War

I've had several incidents lately - some particular related to my own inner-journey, and others in the lives of friends - that have convinced me of the need for an important reminder.

We are at war. We have an enemy, an adversary, whose primary aim is to seek, kill and destroy (John 10:10). The enemy has been a murderer from the beginning. He is the father of lies, a liar (John 8:44). And he is hunting for you.

In my experience, there are the more obvious lies he tells... that I am unloved, not worthy, not truly forgiven, forgotten by God, and more... and although, once consciously recognized, I am able to identify these plainly as deception, I do not mean to say that always and immediately aware of the fact that this inner dialogue is even going on. I must stay aware of the fact that I am in a battle.

Beth Moore said something in one of her Bible studies that has stuck with me: The Devil is standing on your promised land in defiance.

He stands in the places that God has intended for us, for His people, and he tries to lay claim over them. His tactics are subtle sometimes. He may not tell us that no good thing is in our future; he may, however, tell us that God's version of "good" doesn't match ours. Now, this can and sometimes is true. But if the end result is harm, damage or hurt for us, then that is NOT from God.

God is for us (Psalm 56:9). He has plans for us that do not include harm; His desire is to give us a hope and a future of prosperity (Jeremiah 29:11). His gifts for us are good gifts (Matthew 7:11), and if when you play it through in your mind, the "gifts" you think He's giving you bring with them harm, doubt of God's love or separation from Him, know that you may be embracing a lie of the enemy.

We must be on guard, friends. There is no need to fear; for He has overcome the devil (John 16:33). There is need, however, for diligence, for awareness and for preparation. I don't know about you, but I am easily caught unawares. The more I let the Word dwell in me richly (Colossians 3:16) and the more I abide in Christ, the more "automatic" my preparation is. That's by His power, and by His grace, I'm sure. But I'm equally sure that I must remain aware of the fact that I am constantly on the radar of my adversary, and that in order to continue to live in victory, I have to be intentional about it. Living in victory isn't just about having a good day; it's about victory in the battle, victory in the war already won. Don't lose sight of that.

Remember, there are many commands in the Bible, all for our benefit and His glory. Here's an important one: "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)