It's Time to Fight Back
We all know what feels like to have life beat you up. The feeling where things are more chaotic then they usually are, you can’t get a grip on that thing that you used to come fairly easy to you, or you are so lost that you don’t even know what step to take next. When that happens to us, it can be the result of a few things - consequences of the choices we made, unrepented sin in our lives, and an attack by the enemy. I’m sure there are other things that can cause life to go haywire but for the sake of this blog post let’s stick with the following three topics.
The Consequences of Our Choices
It fascinates me how we can make certain choices in our lives without realizing the consequences that will come as a result. Whether it be relationships, interactions with co-workers, or ill advised decisions regarding our finances, for example, poor choices can make life extremely hard to manage. When we experience the consequences of those bad decisions, what makes it even more challenging is that we don’t know how long we will be in this challenging season. We don’t have insight into when the suffering will end. That alone can push us to the point of desperation. We must always keep in mind that our choices matter. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
Unrepented Sin
Have you taken the time to search within yourself to determine if unrepented sin exists? Living in unrepented sin is the complete opposite of what God desires for our lives. (2 Corinthians 7:10) We can see externally things that have caused us to sin, but it can be hard to recognize and admit the things that are going on internally. Unrepented sin in one area that can cause us to begin to sin in other areas as well. That's why it's so important for us to take inventory of what is going on in our lives, good and bad, so that God can begin working in us to uproot the unrighteousness that is within.
Attacks by the Enemy
Ohhhhhh that pesky devil. When you are under attack by the enemy, sometimes it’s obvious, but other times not so much. Being a Believer gives the enemy all the reason he needs to put a bullseye on our backs. (1 Peter 5:8) When we are devoted to God, we honor the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ, and we recognize the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us...that drives the enemy absolutely crazy. At one point or another, you will show up on the enemies radar, and he will attempt to cause complete and total havoc in your life. For example, One way to please God would be to commit to quiet time with Him each morning when you haven’t done so previously. You can guarantee the enemy will begin to do things all in effort to get you to falter in your commitment to quiet time with God. If you decide you want to develop a stronger prayer habit and you designate bedtime as the time you will recap your day to the Lord, you can count on the enemy coming to attack you hours before you go to sleep. He will want you to be so tired that the last thing you want to do is stay up to pray. If you make a decision to join your church marriage ministry, you can count on the enemy, causing havoc in your marriage all so you wont even want to go. The devil is a sly and tricky and slimy thing. (John 8:44) He doesn’t have the power that he thinks he has, and he doesn’t have the power that we often allow him to have. With that said, we have to remember that no matter how big your problems are, God is always bigger and He will make it better.
No matter what is going on in our lives, we have to hold on to God above all else. After all, the Word of God tells us so. There’s a reason that God told us to meditate on his word day and night. (Joshua 1:8) There’s a reason that God gave us rules and guidelines and told us to talk about them with our families, at the city gates, and to keep them in our heart. (Deuteronomy 6:6-8) God wants His word to be front and center in our lives. The Word tells us to hide the Word in our heart so we will not sin against Him. (Psalm 119:11) Whenever you need to call on the word of God, all of the work that you do daily in the Word will allow you to recall exactly what you need, when you need it. As the enemy attacks (and we know he will), the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) is the best weapon that you have to fight him off and put him in his place. You many not feel like fighting, but the fact is, you are indeed in a fight. (Ephesians 6:12) As I one read in a study on the armor of God, “When you are in a war, you don’t relax your resolve or disengage from active warfare. You don’t take a vacation. Not from this.” (Shirer, 2022) To make a long story short, no more approaching life in a passive position. We can’t afford to do that. We must be on guard. We must always fight back.
References
Biblica, Inc. (1984, 2011). The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Harper Collins Publishers.
Shirer, P. (2022). The Armor of God. Brentwood: Lifeway Press.
Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
The Consequences of Our Choices
It fascinates me how we can make certain choices in our lives without realizing the consequences that will come as a result. Whether it be relationships, interactions with co-workers, or ill advised decisions regarding our finances, for example, poor choices can make life extremely hard to manage. When we experience the consequences of those bad decisions, what makes it even more challenging is that we don’t know how long we will be in this challenging season. We don’t have insight into when the suffering will end. That alone can push us to the point of desperation. We must always keep in mind that our choices matter. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
Unrepented Sin
Have you taken the time to search within yourself to determine if unrepented sin exists? Living in unrepented sin is the complete opposite of what God desires for our lives. (2 Corinthians 7:10) We can see externally things that have caused us to sin, but it can be hard to recognize and admit the things that are going on internally. Unrepented sin in one area that can cause us to begin to sin in other areas as well. That's why it's so important for us to take inventory of what is going on in our lives, good and bad, so that God can begin working in us to uproot the unrighteousness that is within.
Attacks by the Enemy
Ohhhhhh that pesky devil. When you are under attack by the enemy, sometimes it’s obvious, but other times not so much. Being a Believer gives the enemy all the reason he needs to put a bullseye on our backs. (1 Peter 5:8) When we are devoted to God, we honor the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ, and we recognize the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us...that drives the enemy absolutely crazy. At one point or another, you will show up on the enemies radar, and he will attempt to cause complete and total havoc in your life. For example, One way to please God would be to commit to quiet time with Him each morning when you haven’t done so previously. You can guarantee the enemy will begin to do things all in effort to get you to falter in your commitment to quiet time with God. If you decide you want to develop a stronger prayer habit and you designate bedtime as the time you will recap your day to the Lord, you can count on the enemy coming to attack you hours before you go to sleep. He will want you to be so tired that the last thing you want to do is stay up to pray. If you make a decision to join your church marriage ministry, you can count on the enemy, causing havoc in your marriage all so you wont even want to go. The devil is a sly and tricky and slimy thing. (John 8:44) He doesn’t have the power that he thinks he has, and he doesn’t have the power that we often allow him to have. With that said, we have to remember that no matter how big your problems are, God is always bigger and He will make it better.
No matter what is going on in our lives, we have to hold on to God above all else. After all, the Word of God tells us so. There’s a reason that God told us to meditate on his word day and night. (Joshua 1:8) There’s a reason that God gave us rules and guidelines and told us to talk about them with our families, at the city gates, and to keep them in our heart. (Deuteronomy 6:6-8) God wants His word to be front and center in our lives. The Word tells us to hide the Word in our heart so we will not sin against Him. (Psalm 119:11) Whenever you need to call on the word of God, all of the work that you do daily in the Word will allow you to recall exactly what you need, when you need it. As the enemy attacks (and we know he will), the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) is the best weapon that you have to fight him off and put him in his place. You many not feel like fighting, but the fact is, you are indeed in a fight. (Ephesians 6:12) As I one read in a study on the armor of God, “When you are in a war, you don’t relax your resolve or disengage from active warfare. You don’t take a vacation. Not from this.” (Shirer, 2022) To make a long story short, no more approaching life in a passive position. We can’t afford to do that. We must be on guard. We must always fight back.
References
Biblica, Inc. (1984, 2011). The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Harper Collins Publishers.
Shirer, P. (2022). The Armor of God. Brentwood: Lifeway Press.
Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
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