The truth is, the more you are doing for the Lord, the more Satan will try to keep you from doing it ... OR, at the very least, he will try to make you lose your cool in the midst of it.
I'm definitely getting some offensive moves put on me right now and I'm sure more are to come this fall while I lead the Battles of the Mind study (which talks about these types of things). Alot of preparation has gone into this study and my co-leaders and I are in the midst of it right now. Out of the three of us, we've been faced with health issues, extreme busyness, life out of balance... even misunderstandings and dissension trying to come between us... you name it, it's been happening.
Monday night, as I was putting many folders together for the study, my nose starts to bleed onto my papers and my cute little maternity dress I borrowed from a girlfriend (so sorry SC! ...the stain did come out though. Note, this has happened a few times while I've been pregnant so nothing to worry about.) That morning, as I was working on the study on my laptop and eating my cereal, I spilled milk on my keyboard and now my "g"'s and "h"'s no longer work - I have to cut and paste them!!! Talk about time waister! ... OK, the milk and computer thing was a little my fault.. Don't eat around the computer, but I can tell you these things are happening to get me flustered! This past week, I was not well, ankles were swelling a bit, and my body felt like it had the flu (it was the same feeling I had when I went on bed rest half way through my pregnancy with Connor - my 2nd). This week I am fine (thank you God) and I'm believing all is well with the pregnancy. Fear for the health of my daughter does still creep into my mind often, but I recognize this is not from God and I CHOOSE to trust Him and His promises instead of believe the enemy and his lies.... THESE ARE ATTACKS.
In your own life, do you believe these types of things are a battle or coincidence?
Angels
and Demons. There are movies and books about them. Even costumes we dress our
children in at Halloween. But, do you really believe in them? If you do, does
it freak you out and you try not to think about it? That was me for a long
time. However, it won’t make them go away. In fact, if Satan can get you to believe he doesn't exist, then he has a huge advantage over you. The unseen world. It’s very real. There
is something much bigger than us and “our little worlds” going on. We need to recognize it, know what side we’re fighting on and resist.
James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Not convinced? Are you thinking I've lost my marbles?
Look at what the Bible says about the unseen world.
Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:16, 2:15; 2 Corinthians 10:3-4; Romans 8:38-39
Satan is the father of lies and of all that is false (John 8:44). He is the great deceiver & accuser (Rev 12:9-10).
How does he attack? Through circumstances, people and our minds. Little by little. Carefully laid plans. It all sound like a horror movie or a psychological thriller. In a way it could be, but, NOT IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST. TAKE HEART, YOU'RE COVERED.
- -2 Chronicles 20:15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. (Emphasis mine)
- John16:33 In this world you will
have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world;
- 1John 4:4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world
Still not convinced? Think on these scenarios and see
if any sound familiar?
-
I will start going back to church when ….. I get married. I have kids.
When my kids aren’t babies anymore. When kids stop spreading germs. My kids are
old enough to sit quietly in church, Now I can’t get my kids to go (See the
pattern. You can always find an excuse not to go)
-
You have good intentions of reading your bible or sitting down to spend
time with the Lord, however, you never seem to have the time, forget about it, or
always get distracted while doing it. Or, when you do actually sit down to do it, you think of
all the things you need to get done that day and cannot focus. This is an ongoing
struggle for me.
-
What about when you want to stop doing something that’s not good for you (i.e.
smoking, yelling at your kids, not be depressed, have a good day, etc.). You
tell yourself, “Today is the day” but it seems like before you even leave the
house, that specific struggle has been targeted and once again you fail causing
your day to continue as usual.
-
What about when you want to start going to church, or a bible study,
something being proactive to grow in the Lord. However, everything goes wrong
or something comes up when you are trying to get there or you don’t “feel” like
going.
-
What about when you start growing and experiencing him. It seems like a
breakthrough is on the horizon, but then, a HUGE distraction comes in and takes
the progress away. You tell yourself you’ll get back on track when things slow
down … but they never do.
-
You’ve never trusted people and wont open up to them. Someone good
befriends you and wants to be a part of your life. But all of a sudden you
start having these doubts and telling yourself, “I cant trust anyone” “Everyone
is always out to get something from me” and you don’t allow yourself to grow
closer to someone that could be a positive influence in your life.
-
You wake every morning feeling depressed and sorry for yourself. It keeps
you from going about your day and doing the things you need to do. (This is a
stronghold – another post for another time)
-
When you start to help someone with something you have personally found
some victory in, you start struggling with that same issue again. And you start
doubting your ability to help others.
-
When your interested in Christianity, but you feel like you’re not good
enough and have to become a better person before you can go to church or ask
Jesus into your heart. (The truth is you can not become better on your own
strength. Christ changes the inside first, then your actions follow).
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