Tuesday: The “Warfare Worldview”
Whatever the ultimate meaning of Matthew 11:12, as we saw yesterday, it does help to reveal the reality of the great controversy. It depicts a struggle, a battle and—as we know from other Bible texts—this battle is, at the core, the one between Christ and Satan.
Who do the following texts tell us about in view of the reality of the great controversy?
Image © Bill Osborne from GoodSalt.com
These are just a few of many more texts, both in the Old and New Testament, that refer to what one contemporary (non-Adventist) theologian has called the “Warfare Worldview,” the idea that there is a battle going on between supernatural powers in the cosmos, a warfare in which we are all in one way or another involved. This notion, of course, is not new to Seventh-day Adventists. It has been part of our theology from the earliest days of our church; indeed, our pioneers held to it even before our church itself was officially formed.
| In what ways do you see the reality of this struggle expressed in your own life? How is it being played out in the choices you have to make and in the temptations you face? How can your understanding the reality of this conflict help you to make the right choices and to resist temptation? |
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Every decision that I have to make in my life big or small, has a bearing fruit for life or death. Thanks to the grace of God I can see the controversy taking place in my life daily with the temptations that I face and it is only thru his grace that I can make right decisions. May the Lord keep us from falling as it is promise; Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Amen
Esther
It is as certain that we have the truth as that God lives; and Satan, with all his arts and hellish power, cannot change the truth of God into a lie. While the great adversary will try his utmost to make of none effect the word of God, truth must go forth as a lamp that burneth.
The Lord has singled us out and made us subjects of His marvelous mercy. Shall we be charmed with the pratings of the apostate? Shall we choose to take our stand with Satan and his host? Shall we join with the transgressors of God’s law?
Rather let it be our prayer: “Lord, put enmity between me and the serpent.”If we are not at enmity with his works of darkness, his powerful folds encircle us, and his sting is ready at any moment to be driven to our hearts. We should count him a deadly foe. We should oppose him in the name of Christ. Our work is still onward. We must battle for every inch of ground. Let all who name the name of Christ clothe themselves with the armor of righteousness.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, pp. 595, 596.
The battle is real and the enemy of our souls does not relent, he's always on the war path
We can only conquer him when we depend on Jesus.I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Philippians 4;13 I must pray for help from Jesus
Stewart I'm sorry for the misspelling of your name, however your note was still very helpful to me, I have wondered about that text for many years. Thanks again for your help
jk
Joann, the mis-spelling was not a problem. (Even my sister, in her texts to me, writes, "Stu".) And I'm glad that the quote was helpful. (Another I've found useful is in the Ellen White Bible Comments vol.1 p.1096 , where she comments on Genesis chapter 32.)
This battle is clearly observed in the country of Syria right now where our Christian brethren are persecuted and their heads are being chopped off.
As a result, some Moslems are turning to Christianity. In one church that was dying due to the lack of interest now there are no empty seats and people are seating on the floor eager to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to pray for them!
In my own thinking and understanding, whenever you make a decision to make things right with God, Satan will suppress you, if you are not prayerful, you will definitly give up. But this situation depends on us as individuals.
I experience the struggle of "the great controversy" on a daily basis with every decision I have to make. Like the apostle Paul, there are two forces at work within us. Our minds are the battleground for the fiercest warfare waged by the evil tempter, and he knows quite well that if he loses this battle, the war is lost. Hence, the devil goes about "like a roaring lion" seeking to devour us, that is why we MUST put our "armor" on every day "for we wrestle not against flesh and blood" (Eph. 6:10-13), it is a spiritual warfare and we are "no match for the devil".
As Christians, we all have our minds made up to do "good" every day, but so often we fail because of our sinful nature. Paul recognized it and we too, need to be aware that without God's power we will fail. I can identify with the experiences in the following verses:
"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do" (Rom. 7:18,19).
"The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions" (Gal. 5:17, New Living Translation).
"I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Rom. 7:21-24) The answer is in the next verse, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord".
If Jesus being sinless and perfectly righteous, saw His need for ceaseless prayer, study of the word and communing with His Father in order to fortify Himself against the wiles of the enemy, how much more do we sinners need to pray and fix the Word in our minds. If you go to battle without your armory, you WILL be killed. My prayer today:
Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to Thee
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love,
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my will and make it Thine
It shall be no longer mine
Take my heart it is Thine own
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Hi Claudette,
I think you sum up the matter quite well.
May we by the grace of God continue to pray, study the word and work for our Master Jesus Christ.
God bless and keep you as well Sofia, as you continue to fight the good fight. Thanks.
We must always pray for God to be on our side brethren.
The gospel is even better news than that! God is already on our side! (1 Tim. 2:4) What we must pray for is that we always choose to be on His side. "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." 1 Kings 18:21
in the reading Gen.3:14-19, and looking at verse 16, the usual English translation is “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In PAIN you shall bring forth children;"... I read another translation of the word pain here as 'TRAVAIL'. Now as a midwife, that makes more sense to me, 'travail' means to 'work', the same as Adam was told he would till the soil. Yes it is hard work to bring forth a baby or two. Women in labour have rhythmic contractions and then relief. Pain is ongoing with no relief: Also, why would a God of love, inflict Pain on half his children, when His first command to Human race was to multiply and fill the earth.
My only explanation is that Satan has crept in here too, so that we think of childbearing is only under the cloak of a vicious God, and because of a poor English translation.
Godbless today
Mrs A Stolz
Battle going on between supernatural powers in the cosmos, a warfare in which we are all in one way or another involved???
I dont understand.
Given the setting that led to Jesus' statements in Mt 11:11-12, I understand Him to be highlighting the controversy that we're all involved in, whether we understand, acknowledge or even know of it.
Jesus speaks highly of John the Baptist when he begins to show "cracks" (Mt 11:3) under satanic duress (Mt 17:12-13). Jesus acknowledges John's God-ordained role (Jn 1:6-8) as being "more than a prophet" (Mt 11:9), who arrives on Earth in fulfillment of prophecy (Mt 11:10 (He's quoting Mal 3:1). John occupies a pivotal place in prophecy. He appears just as "all the prophets and the law" (Mt 11:13) are about to reach fulfillment (Dan 2:44; Lk 16:16), consequently his message was God-ordained (Mt 3:1-2). Revelation prophesies of satan-induced violence against the "kingdom of heaven" from its inception (Rev 12:4,17; Jn 15:20). ALL who knowingly or ignorantly sought to obstruct the kingdom's establishment, became agents of the "dragon" (Rev 12:4; Acts 4:26-27). God's own people to whom he graciously sent His Son, were deceived into an unawareness of the ORIGINS of the thoughts that gave birth to their own actions (Lk 7:30; Jn 5:16; Jn 8:37,40,44; Mt 27:24-25). But for the ministry of our High Priest, John (Mt 11:4-6) and others (Mt 16:23; Lk 22:31; Mt 24:22,24) most certainly would be succumbing to "dragon" violence!
I wonder if Jesus foresaw a particular, notable practitioner of violence against the "kingdom of heaven" when He spoke the words of Mt 11:11? (see Eph 3:2,5,8; 1 Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13).