On the Front Lines.

Rom 12:10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 

Rom 12:11  Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 

Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

A Christ follower being given instruction….

Be kind to each other, as brothers who love each other.

Be honorable preferring to be with each other- other Christ followers.

Rejoice in hope.

Be patient in tribulation.

Be instant in prayer.

Kindness. Loving. Honorable. Rejoicing. Hopeful. Patient. Prayerful.

These are the very traits Satan will attack in us. You wonder why it's hard to be kind, loving, honorable, rejoicing, hopeful, patient and prayerful. We don't have to wonder.

In a war you go to the front lines and that mean you are where the most danger is taking place. You don't sit back in the war room making plans for others to execute- you are always supposed to be on the front lines in the worst danger. As a solider goes to the front line and expects to be attacked, we too have to expect to be attacked and expect it always! We can't let our guards down. There is no retreating from Spiritual warfare, not if you are in the battle to win. Sure, you can retreat, but retreating in the spiritual battle means being overcome by the enemy - it doesn't mean finding a safe place to recoup. We take our refuge with us on the front lines, our safe harbor is with us keeping us in the battle.  As we are attacked on the front lines of this spirit battle we will be thrown into situations that will try us to the uttermost. Our ability to be kind to one another, to love others as if they were our brothers, to remain honorable, to rejoice in hope, to truly be patient no matter what, and praying through every attack, all of that will be tested. When we feel least kind, patient, rejoiceful, honorable, hopeful, prayer this is because the spiritual weapons being wielded against us are vile. While we suffer Satan will send a non-stop barrage of silent yet heard very loudly spiritually- God is doing this, God is allowing this to happen to you- God is to be blamed. Satan LOVES to use this litany of twisted truth. Didn't he use twisted truth with Jesus Himself as He was tempted in the wilderness? He took God's own words and threw them at Jesus to get Him to fall to the veiled temptations.

Mat 4:6  And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 

Satan used God's words against Jesus! It is written, Satan said those words- IT IS WRITTEN.  Who wrote it? God.

Psa 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 

Psa 91:12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 

SATAN used GOD'S WORDS! Yet coming from Satan they were twisted! So why don't we realize that Satan will twist God's word, that Satan will twist our lives as we seek to be Christ followers. Satan wants us to BLAME GOD to the point we turn from God as our enemy, so we look upon God as wanting us to suffer, desiring our tribulations. Satan would have us no longer rejoice, no longer pray, no longer be patient, no longer love our fellow man, he wants us to turn our focus INWARDS as our outward circumstances challenge us to the utmost! As our hearts are broken, our spirit under siege, as all around us disaster rains down, Satan wants us to get filled with anger, upset, and point it towards God.  God would have us TRUST HIM, truly being PATIENT - remaining IN HIM- during our constant tribulations. Please LORD, please we would be YOURS!

As we fight this spiritual battle help us to be YOURS, wholly YOURS!

All through Your grace, Your love, Your mercy, now and forever, in JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR!!!!!!!