Winning or Losing?

All around us a war is unfolding...

The war isn't a carnal war, it is a spiritual war.  The spiritual war results in carnal wars, though!  This is where it gets confusing.

Spiritual enemies, if not correctly dealt with, result in human enemies.

Not recognizing the war has devastating consequences on communities of people.

A partial list of the enemies of your life:

1. Impatience
2. Jealousy
3. Unbelief
4. Complaining, bitterness, victimization
5. Greed/fear of lack
6. Apathy
7. Pride/shame
8. Self-seeking/selfish ambition
9. Lust for the things seen

Not dealing with these rightly will result in human enemies, division, hatred, betrayal, and even war and murder.

The last days are very confusing because God is letting a human war unfold to give the willing... The faithful...the meek... The perfect context to win an eternal Spiritual victory.

This is what Jesus did, and He invites us to follow Him into the same victory.  Jesus already picked to lose a human war, not because it was His will, but because it was the Father's will. 

The Father and the Son had two different wills. 

Jesus had a will of the flesh... A way of seeing the world that came with being a human.  He yielded that will.  The Father has a perfect will born of supernatural knowledge of how all things were created.  Think of Job's story... Job's will was yielded by seeing the creator of all.  Same for Jesus:

Matthew 26:39 NKJV — He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Jesus submitted to losing a human war... One in which he could have called on legions of angels... To win a SPIRITUAL war forever:

1 Corinthians 15:54-56 NKJV — So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

Sin is lawlessness.  Jesus picked lawfulness, even though He didn't have to.  The cross was His victory over lawlessness. The flesh sees the cross as a loss.  It wasn't.  It was a win.  Jesus let the Father's will win over the flesh and saved anyone willing to follow Him in the same... Anyone who believes in Him and that He showed the path to life.

Most that name His name don't "believe in Him"... That His life is the right way to live.

Mark 8:33-36 NKJV — But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Thinking like people is the problem all people have!... Until they don't.  It is possible to yield to God's way, but it's a choice that begins with humility. Most would rather go work on winning the world for God rather than humble themselves and let their wills be conquered by God.

That IS lawlessness.

All lawlessness is sin.  In the kingdom of God, the ends never justify the means.  The means are the point.  We have to do things God's way.  Winning human wars to lose the real victory will cost the lawless forever... Even though they think they are serving God!

Matthew 7:13-15 NKJV — “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

It's what is going on inside that defines the falling away, the false shepherds, ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing, and the idolatry and harlotry the Bible warns of in the last days.

Are the enemies of God the ones running my heart?  If so, I am a traitor in the spiritual war, even though I may look like an ally in the human war.

This is the point of the last day's judgments: To bring out the real motivators of every human heart, so the few that see their hearts and really decide to change can be free and the many who hide their real motivations can be removed from the bride.

Most would rather win the human war and suffer for eternity than really deal with what's going on inside their hearts. Most. Few are willing to let go of this world to grab hold of the next.

Blessed are those who do.

Revelation 14:12-15 NKJV — Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

Revelation 13:5-10 NKJV — And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Do you see the real war you are in right now?  Do you see the war your flesh is waging, in concert with Satan, against you that has very little to do with people and everything to do with what you hide inside?

Is your grave empty? Has death lost its power over you?