Your Heart, a Battlefield

I am sure the greatest day in your life was the day you put your faith in Jesus Christ. And as we grow in our faith and knowledge of what God actually did for us, we become more aware of how significant that day really was. That was the day when we literally had our eternal address changed from a place called Hell to a place called Heaven. That was the day when we turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. That was the day when, according to Jesus, there was a party in Heaven given in our honor—a victory shout, if you will, from the angels and from those who have gone before us.

But it was also the day when a very real spiritual battle began. In fact, it has been said that conversion has made our hearts a battlefield. Just as surely as there is a God who loves you, there is also a devil who hates you—a devil who wants to stop the work God is doing in your life.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus talked about the seed that fell on the roadside and was eaten by the birds. He said, “Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts” (Matthew 13:19). It is called an attack, and you had better get ready for it.

If you want to be a spiritual pacifist, then you are going down. You will have to toughen up and put on the armor of God, because in this spiritual battle, you are either advancing or retreating. You are either winning or losing. So you must fight to win. And it is a battle that can be won—if you march with Christ.