Hey Soldier for the Lord, this message is for you! Warrior for Christ, are you feeling weary? Are you feeling as though the battle has been fierce? Like you are losing ground? Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! LISTEN TO ME – You are not! This message is to pull you in close so that you can regroup! Holy Spirit has shown me a few things and I’m thinking it’s time for a “group huddle.”
“We are MANY members, but we are ONE in the Body of Christ.”
So the first thing you need to remember is:
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Even if you are feeling like you are:
YOU ARE NOT
First off, let me remind you that one of the biggest taunts of that nasty, mean spirited enemy is when he whispers in your ear:
“Ha! Where is that God of yours now? Do you think if He really cared about you, you would be going through ALL that you are going through? Truth of the matter is I am giving you a sound butt kicking! Isn’t it time that you give up? Give in? Admit that God DOESN”T care about you AT ALL? What kind of Father would let you go through ALL this and remain quiet?”
LISTEN SOLDIER! THIS IS ONE OF THE DEVIL’S BIGGEST LIES! HE USES THE SAME TACTICS OVER AND OVER AGAIN – THIS ONE STARTED IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN. READ GENESIS CHAPTER 3:
“Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”
Satan is the father of deception and the VERY last thing he wants you to do is to believe God. Trust in His Word. Walk by Faith. And the devil will do EVERYTHING to get you to doubt God and turn your back on Him.
DON’T DO IT
I know you may be battle weary, I know you may be at the end of your rope, maybe you have been crying out to God and have been waiting for Him to “come and slay the not-so-mighty-even-though-he-thinks-he is dragon. Here is the thing:
THE DRAGON HAS ALREADY BEEN SLAIN. HE’S THE WALKING DEAD. JESUS WON THE VICTORY FOR US THROUGH HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION ON THE CROSS.
The death blow to ol’ slewfoot was accomplished through Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross when Jesus defeated sin and death! We ALREADY have the victory in Jesus! So, what do we need to do?
REMEMBER TO WALK IN THE VICTORY THAT CHRIST HAS ALREADY PROVIDED FOR US!
Galatians 5:16-17 says:
“So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other…”
We get to choose who’s report we are going to believe… Jesus has given us ALL the tools we need to be victorious in ANY battle in Him! The BIGGEST battle that occurs in our lives is the battle of the mind! We get to choose whether we are going to believe God or believe the lies of the father of lies! So, we need to ask ourselves every morning. Jesus is to be our example of how we conduct ourselves, we are to keep our eyes on Jesus and NOT on ANY “Red Sea” type of situation that rises up in our lives and brings us to a place of halt, not knowing in our own strength or wisdom how to proceed.
Listen, we can do NOTHING in/of our own accord – Proverbs 3:5-6 says:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
God has given us His Word for a reason! It is God’s Word that strengthens us! That guides us! That helps us to remember to keep our eyes on HIM. Holy Spirit is faithful to bring to the front of our hearts, our minds the promises God has given us, but we have to decide if we are going to listen to the sweet assurance Holy Spirit gives us or if we will allow the taunts and lies of the enemy to be louder than the truth of Holy Spirit. We get to decide! Just as Eve wrongfully decided – we don’t have to make that same mistake! Jesus gave us yet another example in Matthew Chapter 4:1-11:
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge you, ’and, “In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”
The above scripture gives us the PERFECT example of how we are to combat the lies of the devil! Jesus used scripture! Listen, we CANNOT battle the evil one on our own strength! We were NEVER meant to do that! Psalm 46:1 tells us:
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Did you get that? God IS our refuge AND strength, a VERY present help in time of trouble. Are you letting God help you? Are you choosing to listen to the voice of Holy Spirit directing you? Or are you so frantic that the punches you are throwing in the battle are all over the place and frantic?
God has brought you to this post for a reason… He is wanting to gather you into His strong and able arms and quiet you down. Quiet down child of God. Your Father is “El Roi” (The God who sees you!).
HE SEES YOU. HE HAS YOU. JUST TRUST, BELIEVE AND OBEY
Let’s take a minute to listen to what Holy Spirit is saying to us. Let’s tune down (or shove the palm of our hand into the face of the enemy, shutting him up with the promises of God.)
