WHO WE ARE AND WHY WE FIGHT

We are BATTLE:BSM - For the forging of Body, Spirit and Mind.

You are so much more than the world would have you believe:

The human being is made up of three distinct parts: The Body, the Spirit, and the Mind, (also known as the Soul). Each of these parts plays a uniquely critical role in our existence, and our mission is to help bring to light the importance of each part, how they affect our lives, and why properly strengthening and balancing them in union is so beneficial for acquiring well-being, life-changing wisdom, a sure sense of purpose and ultimately true fulfillment. We exist to encourage and empower all those who pursue truth in life, who are willing to fight the battle of keeping their eyes on the big, everlasting prize at the end of the long narrow path instead of settling for the small fleeting prize that is found by the short and wide path.

We strongly believe in the existence and sovereignty of God, and that we were created by Him, for Him. We are His most advanced work of art, all made equally as valuable as one another and each designed to be able to reach and fulfill an incredible potential and purpose. We also believe that as a God of supreme justice and order, He has set structure, rules and guidelines for life that are revealed to us through His living Word, the Holy Bible. This information has a profound effect on our lives depending on how we respect, (or disrespect) it- consequences that will be realized even beyond this life.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people disregard God and His Word. The reason for this is because we are in a constant battle with the world around us, whether we realize it or not. Everywhere we go something or someone is vying for our life and potentially keeping us from reaching the right path given by our Creator. Distractions of every kind abound and seemingly enticing yet ultimately foolish temptations are around every corner, drawing many like moths to a flame by pulling them away from the truth and into a deadly state of separation from God. Just as dangerous, the crippling urge to stay only where it is comfortable can easily permeate the minds of the weak-willed, who are often caught up into a herd of others of like-minded complacency and self-reliance. Like a virus, the self-righteous, prideful and rebellious majority who deny God spread ignorance, disinformation and outright deception throughout the earth without fear of the consequences. And with no light to guide us, it is easy to become overwhelmed and swallowed in the darkness of the world where the blind lead the blind down the wide path to destruction.

It is for this reason that BATTLE: Body-Spirit-Mind was born. Though they may be few, there are those in every walk of life who would choose to follow the narrow path, difficult as it may be. These are the ones who choose to pay close attention to what is happening around them, not only physically, but spiritually as well. They refuse to simply get in line with the rest of the world and instead choose to pursue the path that God intends for us. By faith they choose to live for the eternal reward that is ahead instead of settling for the temporary pleasures of now, guarding the heart and seeking the Light in the darkness even in the face of persecution. Promoting focus, discipline, dedication, determination, perseverance, humility and a hunger for truth, BATTLE:BSM is for those: An encouraging source of light and a reminder of what we are fighting this battle for:

Readiness of the BODY (Your vessel)

The body is the tangible and physical part of our being; a vessel that carries the intangible mind and spirit within. Bones, organs, cells, muscle and skin etc. - are all elements that make up the body, which God designed to last just as long as there is physical life in us. Also included in our physicality are our five senses, which were lovingly gifted to us so that we can effectively operate within and enjoy the world around us. With such precious intangible contents, it is obviously very important to ensure that the vessel is healthy, strong, durable and ready for what may come while it is in use. This is achieved by making the conscious effort to care for, strengthen and improve our physical state through maintaining a naturally healthy and balanced diet and performing regular physical exercise/activity, while also abstaining from physically harmful and/or addictive substances such as tobacco, drugs and alcohol.

This is certainly a battle for all of us as it requires discipline and a willingness to deny ourselves of temporary physical pleasures and to put in the hard work even when we don't feel like doing it. Exercise takes time and is often uncomfortable, and the temptation to lay around and eat cheap, sugary and highly processed "comfort" foods is ever-present. Alcohol, while fine in moderation, is responsible for the downfall of many who lack the strength to fight addiction. Even worse is the destructive temptation to indulge in mood altering narcotics for the purpose of self-medication or simple temporary pleasure. Overindulgence and/or abuse of anything that can be put into the body is a great danger as it can slowly begin to take control of your own body, and even mind.

It is important to know that God created us to be in full control of ourselves, fully coherent, physically active, able-bodied and capable of performing work of various kinds in order to provide not only for ourselves, but for others as well. With this in mind we can understand why having a well-trained, healthy and 'ready' body is not only necessary in terms of achieving a sense of personal well-being, satisfaction and confidence, but also in terms of fulfilling our God-given duty. Our bodies are a gift and we have a responsibility to use and care for them accordingly. BATTLE:BSM is for those who are willing to fight the physical battle to ensure that they remain in full control of their body and that it is kept in ready and able condition for what may come.

