After The Battle

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  Ephesians 6:13-14 NLT

One thing that recent days has probably made us more aware of than ever is this world can be a battlefield. Times may feel uncertain right now. Worry and anxiety might be a constant struggle as needs press hard against us. Fear often wreaks havoc in our minds and hearts. Day by day, hour by hour, we face a spiritual war and an enemy who’s real. He wants nothing more than to bring defeat; for his main aim is to steal, kill, and destroy.

But God reminds us constantly through His word that we’re never alone. When we know Jesus Christ as our Saviour He is with us always and promises to fight for us even in the toughest battles. He gives us everything we need to stand strong in this life, and Ephesians 6 tells us to take up His full armor in order to stand strong against the enemy’s schemes. Each specific piece of armor has a unique purpose, designed for our protection and covering. Every word in the Bible has meaning and provides great wisdom for us today.

Reading the Bible for yourself should forever eradicate the unbiblical depiction of Jesus as some flower child, coming only to bring peace to the world we currently reside in without exerting His sovereign, kingly rule—which sometimes also includes expressing His divine wrath against disobedient sinners and nations.

Jesus is strong. He is God. He does not flinch, even as He goes to a cross. At the cross Jesus fights the decisive battle. At the cross Jesus pays for our rebellion that has led to the hostility in the world. At the cross Jesus smashes the enemies teeth. And at the resurrection Jesus demonstrates His absolute victory.

As you watch the news reports; as you feel the waves overwhelm you; as you hear the diagnosis of cancer; as you battle depression; as your friends are caught in the path of wildfires, you must know this, Jesus is the Victorious one. Every enemy will tremble and fall before Him.

And the result is the beauty of calm. As Jesus the warrior King, fights for us fights with us He rebukes the wind and the waves - oh Lord we love You - they immediately die down. As Jesus sends out the demons the man is left sitting, dressed and in his right mind. The noise of battle has been replaced by the sheer beauty of calm.

This is not keep calm and carry on. This is genuine, lasting calm.

But it doesn’t feel like that does it? The battle still feels intense. The Hostility still roars around us. The enemy still seems to be winning. But we do not need to panic.

One day Jesus will stand above all the noise of battle and for one final time will say those glorious word, “Quiet, Be Still”. And on that day the whole earth will fall silent before Him.

Every enemy will be destroyed and all His people will live in perfect peace. Of course, that is why the Bible says there will be no more sea (Revelation 21). There will be no more battle, no more hostility, no more enemy.

It doesn’t make the waves less painful and it doesn’t make the enemy less scary. But it does make it possible to keep going. Keep battling that temptation. Keep fighting under the darkness of depression. Keep trusting as global events eat away at the fabric of our society. The day of calm is coming.

Remember these lessons from the Bible ….. because Sometimes we manage to hold things together and convince ourselves we are safe. But then something happens and the cracks become all too obvious. We are out of control and we feel the panic beginning to rise.

We need You Jesus! 

Earthquakes, tornados, wildfires, a pandemic’s ever changing rules and so much more leave us all feeling nervous and vulnerable. Suddenly the world feels fragile and our powerlessness is exposed.

Jesus truly will conquer for His people. 

In the book of Mark there are two stories that provide us with a stunning clarity in a scary world.  Two stories that start with a hostile, terrifying, noisy battle.

Jesus and His disciples are in a boat. This is familiar ground for the fishermen and they appear confident as they take Jesus along, “just as He was”. They think they are under control. Until out of nowhere a furious squall appears. It is a picture of the hostile world. There is a battle raging.  Jesus brings the storm to a halt. 

You see it again when they make landfall and we learn a man with an impure spirit. Here is a tragic picture of the hostility of our world. This world is not a neutral place, it is ruled by a vicious enemy. It is called the Destroyer, the enemy or Satan. It is not the ultimate King, but he has been given authority to rule for a time because this world is under God’s right judgment.

In Mark Chapter 5 the enemy has an army of demons who carry out his destructive work. This man lives among the dead. All relationships have been destroyed and the man is in constant agony.

These accounts in the Bible are two vivid pictures that help us understand the reality of our world. A hostile storm and a vicious enemy.  It should not surprise us when life feels like a battle. The world is not neutral. It is enemy territory.

The disciples could not control the storm. No one could control the demon possessed man. And often we feel like we are losing the battle too. We are overwhelmed by life, by temptations that keep attacking, by a sense that there is danger all around.

But Holy Spirit teaches us that we do not need to panic. Because there is a Warrior King. 

Jesus is sleeping on the boat. You have got to love that. He is not freaked. When He wakes up He stands at the front of the boat and looks the hostile storm right in the eye. “Quiet! Be still!” And with that it is all over.

And then ss the demon possessed man approaches themit is not Jesus panicking. It is the demons trying to get away. He is up against a legion but they don’t want a fight, they just want to slip away -  Here is a truth about evil, ultimately it is cowardly. It makes big boasts, but when it comes to a fight with Jesus Christ it looks for any way out. 

Jesus gives permission and the demons run. Into the pigs and straight down the mountain into the lake.

That might sound harsh to our animal loving culture but imagine for a second you were the man. Jesus  demonstrates as clearly as possible His absolute victory. As the man watches the pigs running headlong to their death the man sees what he has been saved from.

Jesus is a magnificent Warrior. He is not terrified of any enemy. In fact the truth Mark shows us is that every enemy will be terrified of Him.

The people don’t get it. The disciples are confused about Jesus. The pig-less villagers are downright annoyed. They send Jesus away.

They had their security tied up in their livestock. They don’t want Jesus. And many will act that way today. Even when catastrophe strikes, when rulers govern for a select few not God’s people, when people bury their heads in the sand and sing “imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try”. 

There is no comfort away from God but the human heart is so hostile to Him that people will prefer to find their comfort in technology, spending, careers…. rather than Jesus. Or bank balances, bigger armies, nuclear weapons and the lists goes on.

Oh my friends, We need to let people know the glorious news of Jesus Christ. He who saves, forgives each of us, invites us home, salvation.