Winning the Battle

Philippians 4:10-12a ESV

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.

A Different Direction

I know that Paul is talking here about financial needs and financial support, but I believe the Lord Jesus wants me to take this a different direction this morning. I believe he wants me to talk about spiritual and emotional needs rather than physical needs.

There are many believers in Jesus Christ throughout the world who are walking in the faith, living separate from the world of sin, and following the true gospel of our salvation. And, they are publicly sharing their faith, i.e. the gospel, so that others can come to know Christ, too, and also for the encouragement and revival of the wayward church.

And, they/we need spiritual and emotional support from other believers in Jesus Christ. For, there are many who oppose us and who oppose the teaching of the true gospel, which demands death to sin, and living to God and to his righteousness, for eternal life with God (See Acts 26:18; Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:19-21).

Of No Reputation

Yet, when you give your life to the Lord Jesus and you truly make him Lord (owner-master) of your life, to go wherever he sends you, to do whatever he commands you to do, and to say whatever he commands you to say, you won’t be voted most popular.

Even many Christians will shun you, gossip about you, falsely accuse you, mock you, and be mean and hateful towards you, because you don’t do the things that they do anymore, and because you don’t go along with the idea of just making everyone feel good, no matter where they are in life, and no matter how truly screwed up they may be.

You may even be invited out of some church fellowships because of your strong convictions with regard to holy living and walking in obedience to Christ and to his word. They may push you out, in fact, because your unity is with Christ and not with humanistic religious practices, and because you are teaching repentance and obedience to Christ as necessary components of God-given and divinely persuaded faith in Jesus.

For, many of them want conformity with man, not conformity with God and with his holiness. For, the message of the cross, as applied to our individual lives, in death to sin and living to righteousness, is an offense to them. For, they see their freedom in Christ merely as forgiveness of their sins, but not as deliverance from bondage to sin. And, so they may attack you and call you legalistic and judgmental, when all you are doing is teaching the truth.

Winning the Battle

They who are truly following Jesus Christ with their/our lives, but who are being persecuted for righteousness’ sake, need the support and encouragement of the body of Christ, but often times what we experience is being kicked to the curb, instead, or being fought against because of the truth on which we stand. And, so we need encouragement, and we need to encourage one another, too.

My daughter-in-law, Krystal, wrote a blog post the other day that really touched my heart. Krystal is really big on encouraging other people, and she has been a great source of encouragement to me many times over.

She was quoting from Exodus 17:8-13 which was about the enemies of God’s people attacking them, and them fighting off their enemies, and how when Moses held up his hands they were winning the battle, but whenever his hands grew tired, and he lowered them, then they began losing the battle. So, a stone was placed underneath him, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, and then God’s people won the battle against their enemy.

What she wrote about is how we need “godly friends and leaders to ‘hold our arms up’ as we fight our battles”, and how we need to be that to others, too. Amen! 

See: https://lovekr7.wordpress.com/2019/01/23/warfare/  

Philippians 4:12b-13, 19-20 ESV

In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me… And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Our Every Need

If we have not already, we need to learn to be content in whatever circumstances the Lord Jesus has us in, and we need to find our all in all in him, and let him be our all-sufficiency to meet our every need, so that we don’t lose heart, and so that we don’t get discouraged, but so we can go on in our walks of faith and win this battle against the enemy of our souls.

Although human encouragement is awesome, and so welcome and needed, we can’t be dependent on it, for it may not come, or it may not come often enough. And, humans may fail us all together by deserting, betraying and rejecting us instead of supporting us in the work of the ministry.

When I read that account of Moses and the battle again, I noted that a rock was first placed underneath Moses for his support and then his friends held up his hands.

Our Rock is Jesus Christ, and if he is all we have, he has to be enough, because he will never fail us, even when humans do. And, he will give us all we need to win this battle against our enemy, because he already won it for us on that cross.

Blessed Are You  

An Original Work / August 29, 2012

Based off Luke 6:20-49 NIV 1984

“Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who are poor for God’s kingdom is yours.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who are hungry, you’ll be satisfied.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who weep now, for you will laugh with joy.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

when men hate and reject you because of Christ.”

“Rejoice in that; rejoice in that day

And leap for joy; great your reward.

But I tell you; but I tell you

To love those who hate you; do them good.

Pray for those who; pray for those who

Treat you wrong and say kind things of them.

Do to others; do to others as you would

Have them do; have them do to you.”

“If you love those; if you love those

Who love you, what praise is there for you?

Because Christ is; because Christ is kind,

Be merciful, just like He is.

Forgive others; forgive others

Their offense against you; be ye kind.

Hear My words and; hear My words and

Put them into practice, then you’ll be fulfilled.”

https://vimeo.com/115046573