Seeking Jesus First Nov. 24, 2025
Spiritual warfare is resisting the devil and destroying his works and it is built upon the foundations of faith in Christ Jesus. We must count the cost of being a disciple of Jesus Christ because there is no detente between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of God’s dear son. The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus has come to give abundant life.
In Luke 14, Christ Jesus tells the multitude that if they want to follow Him they will have to love Him more than anything else and be prepared to lose their whole life. Luke 14:28–31 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?”
Paul tells his son in The LORD, Timothy, that he must be prepared to work hard and to endure hardship. 2 Timothy 2:1–5, “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”
Can a soldier go to war without training for war? In boot camp, the goal seems to be to tear down the man and rebuild him into someone strong enough overcome his weakness and fear so he can follow orders, accomplish tasks and face down the enemy. The preparation that athletes do is as important as running the marathon race with patience and perseverance.
Manifesting the fruit of the spirit is one of the most important aspects of spiritual warfare. It takes self control to respond to each situation in the spirit instead of the flesh. For the Spirit-led believer, everything we say and do becomes spiritual warfare. When we submit to God, we resist the devil. The sons of God manifest to destroy the works of the devil. When we humble ourselves before God and submit to God, we destroy the works of the devil’s pride in our life. When we receive God’s Holy Spirit and walk in the love of God, we destroy the power of the lust of the flesh. When we look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, we destroy the lust of the eyes. This is our first and primary spiritual warfare - to think, speak and act like our Heavenly Father - to receive and live with His divine nature, just like Jesus did.