There is a fierce end times warfare that is destroying many and the casualty count is tragically rising because many are being negligent towards the danger. I want to sound the alarm and alert you to the end times warfare that is raging against you right now!
Now, when I say I want to talk about the “end times warfare”, I am sure your first thought may be that I’m referring to “wars and rumors of wars”, or that maybe I’m going to talk about “the king of the north” going forth on his campaign of conquest against the nations. You might think I’m going to talk about the “Gog Magog war” or of the Antichrist’s armies surrounding Jerusalem and the battle of Armageddon!
However, no, those are not the things I will be referring to regarding the end times warfare in this article. I want to bring it down to a more personal level. The war that we all are presently engaged in is the warfare in these last days to keep the faith! If you are a Christian living in this world today you are engaged in an end times warfare that is an existential threat to your spiritual life and faith! Therefore, I want to exhort you as Paul did with Timothy to; “ …wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck...” (1 Timothy 1:18–19)
Many are suffering a shipwreck of their faith because they failed to shoot down the bombardment of the incoming missiles by not employing their “iron dome” shield of faith! There are so many things going on in our world today that are assaulting and attacking our faith! Things that are designed by the enemy to shake and undermine the foundations of what you know and believe to be true. This is precisely why Peter admonishes us to, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith…”
(1 Peter 5:8–9)
Resist Him! Steadfast in the faith! Do not acquiesce to the spirit of the age! Do not give in to the pressure to conform to this world! This is a multi-front war that we are engaged in! One tactic the enemy uses can almost be likened to a spiritual cyber attack! The enemy clandestinely and without your immediate awareness plants a spiritual virus in you of sorts. A virus of doubt, or of fear, or some such thing that begins to subtlety attack your faith and steadfastness in the word of God, or even in God Himself. We are aware of the obvious battle that is going on outside and around us, but often we’re not fully aware of the battle that’s going on inside of us! The battle to not become discouraged because of the things you see going on around you! The battle to not grow weary! The battle to not grow cynical! The battle to not let the outside battle destroy your inner hope and joy!
Beloved! We are living in vexing times! And the emotional fatigue can cause us to fall into a despondency as Job’s wife did who told her husband in despair “to curse God and die!”
And there was also Lot, “…who was oppressed (vexed) by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds…”. Jesus forewarned us that because of the lawlessness and the hard times that would come in the end times, “the love of many would grow cold.” (Matt.24:12). Do you ever feel your heart growing cold? It is precisely because of these things that He emphatically warns us that only those “who endure to the end” will be saved! (Matt.24:13).
Therefore, in order to be strong and remain steadfast in this present evil day and in this age that we find ourselves, in it is imperative to guard our hearts if we are to stand firm in the faith! We need to, as the Lord warned us, “Take heed to what you hear!”. We are living in an age where the attacks on our biblical values and convictions grows daily. The temptation to give in to compromising your values and principles, to acquiesce to the spirit of the age because you want to be accepted, or you want to be liked, or you don’t want people to think that you’re an oddball can be overwhelming! We can all feel this way at times. The battle is real and the struggle is continual. Battle fatigue can begin to creep in slowly and the temptation to give up begins to wear you down. Tragically many succumb to it because you get to a point of just being crushed in spirit. Yet, these are the very reasons Paul wrote that, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ…”. (2 Timothy 2:3). It is a war! And in these last days the warfare is growing even more intense! The Bible tells us that in the last days there will be a great falling away. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith…” (1 Timothy 4:1) Paul also calls it “the falling away” in 2 Thess. 2:3.
Beloved! Make no mistake! It is battle and it can be wearisome! Yet! It would be very remiss of me to neglect to remind you of our very great and precious promise! Because here’s the good news! The battle is the Lord’s! “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith…” (1 John 5:4)
Paul in writing to Timothy, knowing that his time on earth was nearing its end declared; “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” ( 2 Timothy 4:7)
Beloved, the only battle in this end time warfare that really matters is the one you’re engaging in right now! Fighting the good fight of faith! To finish your course. The only victory that’s going to matter at the end of the day is the victory that can confidently declare “I have kept the faith!”
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