Often we are unaware that the Christian life is a constant battle. We are told by many pastors and many Churches that the Christian walk is a 'seasonal' thing; one season there will be blessing, one season there will hardship; one season, we are told, will be easy, another will be a struggle. While this may be, one the one hand, true to an extent (eg: the disciples had their easIER times and their harder times), it is not the whole truth, and not really what we should be focusing on in our Christian walk (not that many want to hear that). What we must really concern ourselves with, and this is a CONSTANT thing in the Christian life, is what Paul talks about when he says, 'For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.' (Eph 6v12). The fact that this is a constant struggle is seen in Paul's use of the present tense when he says, 'we wrestle'. He does not say, 'we HAVE wrestled' (past tense), he does not say, 'we WILL wrestle' (future tense), he says, 'WE WRESTLE'; so as to say, 'whether we like it or not, we are in a fight now, and we better realise it.' This FIGHT does not exist based on whether we perceive it or not, and it most certainly doesn't exist or not based on whether things appear to be going well in our life (a crucial point to recognise), for when things are enjoyable and going well, even King David, who clearly loved God passionately, fell to temptation. No, whether in evident hardship or battle or not, we are always in a battle against unseen forces, because those forces are battling us.
Now, at this point no doubt some out there will say, 'No, it's all been done for us, and Jesus has won all the victory already. So all we have to do is recognise and sit back and relax.' Yes Jesus has already won the victory, thank God He has! But to believe that we must just sit back and relax in the Christian walk is absolute foolishness of the highest order, and such a belief is the cause of such spiritual harm and destruction, that it is horrifying even to dwell on its effects. Such a belief ignores the paradox of victory that lies at the centre of the Christian walk, and it fails to recognise the Jericho that will always recur, in one form or another, throughout our Christian walks. This is seen in the book of Joshua, in the story about the fall about Jericho itself. When the Israelites who had come out of Egypt finally reached Jericho, the Lord appeared to Joshua and said, ..."See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.' (Joshua 6v2). But the LORD didn't stop there, He didn't only say that VICTORY HAD BEEN GIVEN TO JOSHUA ALREADY, but that HE HAD TO WALK IN IT; (Joshua 6v3) 'March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. v4 ...'On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing their trumpets.' Ironically, yet incredibly powerfully, the seventh day, the day in which God wrought a complete victory for Israel (even though it had already been given), was only given after Israel had been obedient to walk in the rest of faith. In the Word, the seventh day always represents the REST of God, because God rested on the seventh day when he made creation and Hebrews talks about making EVERY EFFORT to enter the rest of God. Herein we are taught an amazing lesson, IN THE REST OF GOD THERE IS A CONSTANT BATTLE IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE THE VICTORY THAT JESUS HAS ALREADY WON FOR US. That is why Paul didn't just say, 'STAND THEREFORE,' as though the Christian walk was just an idle standing, but also, 'HAVING GIRDED YOURSELF.' And why else do you need to gird yourself, except that you can 'withstand in the evil day' (Eph 6v13). Rest and victory in the Christian life is not a passive thing, but an active thing. We must WITHSTAND, we must FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH (1 Tim 6v12). Though the victory is ours because Jesus has won it all, we must actively walk in it, not to earn it in any way, as though it could be won by our merits, but simply to stand in the reality of it:
Eph 6v14-18:
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints...
Joshua 6v15-17:
On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD.
Just because Jesus has won us the victory, does not mean that we have entered a Christian life of ease and comfort. Even in the promised land Israel had many battles to fight, and so we too, having entered the promised land of rest that Jesus has provided, will face many battles in order to continue to possess what has already and freely been given to us, and therein lies the paradox that we must except and the paradox that we must embrace.
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