BATTLES AT THE GATE
“He will be …a Source of Strength to those who turn back the battle at the Gate” Isaiah 28:6
‘Gate’ symbolizes an access or a doorway and in this verse it’s the door way to our mind. We human beings have important access or entry points which feed and nurture our minds, which in turn influences and shapes our lives, our conduct and thus our very being. Hence to guard these ‘gates’which are the entrances & exits of our mind is of vital importance.
The Bible says, “The mind of a sinful man is death but themind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace”. Romans 8:6
Let us now try to understand what these ‘gates’ that feed the mind are. They are of course our Eye, our Ear, our Mouth, our Touch and our Taste – scientifically speaking our 5 senses.
What we let in or let out through these gates is what rules our life. That gives us the responsibility of taking utmost care of what we allow to enter in through these gates. For,unless we deliberately choose to allow something to enter in through these gates they will have no access or authority over our lives or over who we are or over what we are made up of.
Things are happening around us all the time. But they cannot affect us unless we choose to permitthese circumstances , words or images and impressions to enter into our minds through these gates.
Let me make it clearer with an illustration: Often we hold our books in hand pretending to study for hours without even one word entering our mind; or we can even sit in class:physically present but mentally absent. Thus we have the ability to choose what to permit into these gates of our lives.
That is why I would like to alert you to the important fact of making the right choices, for your health – spiritual, physical or mental depends on it. Remember everything good – blessing, life and everything bad – sin, sickness, death:without exception enters through these gates.
Now comes the important question. How do I guard these ‘gates?’
Our loving Father in heaven who is so mindful of our well being has clearly indicated in His word our course of action or rather how to fight the battle at the gate.
God asked the Israelites to apply the blood of the ‘Passover Lamb’’ at the gate and the door posts of each house to stop the angel of death from entering their homes. Today bring every thought captive under the mighty power of the blood of the Passover Lamb Jesus. Thus we can guard our gates and stop unwanted battles being waged in our lives.
We must first realize that there is a constant battle going on at the gates of our life, so many things warring to capture our attention. But God has promised strength to those who are willing to turn the battle right at the gates.
Now what does ‘to turn the battle at the gate’ mean? It means to fight with all your power to stop sin from entering your life.If you allow sin to enter your life first it is just a foot hold for the enemy. But soon it becomes a strong hold and very difficult to pull down. It will then rule over your life, and then it will become very difficult to overcome it. But if you turn it off at the gate, nip it in the bud it will not have dominion over you.
God warned Cain in Genesis 4:7, when he was jealous of his brother Abel that “sin was crouching at the door”. He told Cain that it desired to have him, and that he Cain must rule over it. If only Cain had taken the warning seriously and had shown a desire to rule over it rather than permitting it to rule over him, God would have surely helped him; he wouldthen never have become the murderer that he eventually became.That is why Peter warns us in I Peter 5:8, “your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” But that need not frighten us but only alert us to understand that there are major battles at the gate. But we have with us the Lion of the tribe of Judah to help us to turn the battles at the gate.
Now let’s look at the different battles we face at the different gates:
At the Eye gate we face battles like what to watch and what not to watch on TV, internet; what to read and what not to read in magazines and books.
At the Ear gate we face battles of whom to talk to on the phone, how to avoid gossiping what kinds of songs to listen etc.
The Mouth gate constantly battles with the need to ‘speak with salt and grace’ the need to speak the truth, the need to speak kind words etc.
At the Touch gate we fight against sensuality – masturbating,clandestine love making, stealing etc.,
At the Taste gate a constant battle is on against gluttony, alcoholism, drug abuse etc.
How can we gain victory over these battles?
Firstly: to be fore warned is to be fore armed: Studies suggest that 30% of what we read (eye gate – magazines, newspaper,images in the social net works like ‘Face book’), 20% of what we hear (ear gate – radio, songs, bad talk, gossip), 50 % of what we watch ( eye & ear gate – T.V, YouTube, Movies) 80 % of what we involve and interact (Mouth, Touch gate -Video games, Chatting) affects our mind. So take care and choose what you read, listen to or watch and touch. That is turning the battle at the gates.
When you notice the first SMS is disturbing you, do not reply. When you notice the phone call disturbing your spirit do not press the answer key. When you see a dirty email in inbox by reading the subject itself, do notopen it. This is turning the battle at the gate. It matters what we do; how we respond when the battle rages right at the gate. That is where we need His strength. Once the enemy captures the gate and comes in, the city falls. The same way if the gate is under the control of the enemy and if we let anything and everything to enter our lives we will be defeated by sin. But God has called us to be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. The Bible says in II Corinthians 10: 4, 5: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish thestrongholds” of Satan. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought. Our mind at times argues within us that doing a sin just once will do no harm but we must demolish and argument and bring the thought under control.
Secondly : Keep feeding your mind with the word of God.Psalms 119:9 says “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? by living according to God’s word.”
Deuteronomy 6: 7 – 9 says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates”. Our God wants us to spend time on His word which heals, restores, delivers and lifts you up And also gives you the knowledge about how God wants you to live.
In the secular realm, read good books, listen to good music that comes from a clean source, have wholesome talk with good friends. On the contrary, if a person or a thing affects your mind adversely, just FLEE.
Thirdly: Pray. We read in Psalms 57:2 “let me hide under the shadow of God’s wings until the trouble has passed.”When you face a battle, seek God’s presence, seek for His divine strength as He has promised in Isaiah 28:6 and use His word which is the sword of the Spirit to fight the battles. Talk to God continuously in your spirit. When you sense a battle at your gate close your ‘eye gate’and picture Jesus standing before you, picture his blood stained hands. Open your ‘mouth gate’ and say Jesus protect me and help me overcome this battle for your glory. Open your ‘ear gate’ and wait for His word which will encourage you to be a conqueror. Permit your ‘touch gate’ to feel his wings cover you.
By faith apply the blood of Jesus over your eyes, ears, tongue, hands and ask for His Spirit’s anointing to overshadow you.
Now after reading this article is there someone who feels defeated, that you have not been able to turn the battle at the gate, but have let the battle enter your mind? Don’t worry! Don’t condemn yourself for permitting the enemy tocontrol you or your life. Your life may have become a mess and you feel that you are a looser. Cheer up! There is someone – Jesus – waiting patiently at your gate, to walk in to your heart, into your life and to turn it around for the better. Jesus says, in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if you hear my voice and open the door. I will come in and fellowship with you”. It just takes one bold step towards Jesus, just one right decision to turn your life around. His voice can calm the storm and make everything brand new once again. Hear then His gentle voice calling, wait patiently while He is fighting for you. He longs for your love, for your attention, and to take control of your gates, your life andyour all . He has promised strength and he will strengthen you to turn the battles at the gate and never let it rule over you. You are not alone. You can live a victorious life through Him who has won it all.
If you desire this beautiful life with your Saviour, then say this simple prayer after me:
Dear Father in Heaven,
I open the door of my life to you. Please come in and take control of every access point of my life, cleanse every part of my life with the blood of Jesus. I am truly sorry for whatever I have allowed to control me so far. Now I give myself to you and ask for your strength to turn the battles at the gates of my life. Do not let anything that you do not like to take hold of my life. Hold my hand and my heart and lead me in the path of everlasting life. Spirit of God, take complete control and give me abundant life, peace and freedom according to your word in Romans 8:6. I ask all this is the precious name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Now believe that you are protected. Feel secure and live your life to the fullest for Christ.
Happy Winning! Stay blessed!
Merilyn Jemimah Amirtharaj
