(Winner, Christian Essay Contest, visionpage.info, January 2004)

Any good football coach knows that scouting is essential to winning games. How the other team plays and who they are can make a tremendous difference in the strategy he employs in his ultimate game plan. Christians are no different. Or perhaps we are. Every good football coach knows he is in a fight. Many Christians don't. And how can we "fight the good fight," as the Apostle Paul tells Timothy to do in 1Timothy 6:12, if we don't have a clue? In order to celebrate the victory which is ours in Christ, we must do three things: first, recognize the war; second, identify the enemy; and third, know the rules of engagement.

Recognize the war. Many Christians feel blind-sided by life. Loving Jesus, they expect life to be rosy and bright as they blithely go about their walk, expecting blessing and light at every step. What many fail to realize in the disappointment that ultimately follows such high expectations, is that by becoming a Christian, one is automatically recruited for the Army of God. Attacked by the enemy, often in the disguise of family and friends, a new Christian -- or even an older one -- is shocked as he is slapped in the face by the hurt and pain of being misjudged and/or persecuted by speaking the Name of Christ.

Young in the Lord, and ignorant of scripture, such a novice can be wounded deeply by those closest to him as he expects acceptance and receives rejection. The Apostle Peter warned about this in his first letter.

1 Pe 4:12 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:"

Unfortunately, Christians, especially new ones, don't expect a "fiery trial" to come when they follow Christ. They especially don't expect it from those they know and love or from those who are supposed to love them, like fellow Christians. Yet, the enemy is not particular. He will use any and all opportunities to discourage and wound, in order to kill the influence of a Christian, steal his joy, and destroy his witness. The first and most important lesson in Ephesians 6:12 is its first three words, "For we wrestle." These three simple words succinctly define life as a Christian. "We wrestle." As Christians we are, by definition, in a fight for the souls of the lost. We are at war. We have a choice whether we realize it or not: put up our dukes and fight or become collateral damage in the eternal struggle.

If we choose wisely, deciding to recognize and participate in the battle, we can then also take advantage of the powerful and wonderful promises of God to those who join with Him in the fight: "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper" Isaiah 54:17. We can stand firm in the midst of the battle, secure in the knowledge of God's provision and power as David did when he boldly confronted Goliath.

1 Sa 17:47, "And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands."

Identify the enemy. When a football coach faces a particular opponent, it is vital that he knows the strengths and weaknesses of his adversary. He sends scouts to watch, and even film the other team so he can learn how they play the game, adjusting his game plan accordingly. How much more vital is it that Christians identify their enemy in order to properly oppose him? More importantly, as Christians, recognizing the enemy is our guarantee of not only victory, but blessing.

Exodus 22:7, "if the thief be found, he shall pay double."

Paul gives us the first clue in Ephesians 6:12 where he begins by describing the nature of the battle, "not flesh and blood," as being fought within the spiritual rather than natural realm. What an important clue this is. It is impossible to win a battle if you're not fighting in the right neighborhood. So often when we are under attack, we accuse and try to defend ourselves against the closest human, ignoring completely that the perpetrator of our trial is, by Paul's definition, a spiritual being, and our human opponent merely an unwitting tool or, more sadly, a victim blinded and helplessly enslaved by the enemy.

This same phrase also defines the enemy for us. By defining our enemy as "not flesh and blood," we can instantly identify him as Satan, the author of all rebellion against God since the beginning of time. If we still have doubts, this obstreperous fellow is specifically named by the Apostle Peter in his first letter.

1Pe 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

Okay, now we know what kind of enemy we oppose and where to go to fight the battle. Paul goes on to clarify the power structure of the enemy's forces: "principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world," and "spiritual wickedness in high places." Here we can see the magnitude of the enemy forces; the hierarchy of his organization as it is arrayed against us on the field of combat. Not just one devil, not just a solitary familiar spirit, but an organized array of evil power -- divided into ranks and divisions, each with specific orders and assignments -- is revealed.

This brings up another important point. Why would such a vast, powerful army be arrayed against little ole me? Simple, I'm not the enemy of my enemy. The enemy of the devil is our commander, Jesus the Christ. The adversary's real target is the King, not the footsoldier. And even though our enemy may be "in high places" but we must remember that our General sits at the right hand of the Father, and everything, even the enemy's power structure, is "under His feet" (Psalm 8:6, Heb. 2:8). We are not calling the shots, not defining the battle or even making strategic suggestions. Our job is to listen to our leader; to hear His voice and follow orders.

So, we know whom we're fighting, how he's organized and the nature of the battle. Now, we have only to consult the owner's manual for the proper weaponry to fight this battle with this particular enemy, ensuring our victory. Paul helps out with his advice to the Corinthians,

2 Co. 10:4 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds."

Suddenly the strategy is revealed and the battle plan begins to come together as we see how the pieces all fit. The only thing left is to engage the enemy.

Rules of engagement: Here's the easy part. We win. Dressed in the armor of God, following the orders of our Commander, we pick up our sword of the Spirit, God's Word, and use it to put the enemy back in his place. Christians mistakenly assume our goal is to fight the devil and conquer his territory. This is wrong. The battle has already been won by the shed blood of Christ. We are not a conquering army, we are an occupying army. It is our job isn't to win territory, but only to put down the rebellions which crop up in the territory already conquered.

We are called to keep the peace and to liberate those who are unaware of Christ's victory. Yes, it's tough. Yes, there will be casualties and pain. Isaiah 43 tells us we will pass through the fire. When, not if. We may get hot, but we will not be burned. We will pass through the water, and it may be deep. We will get wet, but the water won't sweep over us and drown us. The enemy may do his worst, but he can never separate us from Christ; who has already won the war.

Romans 8:37-39 "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We also need to remember the enemy's primary goal: to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10) He knows his time is short, knows he lost the war, and knows that once a person is in Christ, she is beyond the reach of hell. So why is he still fighting? The devil is determined to bring as much hell to us as possible in order to keep us from our mission, the salvation of the lost. There are still billions of God's creatures who were never intended to go to hell but will, unless we tell them how to avoid it.

Through the war he is waging, with his princes and minions, the enemy focuses his resources not on defeating us (which he knows he can't) but on occupying us. His job is to keep us distracted, disillusioned, deceived and disappointed; busy enough fighting him to keep us from our job, which is to go "into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15

(all references from the King James Version)