The Christian Soldier: Ready For Spiritual Warfare!!!

  Pastoral Care And The Fight Against Spiritual Wickedness   Because Pastoral Care is such an important piece in the battle against Satan, I want to continue this topic.   Jeremiah 3:15 states, “then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding. Our jobs as shepherds are to care for the flock of God. We are their spiritual parents and should love them as our dear children.   The material here is from different experiences I have had in my life as a church leader and pastor.   I will also quote experiences from my mother and father, who were church leaders and over 50 years of experience in ministry. Lastly, I will also use material from my studies in seminary.   All the material is to help you in your Christian walk and to help leaders in their roles. Your Role As A Pastor or Leader I would consider you a first responder as a pastor. In that role, you have the chance to think deeply about how you may assist that person, family,

 Pastoral Care and Spiritual Warfare I would like to speak on something dear to my heart and that is on pastoral care.   Pastoral work is a never-ending battle of spiritual warfare. There was a time in Protestant history when spiritual struggle was emphasized in Christian life and pastoral ministry was ordinary fare. Deep study, protracted thought, and debate about Satan, devils, and spiritual combat were not uncommon among the Puritans. The level of knowledge they expressed in their works demonstrates how important this topic was to so many of our Reformed predecessors. Many Puritans were targets of intense theological and political opposition, and as a result, they were more attuned to the emotional element of spiritual battle. We Are Under Attack We must acknowledge without reservation that the church of our Lord Jesus is the target of the evil one's most severe and unrelenting attacks (Rev. 12:13). “Be sober, be vigilant,” the Apostle Peter advised church members, because y

  The Christian Soldier: Weapons of Warfare Continuing with the theme of spiritual warfare and the Christian Soldier I would like to speak on the weapons that are at our disposal.    My mother used to always remind me that the battle would not always be easy nor will the burdens always be light, but we must endure til the end.   So, your question might be how do we endure or fight this battle to the end when it seems like the enemy is beating us down?   How do we manage when it seems as if your back is against the wall? In this world, we're fighting a war. We may not notice it, or we may forget it exists. And the enemy would love nothing more than for us to be unconscious of his presence, filling our lives with discouragement and defeat, anxiety and worry, and a flurry of activity and strife.   The enemy comes to destroy you and all that you stand for.    The enemy wants to defeat you and see you broken, but God wants you whole.   The truth comes from God’s word as revealed b

  II Timothy 2:3 – 4 KJV 3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. Every day, whether you realize it or not, you are fighting a struggle. The devil wants your life in his hands. His aim is to kill, steal, and destroy everything in your life that is good and Godly. You, too, have a plan from God. Finally, it is so that you may have fellowship with Him and eternal life through His Son Jesus.   It's no secret that Christians are fighting a spiritual battle. With each passing day, the battle that we are fighting becomes more difficult. The enemy's onslaught and tactics appear to have no bounds. We are up against an adversary that has worked against all that is sacred and righteous from the beginning of time. He will stop at nothing to wreck our lives and prevent us from doing the work we've been asked to accomplish.   G