence and focus on the people around you. When you allow his tactics to work, you begin to be a part of the problem and not a part of the solution.

The enemy is terrified, yes terrified, of Christian unity, love and prayer. He will go to great lengths to destroy the unity of our youth group and our church. How have you seen him destroy, or at least attempt to destroy, the unity of our group?

You belong here, because you need us here. You need the support and encouragement of our group to stand firm in this battle.

In the famous Lord of the Rings trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien tells a story of how the armies of darkness are amassing a sizable army that will destroy all of middle earth. These evil armies are marching and the good guys have very few options left. They decide to find shelter in Helms Deep, a mighty fortress with impenetrable walls. The forces of good run there to defend against the rising armies of evil. There the armies of Rohan and Elves unite to push back and defend. Safe behind the walls for a time, their job was to hold off a few days until help arrived. Just when the battle seemed loss, Gandalf rides in with an army and bright light to save the day.

As I was thinking about this great movie, I began to think about how youth group is like gathering at Helms Deep. We come together to unite around the common cause of overcoming the darkness of sin in our lives and this world. We should seek refuge here as the outpost of light, waiting for our Hero, the true Light of the World, to return one day. The difference is, our Hero has already won and has given us the Holy Spirit to overcome.

Yet the imagery of the church, our youth group, being a picture of a strong fortress to find refuge in, should not be lost on us. There is a real battle waging and we need to be reminded of it. We need to come together, regroup and encourage one another. We should remind each other to not fight against flesh and blood, but to use the Spiritual weapons God has given us to overcome the dark spirit of this world.

When we come together the Light of Christ will shine brightly and drive out the lies of the enemy. The enemy’s forces cannot stand up against unity, love and prayer. However, the more you involve yourself in Christian unity, in prayer, in ministry the more the enemy will try to attack you. The moment you let your guard down, he will attack you or use you to attack another.

How does he use you to attack others? Let’s get real practical for a second. Have you ever started a rumor? Have you ever called someone’s integrity in question? Have you ever tried to sabotage someone because you were jealous of him or her? Have you ever been mad at someone for unknown reasons?

Watch your words and attitudes toward people. Whenever your words are used to cut people down, you are fighting for the enemy. When you choose to build each other up, you are working toward unity. Maybe you are jealous because he is dating the girl you want to date, check yourself because jealousy is fertile ground for the enemy. Maybe she got the position you wanted, and you are trying to undermine her so you can replace her. This treachery comes from the enemy’s playbook.

The list goes on, but the reality is this: the choice is yours. Are you going to acknowledge the battle you are in? Are you going to see that we are fighting every moment of everyday in a spiritual battle? You will either engage the fight and come together for God’s glory or you will disengage and fight for the enemy. That is your options set before you.

What we see in the Scriptures, particularly in Acts, when the believers came together to pray, God did amazing things. So the next time you come to church, to youth group, look at each others as fellow soldiers who need encouragement and safety. Look for ways to build each other and areas to defeat the enemy. Help get each others eyes off of other people and onto Jesus Christ!

You belong here, because you need here. Fight the good fight of faith!