Alert, Aware, and Advancing

Some people are surprised to find that it isn’t easy being a Christian. Once we put our faith in Christ, we immediately find that we have an adversary, the devil, who wants to bring us down.

The spiritual battle rages every day, and this battle will not end until we’re safe in the arms of Jesus.

Writing to Timothy, the apostle Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7–8 NLT).

The word that Paul used for “fight” pointed to the Greek contests in which men would struggle against each other with all their might.

This reminds us that the Christian life is a constant process of moving forward. And the moment we stop moving forward, we will start moving backward. Thus, we need to put our armor on. We need to suit up.

Ephesians 6 tells us, “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (verses 11–12 NLT).

Wouldn’t it be great to think that we could reach a plateau in our lives as believers where we are somehow above all temptations and struggles? But that isn’t going to happen. The fight will rage on until that final day.

So, we need to keep our armor on. We need to stay alert and aware and be constantly moving forward.