04 Jul Remain Standing
Children of God are in a constant conflict with His enemy. Although the war is won and Jesus Christ has given us the victory, the forces of darkness still try and trip us up in order to paralyze the effectivity of the church.
Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
The good news is that the Lord has given us everything we need to keep the enemy under our feet and live productive lives. We just need to know these tools and apply them. One of the things that will allow us to remain in victory is to fortify these three strategic areas in our lives against attack: our mind, our heart and our mouth.
- The mind
Most spiritual battles take place in our minds – not by battling physical demons with swords and flames but by choosing what we believe. Satan is the father of lies and the accuser of the brethren. He wants to trip you up by getting you to believe lies about God, yourself, and other believers. Don’t humour such thoughts! The moment you recognize a toxic thought, simply expel it from your life and carry on meditating on God’s Truth.
- The heart
We tend to avoid obvious sins that are visible in what we do. We should be equally vigilant in guarding against bad attitudes and negative emotions. These are much more subversive in derailing our lives. Examples of attitudes to repent of the moment we become aware of them are: being rebellious, contentious, proud, arrogant, bitter, angry, cynical and jealous. All of these indicate we are looking to self or looking to people. The best way to rid ourselves of bad attitudes is by yielding to God and putting our trust wholly in Him.
- The mouth
Our words are amazing tools that bring either life or death. The mouth is like a geyser’s overflow valve: whatever is in your heart and mind will pop out of your mouth. Let’s choose to use our words to agree with God’s truth and not with the enemy’s lies.
Don’t be discouraged if you saw some cracks in your armour today. Your Father God loves you and will help you mend those as you immerse yourself in His presence and His truth. Feed on Him daily through talking with Him and meditating on the Word of God. He is with you every step of the way. As you focus on Him and drink in His love, you will be able to remain standing in His strength through all the attacks of the enemy.