Life of the SPIRIT (Your core being)

The eternal spirit is one of the intangible parts of our design and is at the very core of our being. Not to be confused with the soul (mind), the spirit is the least comprehended by most yet is easily of the greatest importance among all three parts. This is because it is by the spirit that we are linked directly to God and to the spirit realm- an everlasting and timeless reality that is all around us at every point in time yet that cannot be seen by any physical means. Having this access to the spiritual realm is both a wonderful and potentially terrifying thing, as both great Light and terrible darkness are found within. While this may sound like something out of a work of fiction, it is in fact very real.

Though it goes unrealized and/or disregarded by the majority of people, there is a great spiritual war being waged over each and every one of us between the the unseen evils, powers and demonic spirits in this world led by the fallen angel Satan, and the force of Light that is above this world, that is God our Creator. While we all carry a spirit, it can be in a state of either life or death. Apart from God, our spirit is in a permanent state of death due to our fallen nature as a result of the curse of sin, and while in this state we are condemned and have no hope, (the consequences for sin are severe in Gods eyes - eternal damnation- for a spirit that is dead is unqualified to be in the presence of God). As we are all descended from Adam and Eve, (the first humans to sin against God), we are unfortunately born into this cursed world in this state of condemnation already, and it is the goal of Satan to keep us in this dead, unqualified state indefinitely. However, because of Gods great love for His creation, instead of allowing us to remain dead in our sin and separated from Him, He made a Way for us to be reconciled to Himself and receive a new transforming Spirit of Life, free from condemnation. This was carried out by supernaturally sending His only Son Jesus Christ to the earth as a man to live a perfectly sinless and righteous life (adhering fully to the standard and qualities of God), and to ultimately give up that perfect life as an atoning sacrifice for us (the only acceptable payment for our sin was perfectly righteous blood of which only Christ carries). This most critical event made it possible for us to be "born again" through repentance and the conscious choice of faith in Christ: Not another physical birth, but a new spiritual birth that results in the old dead and condemned spirit being replaced or "reborn" into a new spirit that will be eternally alive and well in the presence of God, (Jesus' sacrifice qualifies us in Gods eyes). When we become born again, we experience a kind of new life transformation in which the Holy Spirit leads us into a deeper understanding and relationship with God, and we become far more attuned to things happening within the spiritual realm, (as if our spiritual eyes become opened). Our very character begins to change by the power of the Spirit: We start to despise the old sinful ways and things in our life and turn away from them as we develop a hunger to live a life that is pleasing to God and a desire to diligently study His living Word, the Bible. As we grow in this walk with the Lord, foolish thoughts and behaviors of old become replaced with wisdom and temperance, and our self-righteousness turns to humility. Our eyes are opened to the Truth and our despair is turned to hope. Though we do not become immune to the temptation of sin, we receive the life-saving power to fight against it whereas there was no such power before.

This shift does not happen in our own power or strength of will but happens automatically ONLY by the receiving of God's Spirit through repentance and faith in Christ. There is absolutely nothing we can do to attain this change and salvation of our own accord. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, our battle with sin is impossible and we cannot live in Truth. Though Satan and his agents of darkness ultimately cannot prevail and will be destroyed at the end, they nevertheless do everything in their power to keep as many of us from finding this Truth as possible before that time comes, ideally without us ever even knowing any of it is even happening at all. These evil spiritual works exist in all aspects of global society: Though it is often so subtle that it goes unnoticed, deeply rooted corruption within politics, pharmaceutical and powerful big tech and media companies results in the wide-spreading of deceptive disinformation, slander against the things of God and His Word and the pushing of an atheistic or anti-God world view. The false theory of evolution and God forbidden and detestable "alternative" lifestyle practices have become normalized, even praised and encouraged- and not even children and youth are safe from such darkness as it is now being taught within the public education system as though it were factual and natural while the teaching of our true origin, the ways of God and His Word have been removed entirely from all but a small percentage of faithful schools, (know that age, gender, and race are irrelevant to Satan - we're all fair game to him). The enemy also attacks us in a far more personal form: Confusion, depression, sickness, addiction, fear, doubt, pride of self, self-loathing, suicide, loneliness, etc. -all of these things are of the enemy and all to keep unguarded spirits in the state of death and kept away from the Truth: That we can be set free of all of those things and have hope because of what our Creator has already done for us. It is important to understand that the enemy we face is a great strategist. His plan is not to fight against God directly, (he can't), but to keep as many of us, (God's beloved creation) away from Him as possible. In this way, while Satan knows he will ultimately lose the war, he takes satisfaction in knowing that those he can keep from God also lose along with him. This is the terrible spirit of darkness we face, and again why the condition of our spirit is the most important of all - our eternal outlook entirely depends on it.

