TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 3:1-7
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TODAY IN THE WORD
By burning the eleven ships on which he and his men had sailed to the eastern coast of Mexico in 1519, Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez delivered an unmistakable message. There was no going back. Their lot was cast. The sailors had no choice but to move forward into the strange new land that stretched before them.

The phrase ""burn the ships"" has found its way into our language as a metaphor for a final, irrevocable decision. Tragically, Adam and Eve made that kind of decision in the Garden of Eden.

When they succumbed to Satan's wiles through the serpent, our first parents cut off any possibility of returning to a life of innocence in the garden. There was no turning back. Expelled from Eden, they had no choice but to move out into a world by then cursed by sin.

Our fall into sin was a master stroke of Satan, the great deceiver. The first clash of Satan and humanity in spiritual warfare resulted in a decisive victory for the enemy.

We don't know how much time elapsed between Satan's rebellion in heaven and the creation of the world, but Adam and Eve were clearly no match in their own wisdom and strength for this clever and powerful being.

But that's the point. God did not leave the first man and woman in the garden to live by their own wits. They had His commands, and they had His presence. Eve knew God's command concerning the forbidden fruit (v. 3, see Gen. 2:17).

But Satan challenged Eve with a bold, frontal denial: ""You will not surely die."" He then used slander, another of his favorite tricks to twist the truth and tempt people to sin. Satan slandered God's character, suggesting that God was withholding something very good from Eve. She bought the lie and fed it to Adam.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Genesis 3 reveals Satan's classic techniques of temptation. In 1 John 2:16, the apostle gives us the three-fold plan the devil uses in his attempts to lead us astray. He appeals to our fleshly appetites, our desire for what we see, and our pride.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Samuel 28:3-25
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Warren Smith's journey to faith in Christ led through a maze of spiritual deception and New Age beliefs.

As told in his 1992 book The Light That Was Dark, Warren tried many false paths, including psychic readings, the teachings of an Eastern religion guru, ""channeling,"" and other occult practices. He became increasingly disillusioned, however, began to read the New Testament, and eventually put his faith in Christ as the one true Way.

Occult beliefs and practices have been around throughout history--there's nothing new about the New Age! Many people like Warren have been led astray by them.

In today's Bible reading, King Saul, on his last legs as king of Israel, fell into this error. He was on a downhill path spiritually, having shown his partial obedience to God in the incidents described in 1 Samuel 13 and 15. David had already been secretly anointed as king.

The Philistines, Israel's archenemies, were poised to attack; and Saul was desperate for a word from God. But the prophet Samuel was dead, and God wasn't speaking to Saul directly anymore (v. 6). The king had earlier expelled from Israel all the mediums and spiritists, those who used or consulted demonic spirits.

Saul was in a panic, so he had his men search for a medium he might have missed. They found one at Endor. What happened during Saul's visit is a source of controversy. The best explanation seems to be that God overruled the demonic world and intervened by giving Saul a true apparition of Samuel. The message of judgment that Samuel delivered was true (v. 19), for Saul and his sons died in the next day's battle (see 1 Sam. 31).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This account holds an important lesson for our daily spiritual warfare.

When the Holy Spirit departed from Saul in terms of working in his life (1 Sam. 16:14), he and Israel trembled before the Philistine giant Goliath (1 Sam. 17). Years later, God had withdrawn completely from Saul, and he trembled before the Philistines again.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Job 1:1-22
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TODAY IN THE WORD
John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands who experienced both threats on his life and God's miraculous deliverance. On one occasion, hostile natives surrounded the mission headquarters, intent on burning out Paton and his wife and killing them. The Patons prayed through a terror-filled night.

In the morning their attackers mysteriously departed. A year later, the chief who had led the attack told Paton that they had seen many armed men in shining robes standing guard around the mission house. Only then did Paton realize that God had sent angels to protect them.

The patriarch Job was also the object of God's protective care--although it may not have seemed that way, given what happened to this man of the East. Job's story raises the timeless question of human suffering, although it may not answer every question or settle every doubt.

The first two chapters of this book also give us valuable clues in our attempt to understand the reality of spiritual warfare. We see here that Satan has access to God in terms of accusing His people. He accused Job of serving God for gain, and he accused God of building a hedge around Job so that no calamity could touch him (vv. 9-11).

