TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ESV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• May the Fourth be with you!
Actually, I’m not a Star Wars fan. But I’ve always thought the May 4th unofficial Star Wars holiday was a cute idea. Plus, I’m married to a Star Wars fan and I gave birth to one. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever made it all the way through one of the movies. They bore me. But I am all about me some Baby Yoda. Cutest little character ever. When the Baby Yoda show came out, my son would send me the YouTube clips of just Baby Yoda scenes. That was enough for me.
So instead of Star Wars, let’s talk about Soul Wars. There is a very real battle waging for the souls of humanity. But before we dive in, let’s define a few things: We are comprised of three parts—a body, a soul, and a spirit. The body is easily understood. But the soul and the spirit are often used interchangeably. Our spirits are connected to God. Believers are spiritually alive in Christ, while non-believers are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-5). Our soul is the heart of who we are as individuals. We are souls who have a body; we are not bodies that have a soul. It’s a little confusing and I recommend the article, “What is the difference between the soul and spirit of man?” on GotQuestions.org.
But when it comes to you as an individual—your eternity… there is a battle waging. If you’re a believer, your soul cannot be taken. While your body may be hurt or suffer from disease, your soul is secure and you have been made spiritually alive in Christ.
If you have not given your life to Christ, your soul is in very real danger. There is an enemy who wants you. And he doesn’t want you because he cares about you. He hates you as much as he hates me as a believer…He hates you because you are a living being created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:26). He hates the very breath you breathe because it’s the breath of life given by God (Genesis 2:7, Job 33:4). But even though he hates you, Satan is all about collecting. It’s not collecting souls because he wants them, it’s about collecting them so his enemy, Jesus Christ, won’t have them. It is the ultimate battle of good vs evil and there is no in-between.
We are warned in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” It’s true — we have a formidable enemy that we cannot underestimate. But we also have a hero who has come to save — not just the the day, but our very souls. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
When it comes to the battle for your soul, the choice is yours. Unlike the physical battles we understand, this is a soul war and ultimately, the decision of who wins your soul is up to you. You can surrender your soul to Jesus who will give you new life and protect you for all eternity. Or you can do nothing. The enemy doesn’t care if you’re impassively saying no to Jesus, or if you “go to the dark side.” Trust me, he doesn’t have cookies and you will ultimately be destroyed.
You are not without power in this battle. We do not wage war with lightsabers, but with the Light of Jesus —the lamb who came to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29)… with the Word of God that is sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).
Whose side are you on? Who will win your personal Soul Wars? It’s a no brainer. In the final scene, Jesus wins. You get to decide if you’ll be celebrating with Him, or forever imprisoned in hell without Him. Choose wisely.
Today, as you pray, thank Jesus for being our Hero who has already won this war! Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be strong in the Word through every spiritual battle. And if you need to surrender to Jesus, come as you are. Let Him make you new and whole and spiritually alive as a child of God.
SHARING ••• Please share with others! Visit www.MyGraceFullLife.com to read past blogs. ***Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture references are from the ESV translation.
