Love Motivated Warfare

 
Love Motivated Warfare
(En Español)

Jesus knew this world was a realm under satanic siege. Planet Earth was not a place of peace but a realm at war. From the casting out of Lucifer and his angels from Heaven, to the temptation in the Garden of Eden, to Babylon and the multiplication of nations under satanic influence, planet Earth has been an embattled world. The idea that somehow our era is less threatened by evil is the height of deception. We must fight if we will follow Christ into victory.

No matter how beautiful the world around us seems, remember there was a serpent lurking in Paradise itself. If Adam and Eve had possessed a war mode mentality, they never would have casually accepted the lies of Lucifer. Likewise today, we need to be wise and walk carefully for "the days are evil" (Eph. 5:16). You see, Jesus was always aware that He lived in a war zone. No matter what He was doing -- whether He was laughing with sinners or driving out demons, whether He was healing the sick or training followers -- beneath the surface of His outer activities, the "war mode switch" in Jesus' mind was always on.

A word here to the women who find warfare a solely macho topic. I have heard a few women argue, "I'm just a housewife, a mom. I don't have a war mode." If your child was seriously sick, wouldn't you fight that illness with everything at your disposal? You would fast and pray, and you would do so from your war mode. If your marriage was under spiritual attack, wouldn't you get before God and war with fervency? The fact is, you know how to fight. Ask your husband if he thinks you have a war mode. You just need something to wake it up, because once you begin to shift into the war gear, in the Holy Spirit you are dangerous!

You see, the war mode is in us all. It may be attached to our instinct for survival, but it is more directly connected with our love for people. I love my nation, so I am warring in prayer on its behalf. Because of love for my family, I war in prayer on their behalf. I love my church, my city and, yes, even my own soul, so I war to protect what I love.

If there is a natural fight instinct, there is a spiritual fight mode as well. It just needs to be awakened, submitted to Christ, and then unleashed against the enemy. If you have a love mode, you also have a war mode. God has created the war mode so we can protect the people we love.

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The preceding excerpt is adapted from the book This Day We Fight, by Pastor Frangipane. This book with associated audio resources are currently on sale at www.arrowbookstore.com.