The hard part of the story for us is the permission God gave Satan to test Job, even though Job was blameless. James tells us that trials mature us (James 1:2-4). But they are still hard for many of us to accept. Even through the trials, we can praise God for the sovereign control He exercises over our lives. God told Satan exactly how far he could go with Job (Job 1:12), and Satan couldn't go one step beyond God's boundaries. God's purpose was to prove and refine Job, not to destroy him.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It's almost impossible to be in the middle of a battle and not be wounded along the way.

What separates God's people from the world is not immunity from pain or testing. It's our reaction to trials and loss that reveals God at work within us. Don't miss those two key words in verse 20. Job fell down not in despair or defeat but in worship before God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Job 2:1-10
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Kyle Thompson was a young G.I. when he was captured by the Japanese in World War II and taken into the jungles of Thailand to build a railroad. Isolated deep in the jungle, Thompson's outfit became known as ""The Lost Battalion."" Many died of the slave labor and physical suffering. After Thompson developed a horrible leg ulcer, he was placed in a ""death hospital"" with other hopeless cases. Thompson, a Christian, prayed daily for healing; and somehow a Dutch doctor who was also a P.O.W. found some antiseptic, stopped the infection, and saved Thompson's leg and his life.

Job could have empathized with the sufferings of Thompson and ""The Lost Battalion."" This incredible patriarch of the ancient world suffered tremendously, yet he maintained his spiritual integrity (v. 9).

After reading how Satan ruined Job's possessions, his family, and his body, you may not consider these chapters good examples of spiritual victory. Job seems to have emerged from Satan's assaults much the worse for wear. But let's take a closer look.

While we cannot pretend to understand perfectly everything that was going on, several facts are evident. First, everything Satan did was by God's permission. In verse 6, God drew a line the devil could not cross, just as He had done in 1:12. But notice also that Satan lost the real battle. In none of his sufferings did Job curse God or sin (1:22; 2:10), which was Satan's goal.

In other words, Job's response reinforces a principle of spiritual warfare that we talked about earlier. Satan has only the influence in our lives that we allow him to have. He cannot force us to do anything. When we resist him, he must leave (James 4:7).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When you think about it, Job's testimony at the end of his ordeal is amazing.

What happened to Job brought him so much closer to God that by comparison he had known God before only as a passing acquaintance. How deeply do you long to know God, to be able to say, ""Now my eyes have seen you""?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Daniel 10:1-21
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Christian financial counselor Larry Burkett tells of meeting a Chinese evangelist who had endured persecution for his faith. When Burkett asked the man what amazed him most about Western Christianity, the evangelist replied, ""What amazes me most is how much you are able to accomplish without God.""

That insightful comment reflects something that is too often true for those of us who have been brought up in the so-called ""Christian West."" We can be tempted to settle for a ""safe"" version of Christianity instead of the real thing. But every believer needs to learn the lesson Jesus taught: ""Apart from me you can do nothing"" (John 15:5).

Perhaps one reason we do not see more of God's power is that we have never encountered the kind of fierce spiritual opposition that is commonplace in countries such as China.

Whatever the case, one thing is certain: the spiritual warfare being waged in ""the heavenly realms"" is far above our ability even to comprehend, let alone engage in, on our own power. The prophet Daniel's glimpse of just one heavenly warrior, an angel who was probably Gabriel, left him weak and speechless.

Daniel 10 is an amazing text by any measure. Aside from the angel's awe-inspiring appearance, his message to Daniel was even more startling. As Daniel prayed and fasted, waiting for understanding of a vision, the angel dispatched with the answer was delayed for three weeks, locked in intense warfare with the forces of darkness.

This angel had to call for help from Michael, the archangel with a special relationship to Israel. Michael freed the angel to deliver Daniel's answer, but the warfare was to continue.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Did you notice how our unique glimpse into spiritual warfare was closely linked with Daniel's prayer?

Passages like this help us understand why the Bible tells us to ""pray continually"" (1 Thess. 5:17). Prayer is not shooting up emergency flares to God when things get rough. He is interested in our spiritual development, and that includes learning the value of perseverance in prayer.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Peter 5:8-11
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TODAY IN THE WORD
British writer G.K. Chesterton was almost as well known for his absentmindedness as he was for his wit. Chesterton often forgot to keep appointments, and once on a lecture tour he had to wire his wife to ask her where he was supposed to be next! Another time, Chesterton astonished his publisher by arriving on time for a meeting, only to hand the man a letter explaining why he could not keep the appointment!

