As we have addressed previously, the real battle we are fighting is against fear. The evil one wants to control the world through fear. We must therefore decide that we are going to grow in faith and the peace of God, and that we will not allow our actions to be determined by fear.

           As we began to cover last week, our basic mandate as Christians is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

This week we continue our study with Ephesians 6:4:

As we continue our study of Ephesians, let us realize the revelation of our full purpose in Christ that is found in this great epistle:

Ephesians 1:6-7

At the end of this age, there will be the ultimate clash between light and darkness, good and evil, as we see in places like Isaiah 60. The light wins and the nations come to the light, not to the darkness. Our victory is inevitable if we will just abide in the Light.

I have strong evidence that I am a political, social, and economic moderate. The evidence is that I can look to the left and to the right and see people who are equally as far away from me in both directions, so I must be in the middle. That the Department of Homeland Security named me, and basically all other evangelical Christians, as well as all veterans, as potential “right wing extremists,” shows how far to the left they really are. Because so many who are in the center look so far to the right, they consider moderates as extremists.

Last week we discussed how the most successful in any field are usually those who do the basics the best. I am sure you have noticed how I repeat some of these principles. I may try to say them a little differently, using different stories, but they are nevertheless the same principles. I am trying to make the teaching interesting and effective. Repetition is required in developing any skill, including Christian character. The wise embrace repetition and are always those who are the most serious about training and practice.

The Lord uses the title "Lord of hosts," or "Lord of armies," over ten times more than He uses any of His other titles. He is a martial God, a military leader. In the time to come, we will see the whole advancing church taking on a military demeanor—one of such discipline and resolve that the world's military leaders will envy it.

Two things that we know the Lord especially loves are unity and diversity. The Lord loves diversity so much that He even makes every snowflake different. No two trees are alike. Every leaf is different from every other leaf on the planet. He made every human being different from every other human being. The Lord's creativity and love of diversity is prevalent throughout His creation. It is therefore understandable that these two would be blended into a fundamental principle of how He will rule in His kingdom. Unity in diversity is a basic principle of His government.

        The greatest Christian life will be lived closest to Christ, loving Him most, and thereby loving others most. To understand Christ and His love, we must first comprehend what He says in Isaiah 55:9:

         As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.