Everytime I hear a soldier has died, it leaves a question of why and anger at one more American life taken in battle. How much more as Christians should we be upset when one life falls to the enemy called Satan. Our nations military are not fighting Satan dominions. We have to separate scripture battles from physical warfare today. The reason being is God tells even the enemy rise up and fall, as well as we do in battle all for a purpose. However the spiritual warfare, not effect by where you stand in the world but whose side you are on spiritually. As long as your not on God's side you standing in the line to enter the enemy imprisonment until you grab the golden ticket out of that line and turn and head toward heaven. God chose us for his habitation and yet often man choose a path not designed by God to follow. They choose the things that sound good and even sometimes sound bad. Man is fickled/unstable in his choices of what is good and what is evil. Man making his own choices and his own direction finds a path of destruction already waiting for a man lying in wait. Yet God in his wisdom saved man from destruction, if condition of his free will gone, no free will given back to serve a living God, a God not of destruction but life and liberty for eternity.

Paul talks about liberty but also about the enemy coming in to destroy. What does the enemy sound like but desires of the flesh, the desire of what we do not know and only want to feel and think we want. The enemy makes the party life to be appealing, the party life to look like freedom, until the party life steals the soul of a friend, a stranger by the wreck of an alcoholic, or the two many drugs taking the life of a "friend". Enemy comes with words of religion and hope that is only covered by the picture of good works that only to entice a person into it, so they can drug a teenager for sexual immorality. What am I talking about, a teen on the street inticed in for a free meal on a cold or hot summer day,, not knowing that his own hunger is taking him or her into the world of slavery and human sex trade. They wake in a stranger apartment only to wonder how they got there, and find that whatever they did the night before is only half the mistake. These people even come in sheep clothing into churches looking for those are first time visitors and needing a love and kindness. They come with a mask of hope that only leads to a path of destruction.

Ministers watch from the pulpit to catch the ones that are seeking refuge before the enemy pulls them away from the sanctuary of faith, hope and love from God. If you run into a church you find at least one person of God there, if you find a group the work of God is flowing. What interesting is the church world works to get a person saved, then turns them back into the world to face the devil, only to know that they are marked by God's Spirit of faith. Meaning the enemy no longer as power over them.

Paul talks about a good fight of faith, putting down the lies of Satan, speaking truth and speaking the word of hope. Telling young Timothy to preach the word in season, for a time will come the enemy will try and destroy. Our job is not to worry about the enemy where about or his language, but to do the will of God and speak the truth. Everyone that belief in Jesus is called to serve him, to do his will, but not all heed the call or fight the fight of faith. Faith is more then church attendance and even participation, it matter of one's own heart, one's own desires and one's own spiritual warfare against the enemy call Satan. God only wants to give his children good gifts. If you have a bad gift you can count it not from God. God wants to put oil on those itching ears that desire only to hear the gossip, the lies, the things of destruction that look pleasing to the eye of man/woman.

I do not know how much Eve understood about the words of Satan that deceived her as being part of her own destruction has she chose to obey the desire of her eye. It the same thing a child being told by his parents no, no only to find his hand hurts because of a burning flame that look so pretty it needed to be touched. The shiny gold and silver that one can have if they choose a path of destruction, no a person has a choice to gain gold and silver the right way with a real job, though the job might not be in the riches part of town. Point the spiritual warfare of faith is not about monetary things seen or achieved, but about faith, hope and love. Something that can not be bought with silver and gold, for it is priceless. It is the mindset of humanity that choose hope instead of destruction. Destruction often comes with gold and silver.

Paul speaks that his race is almost over, his departure for heaven is in sight. At fifty and sixty most can agree that they are next in line for death, if they live to be old. Aging parents of my generation some have already put their parents to rest, and are only waiting there turn. While others are still waiting to be that generation in line for final exit. Some do go earlier then others, but where are they going? What was value, love, faith and hope. Was faith in Christ important to them? Life style often tells alot, but it does not tell the whole tale of the human heart that only God can see.

Paul had suffered for the Gospel he need his parchment(paper), he need material items for the road ahead and he desire to see Timothy and Mark before he was to old to see them because the journey being to great. When we get old our bodies do slow down, some more premature then others, yet we make our choice what is valuable to us. Whether we follow after our own desires or after the will of God. When our desire becomes the will of God, our liberty is about fighting the race of faith. To do nothing is to be entangles by yoke to heavy to carry, because it often leads to taking from others, grabbing hold of own selfish desires and not caring about others as Christ loved us. Do we have compassion as Christ loved Us? Do we care beyond even human fleshly desire to say no more.

Dear Heavenly Father you know that you love us and care for our will being because you sent your Son to die on the cross for our sins, for our imperfection. That you came to redeem us through his resurrection, giving us a new life of walking by your Spirit and trusting in Jesus. Help us to trust blindly at times. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: 2 Peter 2:1-22 KJV
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Galatians 5:1-26 KJV
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.
12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.