THE BATTLE FOR SOULS

The battle for souls is raging all around us, in our selves, in our families, in the lost. The battle for souls is raging even in our youngest ranks. It is intensifying each moment. Nowhere is it more evident than in a body of believers who declare an intense time of prayer and fasting unto God. Who are focused on being good and faithful servants, studying to show themselves approved, and laboring in prayer fervently for the lives and souls of others.

The battle for souls has been going on since the fall of Adam and will go on till its all over. We battle for the souls of the lost while every day we battle for our own.

The Lord has been showing me something ancient, in a new way for me. A logical progression of sorts. Our battles we know are not against flesh and blood, the physical really is not the issue. The result of a raging war or lost battle will manifest in the physical, but the battle is spiritual. We are fighting for our eternal souls and the battles are won and lost in our hearts and thoughts.

The Lord said over and over, let those who have eyes to see, see and those who have ears to hear, hear. Why did he choose the eyes and ears? Because simply, what we see and hear fills our thoughts and hearts. And what fills our hearts is what comes out in our words and actions. Our hearts are going to give glory to God or to Satan, plain and simple. God in, God out. Satan in, Satan out. What we focus our minds and heart on is what we will reflect in our lives.

As the battle for souls rages in our hearts, here are some thoughts to fill our hearts with.

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which ye are."
1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Our God, our almighty father who made heaven and earth, and all that is seen and unseen, lives in us. We are the Holy of Holies, our bodies are where God dwells in the Holy Spirit. Does just that fact alone not give you pause? Get used to it, it is true. He uses us as vehicles to bring His Gospel message of the cross to the lost. Remember this is a spiritual battle we are in. Concerning the temple we are, God declared all physical food clean and gave us the common sense to consume it. While taking care of our bodies is important, taking care of our spiritual center is imperative to eternal life. That is the true life and death we are in a battle for.

"Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came his disciples, unto him and said, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended , after they heard this saying? But he answered and said , Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." Matthew 15:11-20

Ah, here we come to the heart. Herein lies the battle we fight daily. What are we feeding our hearts? What are we reading, watching, hearing? And as a result, what are we doing? What are we saying?

"O generation of vipers, how can ye being evil speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But i say unto you, that every word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Matthew 12:34-36

"The Heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9

Deceitful above how many things? ALL things. And not just wicked, but desperately wicked. And God sees it all. Omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and residing in us.

"I the Lord search the heart, i try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 17:10

The world is full of evil because the reigning king of the world is Satan. Do not forget that. We need to guard our hearts and focus on God and the things of God. He gave us His Word, the blood of his Son and His Word is true. God does not lie. There is sure and powerful defense against Satan and victory in Jesus our Lord and saviour, in God and his Word.

We do have control over what we put into our hearts. We have a choice. Because God says we do. Flip on the TV or read the Bible? Go to that iffy movie or to the Beach? Are TV and Movies evil in themselves? No, but you know what i am talking about here. Talk about your neighbor or pray for them? Our flesh will pass away and we do not fear those who can kill that. Our war is not there and if we are focused on God, we have brought our flesh under submission to him, amen.

"And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell," Matthew 10:28

God, the Word made flesh is our weapon, the blood of the lamb and the Word of our testimony are our weapons as overcomers, Revelation 12:11. Each lie of Satan that enters into our eyes and ears, we repent of it, cast it down and keep our hearts undefiled unto the day of the Lord. Do not entertain these thoughts in your mind...not for an instant. We must not.

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

When our heart is defiled and evil rants flow out of it, unchecked and unrepented of, it is a short leap to physical evils, the atrocities that have plagued the world since the beginning. Pondering and meditating in the heart on evil thoughts will bring evil actions.

"Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." James 1:19

If we catch these evil thoughts, all the clamor the world has to throw at us, and stop them dead, cast down these head attacks, we will win the battle for our souls. And have no doubt about it, we can. Our words and actions will be according to God's will. We take each attack as it comes and repent of it and keep it out of our hearts. Our hearts will not be hardened, our hearts will remain undefiled unto the day of the Lord. If it means 10 times a day or 10,000. Do not give up.

No, its not easy and God tells us it is not. But we endure the firey trials of this life so as not to endure the fire of the tribulation or the lake of fire. Controlling the tongue, a little member of the body takes continual focus on God. Continual prayer. And we already have the victory, we are overcomers.

"My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, so great, are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever governor listeth . Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things . Behold , how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame ; it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." James 3 in its entirety..

Verse 6 above says that the tongue defileth the whole body. So, we fill our hearts with righteousness or unrighteousness, holiness or unholiness and we reap what we sow.

"Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Galatians 6:7-8

In closing..

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14