March 9 – When The Battle Rages (Psalm 55:16-23)

“He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.”(Psalm 55:18)

IN WORD:
You have enemies. Perhaps you are aware of them, perhaps not. Either way, they are there, even if they are covertly operating underground without your knowledge. They may manifest themselves in people who have a grudge against you. Or they may simply be hidden in the systems of this corrupt world, with all of its false philosophies, ideologies, and temptations. And then there are the principalities of God’s archenemy who will harass, tempt, and discourage you. Sometimes your enemy is even your own flesh, the desires that compete with your allegiance to God.
If life has been a struggle, there’s a reason. The Kingdom of God that you crave is in conflict with the fallen world that you live in. You have welcomed the new while surrounded by the old. That does not make for a peaceful life.
Were you aware of this battle? If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed that the Christian life, being supernatural, is not naturally easy. In fact, it’s impossible unless there’s a new birth, a constant faith, a learned dependence, and a holy ambition. Knowing the Holy Spirit is essential. Otherwise we are simply fallen creatures striving and wishing for something better.

IN DEED:
Don’t be discouraged by the fact that there is a battle in your life. There always will be until the day you pass from this earthen vessel into an incorruptible, heavenly dwelling place (2 Corinthians 5:1-4). The battle, in fact — if it is between the new and the old, the true and the false, or the gospel and the world — is evidence that you are a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
The battle comes with a promise: We are ransomed unharmed. It may not seem like we’re unharmed, but by God’s definition, we most certainly are. There is no enemy stronger than Him “who is enthroned forever” (Psalm 55:19). Your Savior reigns. Remember that when the battle is raging.

“Christianity is a battle, not a dream.” -Wendell Phillips-