Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
(Eph. 6:10-12, NIV)
On this Memorial Day, as we in America enjoy family picnics, cookouts and a holiday weekend, we remember those who have fought and lost their lives making the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
This is also a good time for all of us around the world to be reminded that some things are worth fighting for. What are you fighting for? Who are you fighting for? Why are you fighting?
Fight for Your Spiritual Freedom
Jesus fought and won the ultimate battle by completely defeating the devil on the cross. Now, it’s our job to enforce Satan’s defeat by being strong in the Lord. We have to fight the temptation to get weary, lazy and complacent in our faith. Let’s not insult Jesus or the price He paid by laying down His life so we could be free; let’s be strong in the Lord and the power of His might!
Fight for Others’ Spiritual Freedom
The fight of faith goes to another level when we choose to put the spiritual interests of others ahead of our own personal enjoyments. It’s a battle to resist the temptation to be selfish and only be concerned about the spiritual condition of our own lives or families. It takes brave and unselfish soldiers for Christ to fight for others – to push through the pain of persecution and help lead others to Christ, to help them grow in their faith and to equip and train to them for God’s army. “Greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends.”
Fight for the Blessed Life
While Jesus has already bought and paid for us to be blessed with every spiritual blessing and while it is His will that we prosper and are in health even as our soul prospers—we have to engage in the fight of faith to possess these things. He paid a price for us to enjoy the benefits of His sacrifice—but we have an enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy everything God wants for us. We need to fight the fight of faith to experience the blessed life Jesus has provided.
Some people have gotten the mistaken idea that it’s easy to be a Christian! Others have mistakenly assumed that God is like a sovereign, jolly old candy man who just drops blessings from heaven on random persons on random days. Neither of these things is true. It takes grit, endurance, perseverance, intentionality and a proactive attitude of faith to be a strong, victorious, blessed Christian! The Lord has provided a “promised land” for us—we need to take hold of the weapons of our warfare and get busy enforcing Satan’s defeat so that we can “possess the land” in every area of our lives. Fight for your well-being, sanity, health, marriage, kids, friends; fight for God’s plans to be fulfilled in the lives of others, your church and your country.
Today, follow the Commander-in-Chief, put on the armor of God and fight!
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
(Eph. 6:12-17, NIV)
Say This:
“Father, I have been too passive. Help me to become a productive member of Your army. Not only do I want to fight the fight of faith for myself and my family, I want to be a soldier in Your service who fights on the behalf of others. I also want to fight the fight of faith to lay hold of the blessed life You have purchased for me. Help me determine the things that are worth fighting for and I ask You to help me use every weapon at my disposal to enforce Satan’s defeat and possess the land. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
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In September of 1991, Jeff and Beth Jones founded Valley Family Church. For over 30 years, they have led and pastored VFC with vision and passion to reach people for Christ. In January of 2023, they passed the baton of leadership to their son and daughter-in-law, Eric and Alexa Jones. They now serve as Founding Pastors and provide oversight, counsel and teaching. Pastor Beth also leads The Basics With Beth, an outreach of VFC. Click below to read a letter from our Founding Pastors.