Failing to pay attention to dates, places and times can cause embarrassment and missed appointments. But failing to be alert in the spiritual realm can lead to real disaster. That's because our enemy the devil is always on the prowl, ""looking for someone to devour"" (v. .

The apostle Peter's exhortation to spiritual alertness is a message we need every day. But it's especially timely for us now, after nine days of looking at the nature of our enemy and getting some glimpses into spiritual warfare.

Peter's description of Satan as an adversary who means business fits with everything we have learned about the devil's nature. But Peter also lets us know that Satan's power is limited and that we can successfully resist and defeat him in the power that God supplies.

How do we know this? Because our fellow Christians throughout the world (v. 9) are fighting and winning the same battle. In other words, we are not the first believers to engage in spiritual warfare. The testimony of saints has always been that God gives victory.

But the main reason we can be victorious against Satan is found in verse 10 of our text. We have the promise that God Himself will sustain us in any trial of suffering and make us ""strong, firm and steadfast.""
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When it comes to dealing with the devil, aren't you glad that we can come to the ""God of all grace"" for help?

We need God's grace every day as we try to live for Him. Where do you feel a particular need for grace today? You can turn that need into a specific prayer request for God's help. Simply come to Him and say, ""Dear God, today I pray for Your grace to help me ________."" Fill in your area of need, and thank Him for His promise to supply.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Mark 7:24-30
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TODAY IN THE WORD
We won't know until we get to heaven just how many people have been influenced for Christ by the prayers and faith of a godly mother or grandmother. The walls of church history are lined with portraits of people such as Timothy who were led to Christ by their mothers. Others were brought back to Christ after straying, or were called into His service, in answer to a mother's prayers. Today we honor mothers and grandmothers whose prayers have helped to build the church.

The mother in today's story was deeply concerned about her child, and she too moved the hand of God by her faith and humility. In this way she serves as a model of trust, even as this incident reminds us of the reality of spiritual warfare in the ministry of Jesus.

For reasons we are not told, Jesus made a trip north of Galilee into Gentile country, arriving in an area that is part of present-day Lebanon. Verse 24 suggests that He may have been seeking a few days of rest away from the crowds that thronged Him. But because His reputation as a healer had preceded Him, He could not find solitude.

One person who sought Him out immediately was this mother, who came to Jesus and fell at His feet with her request. What follows is one of many intriguing conversations in the New Testament.

Jesus told her: ""It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs"" (v. 27). While in this analogy the Gentiles are household pets, they're not being insulted. Jesus was simply reflecting the fact that His ministry of teaching and miracles was to the house of Israel. In any house, the children are fed before the pets. Later, Gentiles would be ""grafted onto the tree"" as equal children of God (Rom. 11:13-24; Gal. 3:26-29).

Without a doubt, Jesus was also testing her faith. The woman passed the test. Her reply in verse 28 reflected well on her faith and humility, and Jesus was pleased. His assurance to her (v. 29) reveals that the demon abusing her daughter was sent away without so much as a word of command or argument.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If there are believing mothers in your family line, you are a wealthy person.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 4:1-11
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TODAY IN THE WORD
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal told of a man living in Taiwan who claims the title of governor of Fukien Province. The problem is that Fukien, which is on the Chinese mainland, already has a governor who rules the affairs of its 27 million citizens. The other man's claim goes back to 1949, when the Nationalists fled China for Taiwan (then known as Formosa) after their defeat by the Chinese Communists.

The bottom line is that this Taiwanese man's claim to rule Fukien Province is essentially worthless. He has an office and a staff and carries on as if he were governor. But he has no real authority to rule at all.

Satan has also been carrying on as if he were a legitimate ruler. But at the temptation of Christ Satan's claims were proven to be false, and he was exposed as a temporary usurper.

The analogy doesn't hold at every point, of course. Unlike the ""governor"" in today's illustration, Satan does have real power. And at least for now, the kingdoms of the unbelieving world do lie in the devil's lap. But one day Jesus Christ will return as Ruler of all.

