Fighting for the Soul!

There is nothing like a good water balloon fight!  It has turned summer here in South Africa and I got to take part in a water balloon fight on our Oceans campus with the high school students. It was an epic battle with kids and teacher’s soaked. The laughter was loud and contagious stopping people on the street to observe the duel.  But as I was talking with Bryan the principal earlier, many of these kids are suffering deeply inside. From battles at home, to peer pressure, addictions, to deep seated insecurity produced by being saturated by social media. The enemy is working overtime lobbing attack after attack at these young people.

I think many of can also identify with the constant assault of being pounded by the dark powers that are relentlessly targeting our minds and souls for defeat and destruction.

For the last few weeks I have been dwelling in the little book of Jude. I have been daily reading this 1 chapter book written by the half brother of Jesus and the message I keep getting is that we need to fight for our own souls and the souls of others like these students mentioned above.

The last few verses of Jude end with 7 commands which were given to help God’s beloved children fight for their soul and the souls of others around them.  Here is a quick summary of how we fight from vs. 20-23;

1. Fight on the Foundation of Faith – We can only overcome by standing on the Rock Solid Promise of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel. We need to daily pick up this Sword of the Spirit and attack the “father of lies.”
2. Fight on your Knees – as one translations puts it – “by praying every moment in the  Holy Spirit!” The battle is one in the heavenly realm as we moment by moment we breath out prayers before a mighty King who will fight on our behalf.
3. Fight for Love – Our greatest need is to daily fasten our hearts to the love of the Father. Victory flows out of knowing His love for us and responding to that love with all our hearts.
4. Fight from Forgiveness – We have been given mercy and forgiveness through the Cross. We are seated forever secure on the heavenly mercy seat washed in perfect blood.
5. Fight for the Family – As we have been given mercy and forgiveness we give the same to our brothers and sisters who are struggling around us.
6. Fight for the Lost – Called to fight for those who are lost by sharing the Gospel so that they are “snatched out of the fire.” The   Gospel expands His glory all over the earth.
7. Fight your Flesh – Daily we need to fight the desires of the flesh that seek to pollute our soul. Daily die to self and follow in the steps of Jesus to victory.

Does the list overwhelm you? It does me. But keep reading. We don’t fight these battles alone. Let this glorious doxology bring you great courage and joy as you fight through the faith given you through Christ who lives in you. We can’t lose this fight in Him.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen!” (24-25)

So fight from the place of victory for the One in you is greater than any dark power aligned against you!