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Tag: spiritual battle

  • Slightly Obsessed #155: Armed and Dangerous

    Slightly Obsessed #155: Armed and Dangerous

    For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

    – 2 Cor. 10:4

    Never bring a knife to a gunfight.

    – Original source unknown

     

    The United States is embroiled in a battle over national security in the wake of recent shootings.

    A 2015 poll found American’s fear of terrorism here and abroad at a peak not seen since the 9/11 attacks. While politicians and authorities struggle to address the violence, many people have responded by arming themselves and learning how to use a firearm.

    As Christians, we understand our enemy is not a human or a nation. But are we aware of the seriousness of the warfare against us? Are we adequately armed to vanquish Satan? Do we know what our weapons are and how to use them? Why are we losing spiritual battles daily?

    Maybe we live in defeat because we bring knives to the gunfight.

    I’d like to challenge you today to take some quiet time to think about the battles in your life and how you can improve your chances of victory. Here are some ideas for engaging in successful warfare:

    Write down what you are battling.

    Ask God to show you how to employ spiritual warfare to each situation.

    Objectively assess the situation.

    Is it the result of your own actions? We often give the devil credit for our own bad behavior. If so, write down what restitution and changes you need to make. Then do it.

    Read Ephesians 6 again.

    Ask God to give you a fresh revelation of this passage of Scripture. Write down practical ways to apply it to your situation.

    Bring a sword to the fight.

    Memorize Scripture verses. You’ll be surprised how, at a critical moment, the Spirit will bring to your mind a verse you learned years ago and didn’t even remember.

    Be willing to stop patterns of behavior leading you to defeat.

    One of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal is one word: No. Resist the devil, and he will run from you.

    If God reveals anyone to whom you need to talk, go in all the gentleness you can muster. But by all means, go. Take another person with you, if necessary.

    Surrender to God.

    No matter what you are facing, the safest possible place is in His protective care.

    Praise Him.

    The most powerful weapon in the world is no match against the name of the Lord Jesus. Focusing on Him releases the hold the enemy has on us.

    Be confident in His victory.

    “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17) God has won the victory for you. You can trust Him with your life, and He is a king worthy of your allegiance.

     

    Remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.

    -Nehemiah 4:14

  • Slightly Obsessed #037: The Greatest Battles

    Slightly Obsessed #037: The Greatest Battles

    God sees not as man sees,

    For man looks at the outward appearance,

    But the LORD looks at the heart.

    -1 Samuel 16:7

    It had been a terrible week.

    Everything that could go wrong, had. I was teetering on the edge of the precipice separating grace and a bug-eyed fit. Walking in grace had recently become more of a lurch lately as I struggled through a difficult relationship situation. As I replayed the perceived indignities I’d received at the hands of the perpetrator, the irritation inside me grew, urging me onward toward a “justifiable” confrontation. How good it would feel to take the plunge and have that bug-eyed fit!

    God’s Spirit quietly counseled me otherwise. He urged me to extend grace to this person.

    Frankly, I wanted to be mad.

    As I drove down the city street simmering in the juices of my righteous indignation, I spotted a small, crooked figure limping down the sidewalk.

    I honestly couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. A rumpled head of short, red hair crowned a twisted body clad in Bermuda shorts and a deep purple t-shirt.

    The person obviously struggled with a handicap of some kind. I started to look away, still preoccupied. As I got closer, however, my dismissive attitude went down in flames.

    Emblazoned on the front of the purple t-shirt in large white letters were these words:

     

    THE GREATEST BATTLES

    ARE THOSE WHICH ARE

    FOUGHT WITHIN

     

    Ouch.

    An instant pang of regret shot through me.

    How much like God to send such a humble messenger to remind me of my own cracked soul and how every struggle is really a battle for our hearts.

    Man might be influenced by outward appearances, but God never is. That day I, the one more outwardly “together,” was the one  truly flawed.

    Which is more crippling, our inward or outward blemishes? Should not I, who need grace so much, be all the more eager to give it?

    After all, isn’t grace a gift given to the undeserving? And wouldn’t the undeserving be…

    …me?