October 31st~Playground or Battleground?

John 15:18-17:26

Jesus ended His upper room discourse. He warned the disciples of the hatred and abuse that the world would hurl at them for being His followers. He explained more of what the Holy Spirit would do when He arrived. He encouraged them in regards to His death with the prediction of His resurrection; and, finally, He prayed for their unity, purity, and protection. It was the last time that the disciples would be with Him before the coming chaos of His crucifixion.

The summary of Jesus’ message that night was this, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart, be- cause I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). What is this world that Jesus had overcome and how exactly did He overcome it?

By living a righteous life, Jesus had already overcome temptation, and, thus, He had overcome Satan’s wiles. He had also overcome the harshness and hatred of the world; and, now, as He neared His crucifixion, He would overcome the power of sin and the grave. With His death on the cross and His eventual resurrection, He will have defeated and, therefore, overcome every obstacle this world could set before Him.

The Greek word used for “overcomer” is nike, “one who has gained a victory.” Because Christ was victorious, those who are in Christ will also be victorious. Because He had overcome the world, His power in us can and will help us to overcome the world. Though while on earth, we will have many trials and sorrows, we can have peace, knowing that we can overcome them all.

Daily Reflection

What is important for us to remember is that this world is a battleground, not a playground. It appears to have everything that we need, but, in truth, it really has nothing for us. Our enemy has established a system that caters to our flesh. It has distractions for our eyes, pleasures for our mind, and treasures for our heart. In reality, these shallow offerings hide their true purposes, that of encouraging pride, greed, and self-indulgence; they are meant to get our eyes off of the true meaning of life. While this world seems to be for us, it really works against us.

Why has Satan disguised this world to look like a playground?

A soldier, who believes he is in a safe place, will let his guard down. Describe a time when the enemy has caught you “off duty” or taking a break.

Though you can overcome this battleground, it will take its toll on you. Temptation, tribulation, and persecution will leave you with scars, injuries, casualties, collateral damage, and battle fatigue. The good news is that you are on the winning side. The enemy you are fighting is a defeated enemy, and your King is a victorious conqueror!

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