We are in a battle. This isn’t just any battle. It’s a battle for our souls. It’s a battle for our family’s souls and for other’s souls. It's an all-out WAR for eternity.
If we have any chance of victory, we MUST know our enemy. And ours is like no other.
He is sneaky, devious, determined, and persistent. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
To the naked eye, it looks as though He may actually be gaining the victory.
But God has something else to say about this enemy. God says on that final day, we will look at this enemy and say, “Are you kidding me? You are the one who wreaked all of this havoc? "You are nothing.” Why is that? Because compared to God he is nothing.
The enemy is the deceiver of all deceivers. He is self-serving. He is loud. He works hard to make us believe he is more powerful than God. He is about the work of convincing us of the very things he managed to convince Adam and Eve of in the Garden of Eden:
1) That God isn’t who He says He is, that He cannot be trusted
2.) That we aren’t who God says we are
3.) That God is NOT good; that He is withholding good from us
Satan calls that which is evil “good” and what is good “evil”.
At the core, our battles are really no different from Adam and Eve’s. The enemy is spewing the same lies disguised in new clothing. He used the same tactics on Jesus when he tempted Him in the wilderness. Jesus crushed Satan’s arguments with the truth of God’s Word.
God tells us to put on His armor and to stand firm.
Why can we do this? Because the enemy is a liar and God is truth. His Word is truth.
The enemy will be destroyed and God does and will reign.
I love what my friend Heidi told me, “Our culture has made us afraid to take a stand. We are terrified of being labeled as a ‘hater’ and yet God has already given us a name. He has labeled us: image bearers!!”
If we are going to go down, let’s go down speaking the truth. Always speaking the truth in love, but always speaking and living the truth.
Let’s show our kids what it looks like to be a follower of Christ. Unashamed. Unrelenting.
And when we stand before God on that final day, may He say, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.
God says life and death are in the power of the tongue. Here are some powerful words from God that we can speak out each day, proclaiming what is true!
Have your family take turns each day reading this out loud as a family, remembering that His Word does not come back void.
WHO OUR GOD IS He is the Lord He is God and there is no other He is the Lord; creator of light and dark He is the causer of well-being and calamity He does all; no one can deliver from His hands Who can change His plans? He gives life and death; He wounds and He heals He is great Our Rock His work is perfect His ways are just He is faithful without injustice He is righteous and upright He will repay affliction and He will give relief to the afflicted His angels are mighty and will deal with those who do not know God and do not obey the Gospel of Christ He is blessed He is the Most High He is deserving of honor and praise His dominion is everlasting; His kingdom endures He does His will; He can not be warded off His ways are not like ours; His thoughts are not like ours; they are higher just like heaven is from the earth God is deep in knowledge and wisdom; Unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable are His ways Who can know His mind and who has become His counselor? Who gave to Him first? All things are from Him and through Him Glory belongs to the Lord!!! Daniel 4:34-35; Isaiah 14:24,27, 45:5-7; Romans 11:33-36; Deut.32:3,4,39; Revelation 1:17; Ecclesiastes 7:13,14; Psalm 31:14,15; 2 Thes. 1:6-9
Who I am in Christ I am a child of God Rom. 8:16 I am saved by grace through faith Eph. 2:8 Redeemed from the hand of the foe Ps. 107:2 An heir of eternal life I John 5:11.12 Forgiven Eph. 1:7 Led by the Spirit of God Romans 8:14 A new creature II Cor. 5:17 Redeemed from the curse of the law Gal. 3:13 Kept in safety wherever I go Isaiah 46:4 Strong in the Lord and in His mighty power Eph. 6:10 Living by faith and not by sight II Corin. 5:7 Rescued from the dominion of darkness Col. 1:13 Justified Romans 5:1 An heir of God and a co-heir with Christ Rom. 8:17 Blessed with every spiritual blessing Eph. 1:3 An overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony Rev. 12:11 The light of the world Mt. 5:14 An imitator of God Eph. 5:11 Healed by His wounds I Peter 2:24 Being transformed by the renewing of my mind Rom. 12:2 Heir to the blessings of Abraham Gal. 3:14 Doing all things through Christ who gives me strength Phil 4:13 More than a conqueror Romans 8:37