The temptation of Christ is an example of spiritual warfare without parallel. We can only read the text and watch awestruck as Jesus engages Satan in face-to-face battle. We do not believe that it was even possible for the sinless Son of God to yield to Satan's offers.

For that we can be eternally grateful! Whereas Adam and Eve had fallen to the serpent's temptation, there in the desert Jesus refused the temptation to bypass the cross. He also refused to go outside of the Father's will for His physical needs of food and protection.

We will never be tested to the same degree or with the same effects as Jesus was tested. But because He experienced temptation, He is sympathetic to us in our need (Heb. 4:14-16). And we can imitate Jesus' example by drawing on God's Word to refute and defeat Satan.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you want to turn today into an extraordinary Monday, consider the benefits available to you because Jesus endured and triumphed over temptation.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Mark 1:21-28
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TODAY IN THE WORD
When President Harry Truman went to the Potsdam Conference at the end of World War II, he took with him an old Missouri friend named Fred Canfil. Truman introduced his friend to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin by saying, ""Marshal Stalin, I want you to meet Marshal Canfil."" From that point on, Canfil was treated with great respect by the members of the Soviet delegation. Truman failed to mention that his friend had achieved his title because Truman had recently appointed him as a federal marshal back in Missouri.

It seems that the President was letting his Soviet counterpart have a good American needling. But the story makes the point that false claims to authority can lead to false subservience on the part of people who don't know any better.

This pretty well describes the case with the demons who were active in Jesus' ministry. These evil spirits harassed and tormented people, and the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day seemed to be powerless against them. Thus, the demons were able to claim ""territory"" in people's lives and exercise authority over them.

This was the case of the man at the synagogue in Capernaum. As Jesus taught, the demon inside the man sought to disrupt the Lord's ministry. By using Jesus' name and rightful title (v. 24), the demon was attempting to gain control over the Lord. The demon's use of the plural ""us"" indicates that he was speaking for the demonic world.

Jesus commanded the demon to be quiet, silencing his futile attempt at control. Then to demonstrate who was the true authority in this situation and to give the poor man relief from his suffering, Jesus ordered the demon to be gone. Satan's henchman had no choice but to obey.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Even as believers, we can allow Satan to claim territory in our lives and keep us frustrated and defeated.

If that's the case in your life, today's lesson brings good news. You don't have to yield to the enemy in any area of your life. You already have the authority and the power of Jesus Christ to win back any territory that has been lost.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Mark 5:1-20
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Salvage workers who located the Henrietta Marie off the Florida Keys found a grim testimony to the ship's work. The Henrietta Marie, which sank in a storm in 1700, was a slave ship. On its last voyage, the ship left London for West Africa. There it left its cargo and picked up a load of slaves, taking them to Jamaica. Searchers found iron shackles for adults and children. ""It's unfathomable that someone would put these on some little kid,"" one diver said.

Our adversary the devil also deals in human slavery. And the cruelty of his slavery can be unfathomable. Witness the condition of the man who met Jesus when He traveled to the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee.

Few characters in all of the Bible inspire more pity than this ""wild man"" tormented by many demons. His self-destructive ways leave no doubt that Satan's goal in human lives is to ""steal and kill and destroy"" (John 10:10).

But then Jesus appeared on the scene, ready to engage this ""Legion"" of Satan's henchmen in spiritual warfare. Unlike the incident we studied yesterday, Jesus did not order the demons to be silent when they identified Him.

Instead, Jesus engaged them in conversation and even granted their request to occupy the pigs. This portion of the story, perhaps the most well-known and the most puzzling, should not sidetrack us from the central truth: by His power alone, Jesus set a person free from the shackles Satan had clapped around his body and soul.

Once the man was set free, his first and only desire was to become Jesus' follower and witness. Jesus gave him a tough assignment--witnessing to his own family and neighbors about God's grace in his life.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Chances are your Christian testimony has nothing in it that comes close to what this man endured. Praise God for that!

But whether you came to Christ at a tender age, or after years of living in the world, your testimony is an important piece of your spiritual weaponry. Your family, friends and neighbors need to know what you know. They need the Jesus you love and serve!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 22:7-34, 54-62
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Many stories circulated in nineteenth-century Washington concerning President Martin Van Buren's ability to avoid taking sides on whatever issue was before him. It is said that the term ""non-commitalism"" became a popular term in the capital to describe Van Buren, who was elected in 1837.