When our earthly body dies, our spirit and soul remains and passes from the physical to the spiritual realm where it exists either in a state of life with God, (having been covered and converted by the blood of Christ for the remission of sin) or in a state of death separated from Him, (having been found dead in sin). If we die in sin with a dead spirit, we are sent where all things apart from God go- a place of eternal darkness and fire designed for Satan and his demons. This is NOT God's will for anyone, but rather that we receive the free gift of salvation that He provided through His Son Jesus Christ. Yet despite that, shockingly few people will receive this salvation because true repentance to God requires denial and humbling of self and a willingness to confess sin against the standard of a most Holy God, admitting the need for His mercy and saving grace. As the exceedingly sinful, self-centered and prideful creatures that we are, this is a monumental challenge- many will outright deny that God exists at all because His existence is inconvenient for their lifestyle and puts a spotlight on their sinful nature, (which they love and refuse to give up). They abhor the thought of having to abide by the rules of anyone or anything other than themselves. And many more attempt to justify, generalize or downplay the severity of their sinful state and claim they are actually good and/or innocent of their sin while being completely oblivious to the fact that God's standard of goodness is not the same as our own standard, and they cannot be compared, (all a prime example of how the enemy feeds deception and pride into the minds of the lost to keep them in darkness). The majority of the world is set in its ways against God and would rather take the immediate fleeting pleasures of this life than humble themselves and pursue the future eternal pleasure that God has in store for those who love Him as promised in His Word. Nevertheless, BATTLE:BSM is committed to supporting the minority who are willing to fight in this spiritual battle against the enemy to ensure that their spirit is found to be full of life on judgment day. This battle involves adhering to the ways of God and the absorbing of His Word for daily guidance and the guarding of the heart against the fiery hatred of the world.

Clarity of the MIND (Your Soul)

The mind is a major part of our humanity and consists of intangible elements such as our intellect, will, conscience, emotions, and personality. Together, these elements make up what is perceived as our soul. It is essentially who we are as human beings, but it is also used to express God. However, while the mind is the source of our expression through our humanity, it has its limitations and the only way we can fully experience God is through our spirit; the mind is merely a channel. The mind is very sensitive and quickly adapts to what it is exposed to, for better or for worse. Whatever is allowed into the mind is what tends to come out of the mind, and what comes out of the mind often translates directly into the physical realm, literally shaping aspects of our physicality. This is why it is very important to guard our minds against that which comes from a place of darkness and evil. Negative, Godless or anti-God input can have a devastating effect on our lives, and consequently on the lives of those around us. Unfortunately, because of the spirit of darkness that reigns in this world, the earth is saturated with evil influence in every form, within politics, the news, mainstream and social media and entertainment outlets of all kinds. Often times deadly deception is disguised as something morally convenient, pleasurable, beneficial, enlightening and/or empowering, and because of our self-serving sinful nature, many, even those of a "high" social status, are quick to absorb it as acceptable reality, which is then campaigned as truth to the masses. Again, the blind leading the blind. Nearly everywhere you look there is some form of corrupted input to be found that can distort you before you even realize it. Pornography, anti-God or outright demonic themes and the aggressive pushing of self-sufficiency, self-reliance, Godless spirituality and idolatry in popular movies, music and books are all examples of this corruption. The negative effects of regular, unfiltered consumption of this darkness are numerous and lead to all sorts of mental and physical illnesses: Depression, sickness, addictions, dependency, fear, doubt, pride, stupidity, moral depravity, self-loathing, suicide, loneliness, anger, hatred, to name only some. It is all a result of exposure to the same evil source, and if action is not taken to filter it out before it gets buried into the mind, we can become corrupted by it, ultimately becoming it. And that is exactly where the enemy wants us.

Apart from God, we lack true wisdom and understanding - we cannot see the Truth. Left to our own devices we play right into Satan's hand and will continue to make up our own convenient story and "truths" as we go along, right up until we inevitably hit the wall of damning real Truth that is coming. And so, this is the battle for clarity of the mind- to make the conscious decision to protect our mind from such corruption by remaining vigilant against anything contradictory to the ways of God and to seek wisdom wherever it may be found. This is a battle against sin directly. By effectively filtering what goes into the mind, we can ensure that what comes out of it is only healthy, pure and acceptable in God's eyes, free of confusion and the enemy's influence. It's not a benefit only for ourselves, but also for those around us as well. With all the toxic garbage input in the world, guarding the mind is indeed a battle, but one that we at BATTLE:BSM gladly fight alongside our brothers and sisters of a like mind. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we will succeed.

In The End

We know what we're up against, but we also know how this story ends: The battle belongs to the Living God. He calls upon us to be soldiers in His campaign to victory, and we choose to answer the call. We know we will be persecuted by the world. Some may call us fools for our faith, and we will consider it an opportunity for great joy, for we know that when our faith is tested, our endurance has a chance to grow. And so we stand with our Creator, forging our body, spirit and mind into powerful tools of His will. We invite you to stand with us in the name of Jesus Christ.

"Who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God." - 1 John 5:5