Battle-a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing forces
Sounds pretty fun, right?
Let's face it...MOST people are not looking forward to battles. Illness, job loss, the disobedient child, marriage woes, or financial difficulties are not things we love to endure. In fact, they are quite overwhelming to experience. These experiences rock us to our core and make us question why!
Why me?
Why now?
Why did you allow this to happen God?
Often times, we find ourselves trapped in the "why's"! But today I challenge you to move past the "why's". The reality is that in most situations, if we pause and evaluate there is much we can learn about ourselves and our relationships with Christ in these moments. I have often heard people say, "It's easy to praise God when times are good". But, can you praise God when it is tough? Can you praise God when it is truly not fair! This is when your maturity will truly be tested.
Remember these test and trials come to make us stronger. Not to leave us more defeated!
1 Peter 1:7-These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
In my own life, many trials have come this year to attempt to rob me of my joy and my hope. The death of my father in law, pain in my friendships, and the feeling of being overwhelmed with motherhood/career, attempted to leave me defeated. However, I began to encourage myself in His words.
The truth is your weapon in battle will be the Word of God! His words will speak peace to your chaos. They will speak victory to your battle. When you learn how to pray God's word over your life, you will find you no longer have to run from battles. Instead, you can move forward with great strength in knowing that if God be for you who can be against you! The promises that you find in the Bible are for these moments to give you hope in a hopeless situation!
Although your first response to adversity to isolate, be depressed, wallow in self-pity, I encourage you to fight back the devil with your Word!
When you are faced with a disease, DECLARE "by your stripes I am healed! (Isaiah 53:5)
Lose your job, DECLARE that the Lord will provide for his children (Psalm 37:25)
The enemy trying to convince you that you are not loved, DECLARE God loves me (John 3:16)
Feeling afraid, SPEAK peace over your life and mind (2 Timothy 1:7)
Sucker punch the devil with the Word every time!
No matter what the battle, we do NOT have to run away with our tail between our legs! God has given us power to speak over our situations with great authority! The depth of the battle is irrelevant. If you are following the Lord's leading, you will always be in a winning position! You will always have the stance of victory!
The battle is rigged in your favor! Don't stop fighting!