BAGHDAD, Iraq - Secretary of
State Colin Powell, responding to criticism of the U.S.-led war against Iraq,
declared Friday that the threat of terrorism persists and said it's no time
for civilized nations to "run and hide."
Making
an unannounced visit on the first anniversary of the Iraq war, the secretary
earlier told several hundred American soldiers and civilian workers that
America must maintain its fight against anti-democratic forces here
"because we cannot let them win."
March
18 made one year in our war with Iraq began.
Should War be for Today? We
cannot afford to let them win. Friends
this is war. Whether or not we
want to acknowledge the fact matters not.
The war began in the spiritual realm many years ago.
Our war is spiritual. We
are not to go into the type of war as the crusaders did many years ago. We are required to defend our freedom by those who would
stamp it out. Our experience on
September 11, 2001, taught us this. We
cannot let them win. This is our
life, our freedom, our country, our responsibility, and we must defend it.
This is War!
Scripture
Text:
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against
the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done
everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth
buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of
peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you
can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of
salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray
in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the
saints. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may
be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20
for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it
fearlessly, as I should.
After
recently watching the move: “The
Passion of the Christ,” I was painfully aware of the war that we are in.
Our Lord bore the entire weight of the wages of sin.
He suffered and died so that we could be free from the wages of sin,
which is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord. The war between the forces
of evil and the forces of righteousness continues to rage.
Even though the head of the serpent and the power of sin have been
crushed, we still must face a continual struggle.
Warriors prepare for battle. This
is your basic training. 12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
I.
The Warriors are strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
We are in a spiritual war. This war is a battle for the eternal life of men, women,
boys, and girls. Even though the
power of sin has been broken we must continue to battle the forces that would
bring them down to eternal destruction.
The source of our strength is the power of the Lord.
II.
The
Warriors of the cross are fully armored and protected by the Lord.
Put on your armor for battle.
Spiritual battle needs spiritual armor.
Have you put on your armor?
a.
belt of truth buckled around your waist.
Speak the truth.
b.
breastplate of righteousness in place.
Live right.
c.
feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Go out.
d.
shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows
of the evil one. Believe in Him.
e.
helmet of salvation. Depend
on Him for your salvation.
f.
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Strike out with the Word of God
III.
The Warriors of the Cross Stand against the devil’s schemes.
We
must stand. The only way the
devil and his forces can win is when we don’t show up.
We must show up and get involved in the battle.
Four times in the passage Paul emphasizes the fact that we must stand.
Stand against, stand firm, stand your ground, and then after all is
done we must stand. Go to battle
for the eternal future of your friends, family, and neighbors.
IV.
The Warriors of the Cross Pray that God will.
We
must pray. Stay in touch with the
commander and chief. Ask his
intervention in the lives of our family, friends, and neighbors.
Paul said to pray in the Spirit, pray for me, and pray for all the
saints.
IV.
The Warriors call.
Will
we stand up for others? Will we
put on our armor and go to battle? There
is no protection for our back. God
has got your back, so go forward without fear.
Will we pray? Will you
pray? Greater is He that is
in me than he that is in the world. I
can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
Will you stand up, stand up for Jesus?