Well, I admit it tonight; I got two black eyes or a sore bottom from my best friend and my daughter. Sometimes, we need to be kicked in the bottom, to get our head on straight. At the beginning of the day, I found my bank account in the negative, a job interview didn’t turn out, and my landlord will not make the repairs around our house. As I balance the check book, I am beyond stressed because of the lack of funds to pay all of the bills. My father who is battling cancer isn’t doing well, he is a million miles away, and I can’t assist him. All of these issues have been weighing me down, can you relate? It’s easy to allow the cares of the world to choke us; it stops our breathing or ability to think. Also, it can choke us from allowing the peace of Christ to dwell freely.
"The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful." ~Matthew 13:22
Sometimes as the circumstances rise, we make unwise decisions. We need to bathe everything in prayer, trust in God’s ability, and wait for the answer. Prayer isn’t always a simple event, its combat with our enemy. When we pray, we are entering our battlefield. So, it’s important to realize our enemy is properly prepared for face to face combat. As you read Ephesians 6:12, the word “against” is used quite frequently. So, the enemy has a planned army of rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
So, in other words Satan has weapons, warriors, and people he uses to come against us. It isn’t the flesh and blood we fight but the dark realm of Hell. Well, it’s time to kick some butt, Satan’s. If we are going to defeat him, we need to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. We need to be confident as God’s children, we are not defeated. If you haven’t read the last chapter of the book, WE WIN!!! Nevertheless, we will have battles with Satan on earth until Jesus comes; we just have to be prepared.
As we are confident in the Lord, we will have the strength to oppose the attack. It’s only in the Lord’s strength, it’s not our strength. In the physical sense, Satan is more powerful, we can’t defeat him. It’s only through the covering of the blood of Jesus; we have the power to overcome.
When Paul wrote the passage in Ephesians, he was using the metaphor of the battles within their day. People would come to watch two people fight in battle; it wasn’t over until someone died or was defeated. It was a bloody battle, so bloody we would tell the children to turn the TV off. It wasn’t a normal fight, so we need to be prepared with armor. What’s so amazing, God’s Word equips us for these opportunities. Now, I am not saying Satan is behind every bush or tree; sometimes we are the cause of our problems. For example, we arrive late to work too many times, our boss writes us up. Well, the devil wasn’t responsible for not setting the alarm or leaving late. When you are in spiritual warfare, God will reveal it. Sometimes Satan will knock on our front door, we are not prepared. It’s alright; Jesus will answer it for you. God will ALWAYS protect what’s His! He will shelter us under His wings, we have refuge. (Psalm 91)
As I stated earlier, I was very overwhelmed with my day with worrying about money for food, bills, and school supplies. So, I advised my friends, I would be taking a break from ministry; I needed to clear my head. Nevertheless, my best friend really rebuked me harshly with truth, I love her for it. If that wasn’t enough, my daughter approaches me about a passage in the Word, she wanted to share. Well, I got rebuked from the mouth of “babes” as my daughter read Matthew 6. God spoke the answer, “I have just been “choked” with the cares of the world, I forgot to breath. Breathe. God created us for life to be used for His glory despite the circumstances, our feelings, our failures. Satan wants us to walk defeated, unsure, and fearful. It’s time to be strong in the Lord and in HIS mighty power. Although my day started with fear, it ended in victory. Our prayers don’t go unheard, God is listening intensely to each one, and they are so precious-He writes them down. Nevertheless, be prepared when God does answer, He will surprise you with who He uses to answer.
© 2011 Giving Thanks Daily, Tina Wetor
Web: http://shawnsgivingthanksdaily.blogspot.com/
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