© 2014 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)

Christian brother or sister, are you in a battle? If so, which one? There are so many battles to fight, how do you choose?

I’m reminded of a picnic with my family, years ago, on the Texas coast. We spotted a pleasant picnic table, nestled beneath a grove of large beautiful trees, and began carrying our picnic supplies to it. Almost immediately we were inundated by swarms of mosquitoes. There were millions of them. They had been resting in the grass until we came to be their lunch! As we began slapping away at them, we discovered we were fighting the wrong battle. It was a battle against individual mosquitoes. No matter how many we killed, there were always more. Our distraction with each individual mosquito was preventing any useful solution to the problem.

Our Christian battle is often like that. There are so many problems that we don’t know where to begin dealing with them. They are like those mosquitoes that overwhelmed us. There are political battles. There are friends and family members who are sick. There are flat tires and leaky roofs. There are broken fences and escaping cattle. There are deadlines and contentions at work and at home. Probably most painful are affronts by folks you trusted as your brothers and sisters in Christ. Just as with the mosquitoes, we tend to start slapping away to no avail.

We must choose the right battle! But how? Scripture tells us:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Our battle is and always has been a spiritual battle. It is a battle for righteousness and souls. In the political realm, I’ve heard people say things like, “I’m not interested in our leaders’ lifestyles or their private activities. I will vote for the one I think most able and likely to pursue the correct agenda.” How foolish! God says,

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” (Proverbs 29:2).

Christian! Are you fighting the right battle? Are you seeking to draw closer to Christ and attract lost sinners to trust Him as their Savior? He is the only one who can give them righteousness through His shed blood.

 

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