The Struggle In Which We Are Engaged
Prior to His death, burial and resurrection our Lord responded to a question asked by His disciples. He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, when “the disciples came to Him privately” and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3b) One of the things He told them in response was that they would hear of “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6). He added “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes (Matthew 24:7). As many of you well know, world history is riddled with battles and wars which have taken place on almost every continent. There is one war or struggle in which all of us are presently engaged. It is as real as any of these other wars which I have mentioned even though we cannot see our enemy. It is a spiritual battle with evil in which there is no truce, no quarter is given. If we seek to obtain our heavenly reward, it is a struggle in which we must be victorious. Tonight, as we finish our study of Paul’s letter to the Christians in Ephesus, I would like you to consider three things which the apostle writes about this contest: a. Its nature b. The opponents we face c. What is required for us to be victorious.