There are only two sides in every battle; the attacker and the defender. Likewise, there are only two possible outcomes in every battle; you either win or you lose. Both sides are going to get bloodied and bruised, but only one side will win and the other will be defeated. Accepting as a given that every battle requires an attacker and a defender and that one side will win and the other will lose, let’s take a closer look at each army.
By definition, the attacking army is the aggressor and the one who initiates the battle. There are a few reasons why an army would attack, but it mostly comes down to one thing. They want to take new ground to expand their territory. If the attacking army loses the battle, then they will get bloodied and bruised, but they haven’t really lost any ground. They can retreat, regroup, reorganize, refesh, call in reinforcements, and plan for another attack. If they win, they will still get bloodied and bruised, but they gain new ground and expand their territory.
Now, consider the defending army. By definition, a defending army is just trying to hold on to what they’ve already got. Their border has been defined and they are just trying to maintain what is rightfully theirs. When the battle comes, they will get just as bloodied and bruised as the attacking army. If they win the battle, they have really done nothing more than hold on to what they already had in the first place. If they lose, though, they forfeit what was once theirs.
So, if every battle has an attacker and a defended and every battle has a winner and a loser and if you’re going to get just as bloodied and bruised no matter if you attack or defend or if you win or lose, then why not be aggressive and attack the enemy to gain new ground and expand your territory? It might be easier to defend a fortified position than it is to capture one, but there is no possibility of gaining new ground and expanding your territory if you never attack.
In this life, we all have a common enemy. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy anything the Lord has given or wants to give you. Instead of waiting for the enemy to attack, it’s time to take the battle to the enemy. It’ s about time that you start attacking his territory instead of worrying about defending what’s already yours. And you’re not alone in your attack. Scripture says that you have been given weapons of divine power to demolish anything that stands against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:4). You also have the armor of God. This is something that a lot of people have confused or made more complicated than it needs to be.
To simplify it, the armor of God is nothing more and nothing less than Jesus. Start with the “belt of truth” that holds everything together. John 14:6 says that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The “breastplate of righteousness” that guards our heart is also Jesus since He is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). The “gospel of peace” on our feet that guides and guards our steps is found in Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Psalm 3:3 refers to Jesus as a shield of faith around me, just like the “shield of faith” in the armor of God that extinguishes all the flaming arrows of the enemy. The “helmet of salvation” that guards my thoughts and transforms my mind is also found in Jesus. My salvation can only be found in Him and only in Him can my mind be renewed (Romans 12:2). And the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” is none other than Jesus. John 1:1 says that in the beginning “the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Jesus is the Word, the Sword of the Spirit. So, scripture identifies every piece of the armor of God with Jesus. He is the only armor we need to remember to put on.
Here’s the other thing about the armor of God. I only ever hear people talk about it when they are “under attack” from the enemy. They talk about spiritual warfare and they put on the armor of God to protect themselves against the schemes of the devil. At no point in scripture is the armor of God reserved only for defending yourself. In fact, during the days when armys wore armor, the attacker was the first to put his armor on because he knew the attack was coming before the defender did. We sometimes look at the armor God has given us as something to put on after the attack has come to us. Instead, we should be looking at the armor of God as something we put on as we prepare to take the attack to the enemy. Again, the only time I hear people talk about the armor of God is when they are already under attack. I never hear them talk about it when everything is going well for them. What a huge mistake that is! If things are going well for you and God is blessing you, that’s the best time to put on the armor and attack the enemy! If the hand of God is upon you, then take advantage of His favor and blessing to expand your territory and take new ground for God.
I can’t think about spiritual warfare without thinking about one of my favorite verses. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we are to take captive every thought. I have usually thought that this verse only applied to those thoughts that lead to sin, but when I considered who wrote this and when he wrote it, it changed my persepective. When Paul wrote this, he had in mind the way war was waged by the Romans of his day. To better understand this scrpture, it helps to consider what the Roman army did with captives that were taken on the battlefield. They either killed them or made them slaves and put them to work. That’s the way I look at my thoughts, now. I must capture every thought I have that does not honor God and put it to death. But, I must also capture every good thought that honors Him and put it to work. It’s not enough to think about doing something good for God. I must capture that thought and put it to work the same way I would capture sinful thoughts and put them to death.
So, what’s the challenge here? First, we need to put on the armor of God, that is, we need to be in Christ at all times. Next, we must capture every thought and put them to death or put them to work. Then we go and pick a fight with the enemy. It’s the only way to capture new ground that the Lord wants to give us. It’s the only way to make a difference in the Kingdom of God. The time is at hand. It’s D-Day. It’s time to storm the beaches!
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