The Battle for Your Mind

Remember this, never forget this: if the Devil can get you to think wrong, he can get you to do wrong. It bears repeating, but you can reread it yourself, O Warrior. It’s true, your first and foremost battle will be over your thinking, and if you have two brain cells within shouting distance of each other, you are a target for Ol’ Flat-face.

Navigating the Minefield of Sin

Most First-Generation Christians (FGCs) don’t need to be convinced that they are sinners. No, you know what sin is. Know it in your bones—and everywhere else for that matter. Most FGCs are scarred and marred by sin. They’ve seen it destroy lives, perhaps even their own, and ruin futures. It may be one of your reasons for joining up with Christ: you’re tired of being Satan’s captive and tired of stepping on a landmine of sin.

The Battle for a Godly Heritage

There is another reason why you are fighting Satan, one more personal and perhaps more inspiring to a First-Generation Christian (FGC). You’re fighting for a godly heritage that you can pass to your children. Stop for a sec and think of the full potential of this reason. It is awe inspiring.

Battling Generational Curses and Besetting Sins

Generational curses exist. Like a terribly embarrassing story that follows you the rest of your life—you know, like the ones that are always retold at family get-togethers—such curses are passed down from one generation to another. They’re like bad pennies; they always turn up. Or like a stray cat you regrettably had a moment of compassion for and fed. Just once. Only once. And now the infernal thing keeps coming back! That, O Warrior, is much like generational curses. First-Generation Christians (FGCs) are often plagued by generational curses and besetting sins. 

Breaking old Allegiances, Loyalties, and Covenants

Vows and oaths mean something to God. And they mean something to Satan. As a First-Generation Christian (FGC), you might have divided loyalties and conflicting covenants that you must deal with if you ever intend to be fully effective in the battle against the forces of darkness.

The Battle with Unbelieving Family and Old Friends

If there is one battle that First-Generation Christians (FGCs) almost universally fight, it is the struggle with unbelieving family and old friends from before they came to Christ. In many cases, your family and perhaps your old friends are not bad people, they simply don’t understand what happened to you and what is continuing to happen to you. They don’t understand the changes you are making to your life. They think you’re crazy, joined a cult, taking the whole religious thing too far, or even feel you are condemning them and the way they’ve always lived.

Rules, Regulations, and Standards

As First-Generation Christians (FGCs), living up to these new Christian standards can be challenging. Often you didn’t even know what you’re getting into when you joined up. But suddenly, you’re being asked to meet certain level of expectations in your conduct and decorum that may seem foreign to you—especially if you came from the world which has a completely different standard of living and entirely different expectations.

The Battle with Older, Mature Christians

One of the battles that many First-Generation Christians (FGCs) fight—one that, unfortunately, should never happen but does sometimes—is one with other Christians who are uncomfortable with your raw Christianity. As an FGC only newly coming to Christ, you won’t know all the so-called Christian etiquettes in the beginning, or you attend church bearing the marks and evidence of the world on you and so make these older Christians uncomfortable.

The Battle for Spiritual Growth

The goal is spiritual growth. Progress. Forward momentum. Your direction will always matter more to God than your position in this thing we call the Christian life. The Bible commands us to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. But for many First-Generation Christians (FGCs), spiritual growth is not easy.

The Battle for Your Children’s Hearts

A battle every First-Generation Christian (FGC) will fight is the one for your children’s hearts—to some degree or other. The battle is more intense and more trying if you come to Christ later in life with children who know nothing but a godless heritage. Winning your children over might take some effort, prayer, fasting, and dedication, but it most certainly can be done.

The Battle for Your Marriage

If Satan had only one choice about which relationship of a First-Generation Christian (FGC) to destroy, it would be without a doubt your marriage. For those FGCs who were married before coming to Christ, your enlistment in God’s army doesn’t mean that your spouse did too. And even if your spouse did come to Christ with you, it doesn’t mean he or she joined up for the same reasons you did. Yup, conflict is bound to happen—fox in the henhouse style trouble.

Finding Comrades in Arms

In switching sides or enlisting in the army of Light, First-Generation Christians (FGCs) often find themselves shedding friends like a dog with alopecia. You can’t help it. Changing your allegiance means you are changing values, likes, and dislikes. This will, by default, cause you to have less in common with old friends and family. The danger, of course, is becoming isolated and alone—a sitting duck for satanic snipers and much more susceptible to ungodly ambush. All FGCs need to find foxhole buddies, comrades in arms who will watch their backs and fight side by side in this battle against the forces of darkness.

The Battle to Forgive Yourself

One battle many First-Generation Christians (FGCs) fight is one of the weight and burden of guilt over wrongs committed before you came to Christ and perhaps even sin committed after you came to Christ. This could very well be a major battle, one you may fight for much of the remainder of your life in one way or another.

Surviving the Siege

Ever heard someone claim that troubles come in threes? Or someone mutter, “When it rains, it pours”? Like it or not, there will be times in your life where everything seems to be going wrong. For First-Generation Christians (FGCs), this has never been truer. In fact, for many FGCs, the first siege comes very soon after you enlist in the army of Light.

Friendly Fire

An unfortunate aspect of any war is the potential to be hit by friendly fire—which is such a contradiction in terms. How can any wound be friendly? Isn’t that like having a friendly enemy? Nevertheless, it is still true that there is the potential to be wounded by your own side, people whom you claim as brothers and sisters in this conflict against the forces of darkness.

The Conflict of Esprit de Corps

According to Merriam-Webster online dictionary, esprit de corps means “The common spirit existing in the members of a group and inspiring enthusiasm, devotion, and strong regard for the honor of the group.” As a First-Generation Christian (FGC), you will inevitably come into contact with this same spirit among Christianity as a whole. There are so many branches, flavors, and kinds of Christians out there that you will quickly come to think you’ve stepped into an ice-cream shop—and everyone has their personal favorite flavor or combination. 

The PTSD of Discouragement

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), once known as shell-shocked, is very real and very common among combat veterans. The stressors and trauma of combat combined with a lack of proper treatment and recognition have caused many a combat veteran to spiral out of control in life and relationships. This is no different for First-Generation Christians (FGCs) engaged in a fight with Satan and the world. The main culprit for any Christian who quits on God, regardless if they are first or second generation, is that of discouragement. In fact, discouragement may be a larger problem than depression because discouragement is the catalyst and depression is the result.