В жизни, it’s not about how you start but how you finish. This applies to every person, включая христиан. Because many Christians have started right but didn’t finish the way they should have finished. God’s Word warns for doubt, lukewarmness, and passivity. God’s Word encourages believers to stand and fight the good fight of faith. If faith wouldn’t be a fight, it wouldn’t be written in the Bible. But it is written in the Bible. Поэтому, it’s time for Christians to awaken and become serious with the things of God and His Kingdom and fight the good fight of faith. It’s time to become active in the spiritual war and plunder hell, instead of becoming lukewarm and passive and influenced, led, and plundered by hell.
Christians start the fight of faith with good cheer
Many Christians start the fight of faith with good cheer after their repentance, крещение в воде, and receiving the Holy Spirit. They are serious and enthusiastic. They’re eager to read and study the Bible, молиться, go to church, attend conferences, meet new brothers and sisters, and fellowship with them. They speak boldly about Jesus Christ and their faith, and do what Jesus commanded them to do. Короче говоря, they live in their first love.
During this period, Christians don’t have to fear so much about the attacks of the enemy and darkness.
The attacks are there, but the believers are fervent and immediately rebuke the demonic powers of darkness or they ignore them and don’t pay any attention to all the temptations and distractions that come their way.
Они resist the temptations and distractions of the devil and the world. Because they are in their first love and only have eyes for Jesus.
Their love for Jesus and the Father is a victorious love, that bears all things, resists all things, and overcomes all things.
Because their heart goes out to God and their love for Jesus and the Father is so strong, these demonic attacks and temptations, которые ведут к греху, don’t stand a chance.
Even when the devil and his army and their surroundings (семья, друзья, Знакомых, и коллег) do their best to tempt them, win them, and cause them to depart from the faith in God and disobey His Word, they won’t succeed. Почему нет? Because their love for Jesus triumphs.
What happens when the first love cools off?
But if their first love cools off after a while and the newness of the gospel is wearing off and they have read the Bible a couple of times, listened to many Bible studies, and attended conferences and they think they know it all, they must watch out.
If the love for Jesus; слово, is not so strong anymore and the faith is no longer the most important in their lives but comes in second, and they become distracted and give room to other stuff, chances are that believers become lukewarm and passive and become an easy target for the devil, his army and their surroundings. (Читайте также: Найду ли я веру на земле?).
The devil and his army know exactly when to attack. If the first love has cooled off and Christians live on autopilot and everything seems peaceful, then the devil and his army become active in the spiritual battle.
The army of darkness fights against Christians
Но ты, О человек Божий, беги от этих вещей; и следуй за праведностью, благочестие, вера, любовь, терпение, кротость. Ведите добрый подвиг веры, держаться вечной жизни, для чего ты и назван, и исповедовал хорошую профессию перед многими свидетелями (1 Тимоти 6:11-12)
The devil and his army fight against Christians with the aim that they leave Jesus (слово), become (духовно) пассивный, and eventually abandon the faith.
They respond to the weaknesses of the flesh if they have not been laid down yet in the power of the Holy Spirit.
They anticipate the desires, чувства, эмоции, and lusts of the flesh and cast thoughts in the mind that oppose God’s Word and lead to sin.
The devil and his army distract them, cause problems and obstacles to discourage believers, and tempt them with the riches and things of the world, so that they commit adultery with the world, compromise, and reject God, and leave His Word.
They infiltrate the local churches through their servants, who are appointed in leadership and look like servants of righteousness but inwardly are full of iniquity and live in sin, and deceive the believers with their deceptive words (враньё).
Christians shall believe the lies of these wolves in sheep’s clothing and adhere to a gospel that contains all kinds of (новый) interesting doctrines and deceptive promises, that focus on the will of the old carnal man and cater to the lusts and desires of the flesh
This gospel doesn’t lead to obedience to God and His Word, a holy life, благочестие, and doing righteous works for the Lord Jesus Christ. But this gospel leads to lasciviousness and leaving the faith, and to obedience and submission to the devil, грех, и смерть.
Fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life
If believers are not watchful and don’t remain in their first love and if Jesus Christ and His Kingdom are not the highest priority and the Bible is not the highest authority in their lives, and they don’t feed themselves daily with the Word, молиться, and build themselves up in their most holy faith, then chances are that they will be deceived and depart from the faith.
The faith is an ongoing battle. Если вы стали новое творение and belong to God through regeneration in Christ, you shall fight the fight of faith. You shall fight the good fight of faith with the weapons of God and be victorious.
Дело не в том, как вы начнете, но как ты закончишь
Many believers have started right, but on their way, they have allowed things in their lives that shouldn’t be there. They risk their eternity with Jesus and the Father for the temporary pleasures of the world and to fulfill their carnal will, вожделения, и желания.
Don’t put eternity at risk by submitting to the flesh, but submit to Jesus Christ, подчиняйся Его словам, and serve Him with all your heart, душа, разум, и сила.
Stay faithful to God and fight the good fight of faith and keep the faith and lay hold on eternal life!
«Будь солью земли’
