Spiritual Warfare

Have you struggled with living the Christian life victoriously? Author Ellis Smiley discusses the challenges we face when we make the commitment to follow the Lord. Our sinful mind and character will follow our selfish desires unless we are changed from within by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are in a conflict for the salvation of our very souls, and we find that the worst enemy is our self. The struggle of giving in and letting God take control of our selfish, willful mind is the essence of Spiritual Warfare. “The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness.” (White, Steps to Christ, p. 43)

Smiley reminds us of many key truths that we should be aware of to win the war. Along with the thoughtful consent we must give God to work out His will in our lives, we must keep our thoughts focused on pure and righteous content. We must live our lives as if in God’s actual presence. Giving of ourselves to the service of others is also an important factor in living the selfless life of which God asks us. These ideas and more are explored to deepen our understanding of the battles we face in the life we choose to live, with the Lord’s help, until He returns as our victorious Leader to take us home once and for all.