Salvation Is a Warfare: Chapter 3. In the last chapter of the Salvation series, we explored one of the most challenging yet life-giving calls given to everyone who has believed in Jesus and been saved: “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).
We examined deeply what it means to carry your cross and follow Jesus, emphasizing that after believers come to the place of faith, it is necessary for them to produce good works as proof of their faith in Christ Jesus.
In that chapter, we also explored salvation from the perspective of a sale and a transaction, using Joseph as a case study from Genesis 37:28. We saw that while Joseph was in the custody of Potiphar, he lived according to his master’s instructions. At the command of his master’s mouth, Joseph’s feet moved swiftly to carry them out.
In light of this, we saw that to carry your cross means to follow Christ while embracing His instructions as the standard for our lives.
In this chapter, we will examine the reason salvation is a warfare and not the end of conflict. As the Apostle Paul declared, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
Salvation is a Warfare
What do we mean when we say that salvation is a warfare? Does this mean that we are not free from conflict? What is the biblical standpoint on this truth?
In a heart-striking message titled Commitment Enhances Faith, T.B. Joshua made a bold statement that sought to correct misconceptions in the Body of Christ today.
He said, “The doctrine that says, ‘No suffering, no health challenges, no hardship,’ is not in line with God’s Word. It is evidence that you are not really saved.”
The day you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and make a total commitment to carry your cross, you declare war against Satan. You make yourself his bitter enemy and you are engaged in a phenomenal battle.
Jesus made this clear in John 15:18: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first.”
The conflict ahead of every believer is the conflict of faith. Satan seeks to make us deny our faith. He wants us to curse God under pressure and tension, to see God in a bad light, and to question the very faith on which we stand.
With foresight into this reality, Jesus, looking far beyond His time, asked His disciples in Luke 18:8: “I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
Jesus knew that we would be engaged in a battle with Satan. He knew we would face challenges to our faith, and He went on to say again in Mark 13:13: “Everyone will hate you because of Me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
Still, if salvation is a warfare, what then is the joy of the believers?
The Joy of the Believers
Salvation is a conflict and does not remove us from conflict; rather, it introduces us into the battle of faith. Yet, in the midst of this warfare, God has given believers a deep and unshakable joy. What, then, is this joy that sustains us despite the challenges we face after salvation?
To understand this, we turn to the powerful encounter between Jesus and Saul in Acts 9. Saul was on his way to Damascus, breathing threats and violence against those who believed in Jesus.
But suddenly, heaven interrupted his mission. In the midst of the blinding light and divine encounter, Saul cried out, “…Who are You, Lord?” (Acts 9:5).
Jesus replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
This response reveals a profound truth and the very source of the believer’s joy. Saul was not physically attacking Jesus – he was persecuting believers. Yet Jesus identified Himself so closely with His followers that their suffering was His suffering. Their persecution was His persecution.
Our Trials are Christ Trials
This is the believer’s joy: when Satan attacks you because of your faith, he is not attacking you alone – he is attacking Jesus. Heaven takes your battles personally.
However, this joy becomes real and active only through commitment. Total commitment to Christ places us fully under His ownership and care.
As T.B. Joshua once explained, when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, commitment asks Jesus to accept you. At that moment, you become His property. You no longer belong to yourself.
And because you belong to Christ, He takes up Satan’s challenge against you.
If you are fully committed to God Almighty, whatever you face belongs to Christ. Your trials, opposition, sickness are Christ’s trials. You are no longer fighting alone.
So take heart. Stand firm in faith. The battle may be fierce, but the joy of the believer is this: you are hidden in Christ, and Heaven stands behind you.
Salvation is a Warfare: Conclusion
Salvation is warfare that ushers believers into spiritual warfare, yet our joy rests in Christ, who owns our battles and secures victory.