The Church: A Place to BATTLE — Part I

The View From Above: Thoughts to Help With Everyday Life

August 26, 2026

Guest Contributor: Pastor Harold Warner — Part 10

Pastor Warner continues his VFA series on The Church. Having considered the church as a place to build, today he turns to another vital dimension of church life: the church as a place to battle.

The Church: A Place to BATTLE — Part I

Nehemiah had a heart for God and God’s people that caused him to go all in with the task of rebuilding Jerusalem’s broken-down walls. Along with his devotion, skillful planning, organizational ability, he was also a brilliant tactician.

Word leaked that his enemies were plotting a sneak attack to kill those working on the wall and bring to a halt its progress. Godly leadership stepped into the gap to strengthen morale, (Nehemiah 4:14) “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

The enemies’ plot was uncovered and called off—but Nehemiah took strategic action from then on.

“From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor…Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.” (Nehemiah 4:15,16)

Let that stick in your mind: tools to build in one hand, and weapons to fight in the other.

There is a lesson here for us all. Nothing worthwhile is ever built without meeting forces that oppose. This is why the church is not only a place to build, but it is a place to battle—tools in one hand, weapons and armor in the other.

Why? There is a genuine enemy to resist, a real evil to defeat, and a true good to protect. Edmund Burke’s words ring true, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Beloved, we should always be ready to work and ready to fight for what matters.

This is central to our understanding of the miracle and role of the church. Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

The setting was crucial. “Caesarea Philippi was a center of pagan worship where a cave associated with the god Pan was popularly regarded as a gateway to the underworld. Jesus declared, ‘I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.’ This statement carried both a spiritual meaning and a striking geographical symbolism: in the face of the darkest religious strongholds of the ancient world, Christ announced His absolute authority and the unstoppable advance and ultimate victory of His church.”

The Bible repeatedly tells us of three enduring spiritual realities.

First, spiritual warfare is very real.

There exist organized, malevolent spiritual forces set on opposing God and all that is holy. (Ephesians 6:10-12) informs us, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Second, Christ has unequivocally triumphed over all these dominions.

The “gates” he referred to are defensive structures, not offensive weapons. The image is not of hell attacking the church, but of the church advancing under Christ’s authority and the strongholds of death, the devil, deception, and Satan cannot withstand it.

Redemption’s work carries this purchased promise of victory. (Colossians 2:15) “In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”

Third, the place where we will experience this promise of victory in lived reality is in His church.

The result of the resurrected and seated Christ is “God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.” And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself” (Ephesians 1:22,23).

There is a corporate dimension to spiritual warfare. Jesus has given the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” to His church, to live and express His authority in the world.

This does not negate the individual’s armor or struggle against sin, but it does contextualize it: you stand firm in truth, righteousness, faith, and the gospel together.

Remember: tools in one hand and weapons in the other as we labor for the kingdom of God.

“This mutual strengthening naturally equips the church for mission and spiritual struggle. The body’s interdependence means no member fights alone; weakness in one area calls forth strength from another.”

Be strong in the Lord!

More to come tomorrow about this good fight of faith.