I hope you are all taking part of Justeina’s online bible study and being blessed as much as I am! Wow, it continues to encourage and challenge me while helping me to search deep down in my spirit for what God wants me to learn and apply to my life. Justeina made a comment on the blog page about how the enemy must not have wanted that message to get out because of all of the difficulties she had with the audio, etc. This is so true!!
As I was praying about this, I felt led to encourage you today with some things that are very important for us to remember as we desiring to grow in our walks with God while digging deeper in the word of God. Any time we leave our comfort zone or step out in obedience to God, the enemy will be there to try and attack us. The enemy wants nothing more for us than to fall and fail. He will throw discouragement at us, distractions at us and probably some of his famous lies, such as; “why are you even trying? You’ve never been able to do it before!”
A few months ago, I read a devotional that was called, Tricks of the Traitor. It talked about how the devil is real; he is a liar, shrewd, clever and cunning. Not only is he out to attack us when we are pressing forward, but he is also out to attack us in our moments of weakness. When are we weak??
1. When we are tired (many of us moms!!)
2. When we are sick
3. When we are discouraged
4. When we are fearful
5. When we are not on the guard
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 says, “Be on the guard; stand firm in the faith, be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.”
•Guard- When we think about guarding something, we think about protecting it. We’re not going to lie around lazily, not paying attention…we’re focused on it… keeping a constant eye on it! This is how we need to guard our minds and emotions.
•Stand- Don’t become lax, keep standing! First we must have strength to stand. Where does the strength come from? The joy of the Lord is our strength. Isaiah 40: 31 tells us that, “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”
•Courage- We do not have to be scared of the enemy or overcome by fear. Remember God’s truth, “He who lives in us is greater than he who lives in the world!”
•Strong- Be aware of the things that cause us to become weak.
•Love- We are nothing without love. Receive God’s love and allow that same love to flow through you to others.
One last piece of truth to encourage you; Ephesians 6:10-18 -“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
Be blessed as you press forward in your walk with God. He is faithful to do some amazing work in our hearts and lives!! And remember…stand guard!
Love,
Stephanie
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