GET INVOLVED IN THE WAR

Raphael Oye Taiwo
www.ucevam.com

In 1792, Austria and Prussia, in Europe, declared war on France. Sardinia joined the war against France. In 1793, England and Holland joined the war against France.

In all, there were fifteen European countries in a coalition against France – Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, Holland, Spain, Sardinia and others.

But Venice decided to sit on the fence. It refused to join one of the two warring parties.

This war ended in favor of France in 1797 with the treaty of Campo Formio. The French boundary by this treaty reached the Rhine.

Napoleon of France was happy. He, however, wished to please Austria who was forced to accept humiliating conditions at the treaty of Campo Formio. But Napoleon wasn’t ready to let his ‘generosity’ cost him anything.

So, what consolation crumb could he give to Austria without cost to his France?

Ah! There it is! The good old Venice – the cowardly, weak Venetian Republic! She belonged to nobody! By allying herself to neither of the two warring groups, she could be gobbled up by one party without the other raising hell.

Yes! Venice was the perfect prey!

Napoleon offered her to Austria. She was snapped up by Austria and that was the end of the Venetian Republic.

There is a war going in the spiritual world – between God and the devil.

God’s army is composed of Jesus Christ, the Captain of God’s army; the powerful warrior archangel Michael; the holy angel’s of heaven; and all the believers who follow Jesus in faith and holiness.

On the devil’s side are demonic principalities, demons, witches, witch-doctors, spiritualists and other occult practitioners, and all UNBELIEVERS. These unbelievers could be the best religious people in the world – tithe-paying, church-going, Christian rites observers, Holy-Land visitors. Yet, they are in the devil’s army because they have not been born again into the family of God by making Jesus their Lord and Savior.

You are involved in this war, whether you know it or not. It doesn’t matter whether you like wars or not, whether you are a pacifist or war-monger. This is one war you just cannot wriggle out of.

When you give your life to Jesus and become born again, your name is written in the Father’s family Book, the Book of Life. Your name is also written in the register of the army of the Lord of Host, Jesus Christ, and you become a soldier of Christ.

If you are a born-again Christian, you are in the Lord’s army, fighting against the devil and his accursed forces. If you are not a born-again Christian, whatever other kind of ‘Christian’ you are, you are in the devil’s army, fighting against the Lord and His blessed forces.

But sadly enough, many Christians don’t want to be involved in this war.

“Why fight each other,” they reason, “when we can live in peace with each other.”

You see, they just want to sit on the fence and watch the ongoing war – unconcerned, indifferent, and uninvolved. They are not interested in soul-winning, warfare prayer, mission, intercession, fasting, putting on the full armor of God, sacrifice, holy and godly living, dedication and commitment.

They mutter, “All I just want to do is to believe on the Lord Jesus so I can go to heaven when I leave the world. Don’t make my life miserable with all this talk about dedication, holiness and mission.”

They don’t want anybody to try to get them not to entangle themselves with the affairs of this world – politics, money-race, chasing of worldly glory… “Eh, friend, leave me alone. God is not a task Master. He loves me just as I am. He wants me to enjoy my life to the fullest. He wants me to eat the best food and enjoy the best things of the world.”

Many Christians today do not even see what’s wrong with being used of the devil every now and then to try to bring down good soldiers of Christ and leaders of Christ’s army units. “That Pastor? Forget him! He is no good. He has committed every sin in the book!”

Now, you don’t want to end up like the old Venetian Republic, do you? Then don’t think of sitting on the fence. Join the winning army, the army of the Lord. And fight like a good soldier of Christ.

be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might (Eph 6:10). Put on the whole armor of God (Eph 6:11). Take the sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17). And fight… fight… fiiiiight the good fight of faith.

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