One story tells of a man who accepted a bet that he could make Van Buren admit the sun rises in the east. But Van Buren was equal to the task. Concerning the sun's rising, he replied, ""As I never get up till after dawn, I can't really say.""

No one would ever accuse the apostle Peter of ""non-commitalism""--over-commitalism, maybe! On the evening of the Last Supper, Peter made a commitment he couldn't keep because it was made in the power of his flesh.

Jesus knew Peter would betray Him three times; so before Peter even speaks, Jesus addressed His impetuous disciple. The words of verses 31-32 must have seemed enigmatic to Peter and the others at the time.

Peter obviously didn't catch on. He was full of confidence (v. 33). But he was about to lose a spiritual battle with the enemy, and Jesus wanted to make sure Peter's wound wouldn't be fatal.

Peter's betrayal happened that same night; and Luke notes poignantly that Jesus ""turned and looked straight at Peter,"" who went out and wept bitterly (vv. 61-62).

What a tremendous lesson we can learn from this incident! Jesus mentioned the desire of Satan to grind us to flour. The devil is not impressed or deterred by human boasts or resolutions.

But an encouraging truth is that Jesus was praying for Peter. He even reassured His lead fisherman that he still had a great ministry to accomplish. This text reminds us of the dangers of running headlong into spiritual battle in our own strength. The enemy is too great for us to defeat with the weapons of the flesh.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Most of us make resolutions about all the good things we are going to do for the Lord. That's human nature.

There's nothing wrong with resolving to pray more or study your Bible every day. In fact, we want to encourage you--as we often do about the middle of the month--to renew your commitment to daily study with your Bible and Today in the Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 26:36-46
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Police believe they have finally nabbed the cat burglar who was looting mansions up and down the East Coast. Like his fictional Hollywood counterpart, the man would dress all in black and slip undetected into homes where the family and servants were asleep. He knew what he wanted, taking priceless antiques, sterling silver, and other expensive articles--including a $1귔 ice cream scoop.

We've seen some pretty spectacular examples of Satan on the attack this month, both in the Old Testament and in the ministry of Jesus. But we need to remember that he does not always launch a frontal attack. Sometimes he comes as quietly as a cat burglar, stealing away our spiritual vigor when we are lulled into thinking we are safe.

That's the picture we have before us in today's text. The dozing disciples were the victims of temptation, not just of fatigue. Jesus felt an intense need for their companionship--not because He was afraid, but because He was engaged in intense spiritual warfare just a few yards away.

What an ironic scene. There were two battles going on, and Satan was one out of two. He definitely lost his struggle to get Jesus to shrink back from the Cross. But the devil found success in lulling Jesus' disciples into spiritual lethargy. On this occasion, they never did get their act together and pray (v. 45).

What can happen when Satan tempts us to doze off spiritually? He can work a lot of mischief in the absence of our watchful prayer. Lack of alertness can even lead to spiritual defection, which happened that very night to Jesus' disciples (see Matt. 26:31).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One piece of mischief Satan can do after tempting us to doze off spiritually is load us with guilt when we wake up and realize that the ""cat burglar"" has struck.

Perhaps you are weighed down today by the memory of a spiritual failure. You may even have confessed the incident repeatedly and gained assurance of God's forgiveness, only to find that the enemy still taunts you with the memory.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 22:47-53
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Former youth worker Brad Holt tells of an object lesson he used to teach teen-agers that things aren't always what they seem.

Brad would arrive at a youth meeting with a gift box, attractively wrapped in bright paper. ""Who would like a present?"" he would ask.

One ""lucky"" youth would grab the package, excitedly rip off the paper, and find… garbage? After the laughter died down, Brad would talk about the spiritual principle behind the illustration. Something or someone may seem pleasant on the outside, but on the inside they may be dead and ugly.

Like that deceiving gift package, Judas was not what he appeared to be. And the great ""thief"" (John 10:10), Satan himself, looked inside Judas' heart and discovered his dark secret. Interestingly, the Bible also calls Judas a thief (John 12:6).

