SPIRITUAL WARFARE

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."  I John 2:1
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him:  and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."  I John 3:9
"All unrighteouness is sin:  and there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness."  I John 5:17 - 19

In the life of the church today we do not see such edicts, practices or mandates.  In the life of the church today and in individual Christian lives today we see almost a brazen attempt of dismissing such verses and giving excuses to sin.  Satan is filling the mindset of the church today with acceptance of sin and tolerance of sin in the personal life, the family, the church life and the world.  But God is never accepting of sin, any sin.  All sin will be judged and condemned.  Is not our FAther's ways to be our ways?  Is not our Lord's ways to be our ways? 

In this writing I desire to look at why Christians continue in sin; why we sin; and why there seems to be little victory over sin, hell and Satan.

I believe Satan works to keep the Christian and the church from addressing this spiritual warfare.  I believe God desires for His church to see this.  Everything of this spritiual conflict is opposite between God and the Devil.  God points us to eternity.  The cross is determining of a souls' eternity in heaven or hell; embrace the cross and receive eternal life in heaven, reject the cross and receive eternal life in hell.  Satan keeps us from eternity by making us see and live and in the here and now of today.  'Tomorrow will take care of itself.  Live for today.'  God is holy and hates sin.  Satan promotes sin and hates holiness.  A saved soul loves God and hates sin.  A lost soul loves sin and hates God. 

In all these opposites we see the conflict between good and evil.  We are found in the middle and to the right we see God and His holiness; on the left we see Satan and his darkness.  And at that point of seeing, we are left to make a choice, to God or to Satan.  'The soul that sinneth it shall die.'  And sin is death, 'the wages of sin is death'.  Those dead in trespasses and sin go to eternal hell.  And there is no deliverance from sin but Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  The soul that embraces Christ, confesses Jesus as their Lord and SAvior, confesses that they are a sinner and in need of saving finds salvation from hell and their sin. 

Christ came as a man to overcome sin.  He paid the price for the sins of the world on Calvary.  And taught that there is no other way for any human to be delivered from sin that 'deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him.'  Death to self is death to sin;  life in Christ, is life within.  ''He that abideth in Me, though HE were dead, yet shall he live.  And he that liveth and abideth in Me shall never die." LIfe is in Christ; victory over sin is in Christ.

Many profess Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Many have done that which is declared by the church to 'be born again.'  We rejoice in every soul that is born again.  For the angels rejocie over one soul that come to Christ.  Yet, we see a problem among many Christians today; we see the problem in the church today -- they continue in sin.  We must see the answer to this and address it so that there might be victory and deliverance from those caught by lies and deceptions about what God wants and intended for any that would come follow Him.