The Battle Rages!

Some days are just harder than others. I am a Pastor/Preacher, I am supposed to be close to God, I’m the one that is supposed to hold it all together while it’s all falling apart for everyone else. In reality, I am just like you – a soul living, existing, learning and sometimes just getting by in the flesh.

There are days that I feel like I am at my limit, like I can’t go on. My flesh has convinced me that there is a line and if I cross it, then I am not going to be able to go on, but my spirit tells me a different story and so the war rages on.

As I read through my Bible, I see this same war all through it’s pages. From the very beginning of human history, there has been a battle between good and evil, the spirit and the flesh, God and Satan. This war began even before all of this as we know it today.

One of God’s Angels that were created by God to serve His purposes, became proud and made the choice to become his own god, rather than to worship and serve the One True God.

12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart:‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. -Isaiah 14:12-15

One third of the angels sided with Satan and decided to declare war on God and they became an army devoted to destroying God’s Kingdom. This rebellion culminated into a great battle against God and Satan and his demons were kicked out of Heaven.

Their rebellion culminated in a great battle against God and His holy angels. Satan and his demons lost and were kicked out of heaven. And now the battle is here on earth, where we live a spiritual beings in human bodies and are in the fight of our life.

The Scriptures tell us that God has come that we might have life and life more abundant, but the enemy has come to steal, kill and destroy. The battles we face every day of lives are a result of Satan and his pride. One of his greatest tricks is to distract us from what the battle is about and who the real enemy is, but we do not have to give into his lies and tricks, because God gave us JESUS and JESUS has set us free from Satan and his limited power.

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Chase The Devil Away!

You are a victorious warrior and you were created for victory and blessing. Never ever let the enemy convince of you of anything less than God’s very best. You have a Bible, God’s Word that is filled with promises from God to you. God loves you and has an amazing plan for your life and it to bless you, favor you and grow you into someone and something amazing for His glory and everyone’s blessings.

When we read in God’s Word, we discover that He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. God promises in His Word that He will cause our enemies who come against us to be defeated before our very own eyes. The key to victory is making sure that we stay connected to God as our source and strength.

If we are not careful, we can become our very own worst enemy and end up getting in the way of the blessing and victory God has for us. Do not give the enemy an inch, because if you do, he will take a mile. Here are seven things you can do to take your stand and protect your ground:

1. OBEY! God gives us instruction to help us, not to hurt us. Read His Word and obey His Word and you will be amazed at the difference it will make in your life. You can’t obey it, if you don’t know it and you will not know it if you don’t read it. Remember one minute in God’s Word is better than zero!

2. REPENT! To repent means to turn around, change directions. When the Spirit shows you that you are traveling in the wrong direction, repent, turn around and head back toward the good things of God!

3. BELIEVE! Believe that God is for you and not against you. God is not trying to keep you from enjoying life, God is trying to bless you and grow you in this life to get you ready for ETERNITY with HIM.

4. FIGHT! Fight the good fight by expecting that there are times that you are going to have to engage the enemy. It’s not all roses and there are tough day, but if you will fight, God will strengthen and victory will be yours.

5. PRAISE! Praise the Lord. Find some uplifting, encouraging and spiritually focused music and get your praise on. When the praise go up, the blessing come down and the enemy can’t stand the noise you God blessing His children…

6. ARMOR UP! The Scriptures teach us to put on the full armor of God. God gives you what you need, but you have to put it on and utilize it for it to be effective. Armor hanging in the closet does you no good. Get dressed up with the promises of God’s Word everyday and go out and claim your victory.

7. PRAY! Pray always and then pray some more. The Bible teaches us to pray without ceasing. Prayer is simply conversation with God. Talk to God, listen to God – enjoy the conversation.

It’s all boils down to a matter of choice. Make the choice to do your part and know that God will do His. Victory is yours, you just have to claim it!

The Bait Of Bitterness!

One of the enemies greatest tools is distraction and the enemy knows how to use a host of negative emotions to get your eye, heart, mind and soul off of what matters and onto the wrong thing, The longer the devil can keep us focused on the wrong thing, the farther he can cause us to drift from God and His blessings.

One of the devils favorite negative emotions to use is bitterness. You know that one, right? The one that leaves you stewing in your own negative stew pot of one negative leading to another and another and another and before you know it you are stuck in a prison of your own making.

The Bible puts it this way in Ephesians 4:30-32: “30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.“

Bitterness if not dealt with will spread from our mind, to our heart, to our life and our living. It will impact in a negative way – who we are and what we do. Over time it will corrupt our spirit and dull our sensibility to the Holy Spirit of God, causing us to miss out on His gentle guidance into the sweet blessings that He created us for.

The thing about bitterness is not to ignore it and think it will go away, but to face it, confront it head on. Be honest with God about how you feel and what you are thinking, because He already knows anyway and then let His power do for you, what you can’t do for yourself. Let God set you free from the root of bitterness, by ripping that sucker out of your life, so that you will have room for the things that really matter.

Give God your negative and God will give you His positive and with God’s positive you can build the better life you were created for. Give God your bitterness and He will replace it with His peace and set you free for amazing blessings that words cannot describe…