Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Christ in You and Spiritual Warfare

"Christ in you {is} the hope of glory," wrote Paul the apostle in Colossians 1:27. Christ in us is the first step to victory in spiritual warfare. For those who are reading this article and living without Christ, realize that faith in Jesus Christ is as vital piece of armor-the helmet of salvation-that we put on to withstand Satan's attacks. (see Ephesians 6:17). When Jesus becomes our Savior, the deliverer from our sins, we enter into a relationship with God that, among other things, makes us "children of God" (John 1:12). "If anyone is in Christ," the Scripture says, "he is a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The transition from being outside of Christ to in Christ often has amazing consequences. A person can literally "change overnight" from being addicted to a life of sin to being free to serve Christin a new and hold lifestyle. This is what happened to Charlie. He called me out of desperation. He said his problem placed his marriage and his job on the line. He went on to explain that he was employed as a hospital administrator and that he was using drugs. He had tried to quit many times; however, he would always return to them during times of pressure. His question was to the point: "Is there any power of earth that can set me free from this hell I live in?" I told him I believed there was, and he made an appointment. We sat down with an open Bible, and in a matter of ten minutes he received Christ. He left my office beaming. He then read through the entire Bible in the next two weeks, and he and his wife became active in a local church. No longer addicted to drugs or any other artificial stimulant, Charlie says, "When Jesus saved me. He also delivered me from drugs. I have never used them again; moreover, I have no desire to do so." Sometimes God in His wonderful grace instantly sets a person fee like that. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

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