MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
December 13, 2023
God’s Saving Enmity
Part 48
THE ONLY BATTLE AND WAR TRUE CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE ENGAGED IN
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against WICkED SPIRITS in high places.” Eph. 6:12 (margin), KJV.While Satan is constantly seeking to blind their minds to the fact, let CHRISTIANS never forget that that they ‘wrestle not against flesh and blood [verse above quoted]. The inspired warning is sounding down the centuries to our [present] time: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’ 1 Pet. 5:8. [Therefore] ‘Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ Eph. 6:11.
From the days of Adam to our time, OUR great enemy [in his enmity of God and man] has been exercising his power to oppress and destroy. HE IS NOW PREPARING FOR HIS LAST CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CHURCH.
[What or which ‘church’?]. “All who seek to follow Jesus will be brought into CONFLiCT with this relentless foe. THE MORE NEARLY THE CHRISTIAN IMITATES THE DIVINE PATTERN, THE MORE SURELY WILL HE MAKE HIMSELF A MARK FOR THE ATTACKS OF SATAN.
All who are actively engaged in the cause of God, seeking to UNVEIL THE DECEPTIONS of the evil one and to PRESENT CHRIST to the people, will be able to join in the testimony of Paul, in which he speaks of serving the Lord in all humility of MIND [not performative appearance or professions], with many tears and temptations. [Why?]:
Satan assailed Christ with his FIERCEST AND MOST SUBTLE TEMPTATIONS; but he was repulsed in every conflict. Those battles were fought in OUR BEHALF; those victories make it POSSIBLE for us to conquer [‘overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil’]. Christ will GIVE strength to all who SEEK IT [by prayer and study of His Word through the Holy Spirit and ministry of holy angels that excel in strength].
[As free moral agents, divinely and originally endowed with the will, which is the governing power in man], “No man WITHOUT HIS OWN CONSENT can be overcome by Satan [i.e., yield to his temptations or fall for his temptations]. The tempter has no power to CONTROL the will of FORCE the soul to sin [disobey God’s law]. He may DISTRESS, but he cannot CONTAMINATE. He can cause AGONY, but not DEFILEMENT.
The fact that Christ [‘The Word made flesh,’ John 1: 1-3, 14] has CONQUERED should INSPIRE His followers [as their Example and Pattern Man] with courage to FIGHT MANFULLY the battle against SIN and SATAN.” – E. G. White, Great Controversy, p. 1911 ed., Pacific Press Publishing Asso.[all emphasis and words in brackets mine].
Jesus said. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” All who for any excuse, reason, political, national, or worse, religious agenda trains any form of weapon of warfare against his fellow mortal and sinner cannot be a true follower of Jesus Christ. Why? Simply because when the Creator and Redeemer introduced the nature of the kingdom He came to inaugurate on earth in His Sermon on the Mount (which of course includes the famous Beatitudes) declared: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy [cf. Lev. 19:18; Deut. 23:6].
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; THAT YE MAY BE CHILDREN OF YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matt. 5: 43-45, 36-48, KJV.
Apostle Paul echoes this unadulterated kingdom truth for the true and faithful New Testament Christian:
“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him a drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good [not ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’].” Rom. 12: 20, 21, see verses 9-19, KJV. To be continued next MWM, God willing. Bless all, NMF.