The attitude of a good soldier is one of a warrior—ready for war and committed to win that war. Notice what Ephesians 6:10-13 in the J. B. Phillips says:
“In conclusion, be strong—not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of his boundless resource. Put on God’s complete armor so that you can
successfully resist all of the devil’s methods of attack. For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organizations and powers that
are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil. Therefore
you must wear the whole armor of God that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you
may still stand your ground.”
Our enemy is not a person, rather the kingdom of darkness. It is so important that we keep this important fact clear in our minds.
Satan has no right to us because we belong to God. However, he continually looks for a place in our lives where he can have access. He will destroy and
devour us if he can gain an entrance. We must deny him access into any area of our lives.
Our orders are to resist the enemy and destroy his works (see James 4:7). When we resist him, we stand up against him. We do not need to fear standing
up to him; we have been given dominion over all of his power. Our weapons are not conventional, they are mighty in God.
What’s more, Jesus said, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14 KJV). That means the Name of Jesus has been entrusted
to every believer. We have access to the authority and power Jesus gained on our behalf. It is His ability flowing in us that can remove any obstacle
the enemy places before us.
When we face a conflict, we must know the limits of our own condition and be ready to take action according to our abilities. Joseph knew his own limits.
While he served in Potiphar’s house, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. Of course, he said, “No.” When she persisted and his ‘no’ did not seem
like enough, the only thing left for him to do was to run! He ran and escaped the moment of trouble and temptation.
However, in knowing our abilities, we must not forget God’s ability in us. His Spirit is within us to empower us with abilities far beyond anything we
could do on our own. Through His Spirit, we now have access to His ability. Ephesians 6:10 tells us:
“In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might
provides]” (AMP).
We can grow in our ability to overcome as we develop a life of intimate fellowship
with the Lord. We become strong by our fellowship with Him, through time in the Word, and in prayer. Our union and communion with Him is our real source
of power.
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world,
but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4 NKJV).
