Unless your name is Gilligan, you are aware that for over a month the United States has been at war. Whether you were watching the television, listening to the radio or reading the newspaper; you could not escape the latest developments in Iraq. We need to realize, however, that the greatest war that is taking place is not in the Middle East. The war that I am talking about is one that each of us is involved in on a daily basis. We read the following words in Ephesians 6:12: "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."

The latest numbers show that over 100 Americans have lost their lives in the war with Iraq. All of us mourn with the families of these brave men and women but that number is dwarfed by those who have died from all causes. Years ago I read a statistic that stated that each day 168,000 people in our world die. Do the math and you will see that the number who leave this planet via death numbers over 5 million each month! The Scriptures teach that most people will never see Heaven. There are multiple reasons for this fact but one is that they do not take their spiritual war seriously or are not even aware of it.

We must never forget that Satan is deadly serious about this war. He is working every minute of every day to lead you and I away from the Lord. He does not want you to be aware of the war that is taking place in your life. We live in a society that basically teaches that all good people will one day see Heaven and that is a lie that Satan uses. If you think that human governments know how to use propaganda, they can’t hold a candle to the Devil.

Satan will snuggle up close to you and whisper ‘sweet nothings’ in your ear about the harmless nature of sin. There is nothing sweet about sin because it will ultimately bring damnation on the individual who makes peace with it. The Scriptures teach in Isaiah 59:1,2 that sin separates man from God. The Bible further states that it is through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross that our sins can be forgiven.

Once I have become a Christian, temptation and sin do not leave me but the Lord is in control of these problems. In I Corinthians 10:13 we read that God will always open a door of escape when we are tempted. In passage after passage we see that the blood of Christ cleanses our sin. In order for me to receive that cleansing I must believe in the Lord Jesus (John 20:31); I must completely surrender my life to Jesus (Acts 17:30); I must confess Him before men (Matthew 10:32,33) and I must be immersed in water (Acts 22:16). Once I do these things I become a child of God and then my task is to live all of my life in faithful obedience to Him.

Today you and I are at war. This war is not for our possessions or even for our physical life; this war is for our soul. The devil will work overtime to secure your soul but so too will the Lord. If you will surrender your life to Jesus, no power in heaven or on earth can claim you. If you would like to know more about how to win this war, please email us. If you prefer to study via Bible correspondence, please go to www.wbschool.org Whatever you do, be sure that you win the ultimate war.