The Battle Is The Lord’s!

     When we are in a battle, we have to have good strategy, or a way of fighting the battle. In our spiritual battle, we have the best strategy ever; we have the four spiritual mechanics that the Lord Jesus Christ used. He used the power of the Holy Spirit, Bible doctrine, lived in the predesigned plan of God, and used eight of the problem solving devices. He didn’t need to use rebound nor occupation with Christ. He showed us the way to win the battle. God has given us the mechanics or the ammunition to win the battle. The battle is the Lord’s!

2 Chronicles 32:8 With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.
 

     While we are fighting this battle, there is something that can get in our way, our emotions. We sometimes call emotions feelings. They are a part of our souls. Emotions have no thoughts of their own. They have to use thoughts in our minds. They respond or react to whatever thoughts are in our minds or souls. Responding is based on correct thinking. Reacting is based on incorrect thinking. Let’s say that the teacher gives us a difficult assignment. Correct thinking would respond by telling us to respect the authority of the teacher and do the assignment. Incorrect thinking would react by getting all upset, maybe not doing the assignment, and therefore not respecting the authority of the teacher. Not good thinking!

2 Corinthians 10:5 We are destroying speculations [things around us that can hinder us] and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…

      Sometimes we let our emotions be the energy that moves us. Watch out! If the emotion comes from the thinking of Bible doctrine in our souls, that is good. We’ll be using divine power. It will move us in a good direction. If the emotion comes from our old sin natures, that is bad. We’ll be using human power. It will move us in the wrong direction. The energy from God the Holy Spirit and Bible doctrine is the only energy which makes us able to live lives glorifying the Lord, showing His glory!
 

Romans 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

     Much of Christianity today is related to some system of human improvement and emotional energy rather than the omnipotence or power of God. Emphasis is put on living by how a person feels, improving personality, and doing works to gain God’s favor. Human energy and power is in Satan’s cosmic system. If how we feel becomes the reason for how we live our lives, we will never be able to live in God’s plan. If Jesus Christ lived by the way He felt, we would all be in trouble! He would not have gone to the cross. However, He lived by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Bible doctrine in His soul! He lived by correct thinking! Jesus Christ was able to separate His feelings and emotions from the suffering that came from picking up His cross and laying down His life for us. We have to learn to separate our feelings and emotions from the suffering that comes from picking up our crosses and laying down our lives for others.

Matthew 27:46 “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

Philippians 1:29 Because to you it has been graciously given with reference concerning Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on behalf of Him….

      When emotions are acting correctly because of Bible doctrine in our souls, they will respond to pleasurable and exciting situations. They will also appreciate many things in life. This will give us relaxed mental attitudes. When emotions are not acting correctly, we will be distracted from living in the predesigned plan of God. They will get in the way of our learning, believing, and using Bible doctrine. We’ll be emotionally sinning, like having hatred and being angry. Or we might have bitterness, guilt, jealousy, and fear. How stressful is that?

Romans 16:17-18 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ, but of their own appetites [emotions]; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

     Now for us to see the light and magnificence of God, or His glory, we need to follow in Jesus Christ’s footsteps. We need to take in Bible doctrine daily so that our minds will be filled with Jesus’ thinking. Then we need to let our minds control our emotions. Our emotions can then appreciate what is in our minds. We will be following the Light of the world. We won’t be walking in darkness. As God, Christ is the light of the world. As the God-Man, He is the lens for the light, and as the Redeemer, He is the focus of the light.

John 8:12 I am the light of the world; he who follow Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.
 

     Without the fall of angels and men, God’s glory would be the only thing in this universe to be seen far and wide! It would be brighter than the sun! However, the angels and mankind did fall. God’s true glory was no longer seen in the hearts or minds of His creatures. We are born with a driving need that can only be filled with God’s glory. No problem! God rescued His creatures! Through Jesus Christ’s saving work on the cross, the light or glory could be restored to the creatures minds. For that to happen, we first need to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.
 

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything appropriate [beautiful] in its time. He has also set eternity [a hole that only God’s glory can fill] in their heart, without which [the setting of the desire for eternal things] mankind will not find out [perceive] the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, ”Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!”
 

     The glory of God refers to all or to some part of His divine essence. How do we get God’s glory into our hearts or minds so that we can live in it? As believers, we use the four spiritual mechanics: filling of the Holy Spirit, learn, believe, and use Bible doctrine, live in the predesigned plan of God, and use the 10 problem-solving tools. This will produce the light or glory of God in our minds. In this way, we gain more and more access to the benefits that flow from the ten attributes of the essence of God. It all comes down to what we know and how we think!  

Omnipotence: Church-age believer has 100% availability of divine power.  Ephesians 1:18-20

Omnipresence: Church-age believer sits at the right hand of God with Christ. Eph. 2:6

Omniscience: Church-age believer is given the full revelation of God’s message to mankind.  1 Corinthians 1:12,24;  Romans 15:14

Righteousness: Church-age believer possesses the very righteousness of God.  Romans 4:5

Justice:  Church-age believer is justified before God forever. Romans 3:24

Love:  Church-age believer can love with the same love from God.  John 13:34

Eternal Life: Church-age believer possesses the eternal life of God.  John 5:24

Veracity: Church-age believer is given the full revelation of the truth.  John 16:13

Sovereignty: Church-age believer can be a ruler with Christ in the Millennial reign. Rev. 2:26-28

Immutability: Church-age believer is in union with Christ.  His position and his resurrection body in heaven will never change.  John 8:35, 1John 2:17

     The Church-age is the unique dispensation when God’s glory can be returned to the hearts or minds of men. God has given us, the Church-age believers, the ability to have His very own essence to use in our lives. The use of God’s perfect essence in our lives is the same as God’s glory being in our lives. This should make us have an emotional response; this should make us excited!! So don’t quit on God! Don’t leave His army. God is our Commander and the battle is the Lord’s!
 

Our God is an awesome God!

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, Who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One Who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
 

The Battle Is the Lord’s

References used:

                    Robert R.McLaughlin Bible Ministries   www.gbible.org                   
                   
                    Lessons:   10-24 07, 10-25-07, 10-28-07, 11-4-07, 11-11-07