So Satan knew exactly where to hit Judas with temptation: his love of money. Judas was paid for his betrayal, although his ""blood money"" later brought him torment. The story of Jesus' betrayal is a picture of Satan gaining the upper hand in a human heart and doing his worst spiritual destruction.

Satan was so much in control of Judas and the crowd that came to arrest Jesus that Jesus called the whole scene Satan's hour (Luke 22:53). Darkness was having its way that night, especially in the heart of Judas.

And just to make sure we don't misunderstand who was behind all of this, John says that the devil prompted Judas to betray his Lord (John 13:2).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We don't like to think about Judas, because we don't want to think that we're like him in any way.

But honesty forces us to admit the truth of Jeremiah 17:9: the deceitfulness of the human heart. The answer is not to despair, but to draw even closer to the Lord and trust in His power to sustain us.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:16-26
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TODAY IN THE WORD
The great American preacher and theologian Jonathan Edwards once wrote: ""The truly humble Christian is clothed with lowliness, mildness, meekness, gentleness of spirit and behavior. These things are just like garments to him. Christian humility has no such thing as roughness, or contempt, or fierceness, or bitterness in its nature.""

The contrast Edwards describes is a concise commentary on today's text. When the Scripture talks about our Christian lives on earth, the two great contrasts used are ""flesh"" and ""spirit."" The former is enslaved to sin. The latter is that part of us over which the Holy Spirit reigns.

Paul leaves no doubt in verses 17-18 that the ""sinful nature,"" the flesh, is directly opposed to the Holy Spirit. In terms of spiritual warfare, we can see right away that conflict is inevitable. Like two great armies arrayed against each other, flesh and spirit are bound to clash.

Why is the flesh so contrary to the Holy Spirit? Because it is the sinful nature that we were born with, that we inherited from Adam. The flesh is Satan's domain. You can tell that by looking at the list of sins in verses 19-21. This list includes sexual sins, religious sins, sins of the spirit, and sins of the flesh. Paul says those who practice these things as a way of life will not be part of the kingdom of God.

If believers allow our enemy to gain the advantage over us through our sinful nature, we can be caught in these sins as well. The Holy Spirit's desire, however, is that we allow Him to produce His fruit in us.

Turning from the list of fleshly sins to the fruit of the Spirit (vv. 22-23) is like stepping from a dirty alley into a beautiful, fragrant garden. This nine-fold manifestation of the Spirit's work within us contains almost every virtue we need to live a life pleasing to the Lord.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Most of us can remember times when we felt a special need for one portion of the fruit of the Spirit. Or we may have had a special desire for God to develop that virtue in us.

That may be the case for you today. Although the goal is that we reflect the entire array of the Spirit's fruit, sometimes it helps to concentrate on one area for awhile.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 6:1-23
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TODAY IN THE WORD
The 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, were considered very successful. At these Games, the public address system and electronic timing were introduced to Olympic competition. But by 1914 Europe was at war, and the 1916 Summer Olympics were canceled.

This bit of history reminds us of one of life's realities. When people are at war, they don't really have time to play games. The apostle Paul wasn't playing games with his spiritual life. He had experienced the reality of spiritual warfare in his own heart and life, and he was eager to learn and to share principles for victory.

Today is the second day of our final section in this month's studies. Looked at our enemy, we have seen spiritual warfare up close in the Old Testament and in the earthly ministry of Jesus. Now we need to spend these last two weeks of May learning how to fight the good fight ourselves.

For this we will spend most of our time in the letters of Paul. He was uniquely called of God to reveal the nature of spiritual warfare in this age of the church.

Romans 6 is a great example of this. It is part of Paul's classic statement of the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit in the Christian's life. We've all felt this struggle.

Here in Romans 6 Paul draws a clear line in the sand. The questions in verses 1 and 15 set the stage. In each case the answer is the same. We who know Christ cannot continue to live in sin. Why? Because we have died to sin through our complete identification with Christ in His death and resurrection (vv. 1-14).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Clearly, it is possible for believers to fall into sin. But the Bible says this is different from living a deliberate, consistent lifestyle of sin under the control of the enemy.

We cannot afford to take sin lightly. Paul certainly did not! When we realize the price Jesus Christ paid to redeem us, we understand the cost of sin.