“Father God, I thank You that greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4). Abba Father, I am crying out to you! Come quickly Holy Spirit! Forgive me of my sins and wash me with the precious blood of my Savior, Jesus the Christ. Father, I pray that You would loose forth my warring angels to combat ALL the spirits of darkness that are currently coming against me and my family! Father, unlike Eve in the Garden of Eden, I choose to obey You! I choose to stand upon Your Word! You have told me that You would NEVER leave nor forsake me! (Deuteronomy 31:6). I am YOUR child Father! I am calling upon Your mighty name asking you to stand before me, behind me, beside me! Father, to part this “Red Sea” time in my life as only YOU can! I thank You that great and mighty IS my King! I thank You Father that MY victory was provided for me in Christ Jesus when Jesus took my sins upon Himself and chose to die on the cross for forgiveness of my sins! I thank You that by JESUS stripes I am healed. I thank you that Jesus’ victory of sin and death are MINE! I love You Father, I love You Jesus, I love You Holy Spirit! Fill me with Your presence! Fill me with Your strength! Restore to me the joy of my salvation! Help me to keep my eyes on YOU. Father, please give me ears to hear You, eyes to see You a heart to receive ALL You would like to reveal to me. Help me Father to walk in the Spirit and not in the natural. Help me to trust You ALL the days of my life and I know that in doing so, You are in the process of restoring me! Strengthening me! Guiding me! Directing me! In Christ! Thank You Father for hearing and answering this prayer! Thank You that You NEVER meant me to stand upon my own strength – but in Yours! Be victorious over EVERY situation presenting it self in my life – the life that I have given to YOU, so it is not my own, it is Yours! Victory, I command you to manifest in my life and in the lives of my family! IN THE NAME OF JESUS! Thank You Father, Thank You Jesus, Thank You Holy Spirit for it is in Your precious name I pray! AMEN! “
Turning the beat around – means that instead of focusing on what we are seeing in the natural, we turn our eyes to Jesus. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us:
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
Paul and Silas after preaching the Word of God were thrown into prison (read Acts Chapter 16) and instead of focusing on their situation, they chose to keep their eyes focused on God. What did they do? If you read Acts: 16:25-26:
“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”
Paul and Silas could have sat there, terrified and wondering where God was and what He was doing? But instead – they rose against ANY fleshly response, any accusations and taunts that might may have been whispered in their ears and focused instead on the One Who is GREATER than ANY situation we could endure. They chose on focusing on God. They worshiped Him and they praised Him and they prayed! They knew EXACTLY who they needed to turn to! Instead of giving in to fear or allowing doubt to overcome them, they trusted in the One in which they had come to intimately know! Just as THEY did – we are to do! We GET To choose!!!
Beloved, we tend to forget that Paul and Silas and all those mentioned in the Bible were REAL living people, like you and I. We “superhero humanize them” instead of remembering that they were JUST like you and I! Whatever situation or problems or worries you are facing – we have to learn to keep our eyes on God and NOT on what seems like an IMMENSE problem. The examples that God has given us in His Word shows that He IS greater than ANY problem that could present itself to us. Hey, Noah was instructed by God to build an IMMENSE ark in a time where there was NO rain occurring! Don’t you think those people around him thought Noah was foolish? Insane even?! David STOOD before Goliath (a giant) with JUST a stone and sling in his hand! Everything in the natural LAUGHED at David! Mary – a virgin was told she would be impregnated by Holy Spirit and would bear the Savior of the world! And the world laughed at her and basically said:
“Yeah right!”
John 3:16 tells us:
“God so loved the world that He gave His ONLY begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall NOT perish, but have everlasting life.”
God LEFT the glories of Heaven to clothe Himself in Human flesh so that He could SHOW you to what extent He was willing to go to reunite you with Himself! THAT is what I call a “pull-up-a-chair-to-get-closer-to-you” kind of God.
NO OTHER GOD WRITTEN ABOUT HAS GONE TO THAT LENGTH FOR MANKIND. THAT IS BECAUSE HE IS THE ONLY GOD THERE IS!
And God loves you THAT much! What makes you think that He doesn’t care enough about you to want to know what it is that is troubling you? He does! What He wants US to do is to change our stinkin’ thinking! Stop giving the worlds rules to what is a spiritual battle type of situation! Turn THAT beat around and stop listening (and even more so believing) the lies and taunts of the devil which are aimed at making you doubt God. Make you NOT trust God (Who by the way has NOT done anything to you to make you distrust Him). Remember, we live in a fallen, sinful, dying world which is NOT the environment that God created us to exist in! With the fall of Adam and Eve came sickness, illness, disease, sin and death. But Jesus has rectified all of that through the victory He has bought us through His death on the cross and resurrection. Matthew 27:51-53 tells us:
“When Jesus died, the curtain in the Temple was torn into two pieces. The tear started at the top and tore all the way to the bottom. Also, the earth shook and rocks were broken. The graves opened, and many of God’s people who had died were raised from death. They came out of the graves. And after Jesus was raised from death, they went into the holy city, and many people saw them.”
We need to think like Noah! Act like David! Believe and respond like Mary! And so many others that are written in the Bible as examples for us to follow. How we choose to think, act, respond and live will determine whether or not we will be victorious over the varies battles that present itself in our lives. I KNOW its not easy, but the truth is, with the guidance and help of Holy Spirit – it is doable, just like it was for ALL those who came before us. Walking by faith and NOT by sight is a DAILY choice we have to make, even though it goes against the worldly grain we have been raised. Walking by faith is a spiritual exercise that is absolutely correct in “not feeling natural” because we are NOT to walk naturally, but spiritually… And it is when we do that our God Who IS faithful will glorify Himself in our lives and show us indeed that He IS the SAME God today as He was yesterday as He WILL be tomorrow – victorious and the victory that Jesus purchased SO high a price for us with His life will manifest in OUR lives because we chose to believe and obey and trust and listen to a God Who has NEVER failed us and Who NEVER will.
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