This week’s reading assignment can be found HERE
This is the second time I am writing this blog. I feel so strongly about the topic. I want it to be “just right”. I want you to know my heart. I want you to truly hear and understand what God has been speaking to me lately. His voice has been so strong.
In a sense, I feel like this is the most important piece of writing I have ever done. But, it is not a happy piece. It is not writing that will make you feel all good and happy inside. It might make you mad. Your heart may be convicted. I hope it is. I pray that the Lord will speak to each one of you in such a powerful way that your life will change today; that you will begin to see our world with fresh eyes. God needs his daughters to rise up and fight! He needs us to wield His Sword (the Word) against the enemy.
But who is this enemy? It may seem like an easy answer. Satan, right? If the answer were that simple, my blog would end here. But, girlfriends, the answer is more complex than that.
Yes, ultimately the fight is against Satan.
But, oftentimes we spend our time and energy fighting each other. Christians fight non-Christians; Christians fight other Christians. People just love to fight something (or someone); and Satan sits back and laughs because when he can cause division and strife in our ranks, he wins. When Christ-followers do not act like they are truly saved by the blood of Christ, he wins.
Our war is not with any political party, alternative lifestyle, social issue, or any other worldly circumstance. It is all a distraction to take our eyes and ears off of our real enemy. Our war is with Satan. We must recognize when he is trying to divide us, to put negative, non-constructive thoughts or feelings into our mind. When Satan stirs up negative thoughts or behaviors between you and anyone else, be it your family member or friend, your pastor, or even the President of the United States, it is to his benefit. We cannot have a negative spirit toward anyone and be right with God. Satan seeks to destroy us. He wants to steal our joy and our peace. His goal is to separate us from God. When we allow him access, to gain a foothold into these areas of our life where we have strong opinions or hurts, he wins.
Sisters, we are eternally secure in Jesus Christ. We do not need to wage war on anyone here on earth. Our only battle is with the devil and the schemes he is trying to unleash every single day. We are at a critical point where we must, at all times, take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Is the argument you are about to wage with your friend on Facebook going to be pleasing to Christ? If He were sitting with you at your computer right now, would you type that comment on a blog or write a particular status update?
You may think I’m being harsh or critical, but it is a reality. Unbelievers are watching the Christian. They are looking to see if Christ is real. They are trying to see if we live our lives any differently than they live theirs. If they looked at your e-mail inbox or your Facebook wall, or your text messages, what would they see? I know we are far from perfect, but our goal every single day is to do our very best to honor our God with our words, thoughts, and actions.
Our current world is broken. We all know that. It is difficult to go through each day and not hear about another tragedy somewhere in the world. It is heartbreaking. But, the answer is not to lash out in anger. We must model our leader, Jesus Christ, who tells us love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31); to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44); and to pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). This, girlfriends, is the answer to how we defeat the enemy.
I want to leave you with some scriptures to meditate on today. Please take some time to pray through this and let the Spirit work in your heart; journal it out. What is God saying to you?
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
Do all things without complaining or bickering with each other, so you will be found innocent and blameless; you are God’s children called to live without a single stain on your reputations among this perverted and crooked generation. Shine like stars across the land (Philippians 2:14-15).
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18).
And since God is pretty cool, He even put a song in my path several times during the writing of this blog. I feel like I need to share the lyrics with you because they are so powerful (emphasis mine).
Live Like That
by Sidewalk ProphetsSometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I’m only just a memory
When I’m home where my soul belongsWas I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of those
Was my worship more than just a songI want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to YouIf love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding backI want to live like that
I want to live like thatAm I proof
That You are who you say You are
That grace can really change a heart
Do I live like Your love is truePeople pass
And even if they don’t know my name
Is there evidence that I’ve been changed
When they see me, do they see YouI want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to YouIf love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding backI want to live like that
I want to live like thatI want to show the world the love You gave for me
I’m longing for the world to know the glory of the KingI want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to YouIf love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding backI want to live like that
I want to live like that
*****
Let’s Pray:
Father God, we know You are a God of love and You desperately want your Bride to unite as one to fight the enemy where he seeks to divide us. Equip us each day as we go into battle. Write the truth of Your Word on our hearts and help us so that it takes root in our lives and bears much fruit for Your glory. In Your Son’s matchless name, we pray. Amen.
Eph 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against…the spiritual forces of evil….”
Notes in the margins and underlines I made in my book: I can’t defeat the enemy by fighting his shadow (distractions). I have the “power to choose what I wrestle with.” To win, I must choose to fight the enemy (Satan) and not people. ‘For the world to see the Glory (fullness) of God in His bride, we must become one heart and mind.’
Thank you, Jennifer, for your thoughts, the song, and especially your prayer this morning. I say, “Amen” right along with you.
Absolutely. Love that “one heart, one mind”! Beautiful description.
Amen to this, Jennifer. We do get it all backwards as to who our enemy really is. I, too, love your prayer that we unite together to fight the enemy where he seeks to divide us. I for sure felt your heartbeat in this blog.
Phew! I wrestled with this one more than any other blog I’ve written! I know Satan was trying to get his whiny voice in there, too. But God will always win. His truth is eternal and He has already won.
echoing the words of your prayer, jennifer…amen! (i do, also, want to LIVE LIKE THAT!) <3
Such a perfect song, isn’t it? God is so good like that! 🙂
So true Jen. Arguments with hubby and strife in the home? It’s time we all get on the same page and turn our frustration and anger toward the real enemy.
Amen. Marriages are ripe for attacks. Satan loves to divide a marriage! Praying for peace and unity to reign in your home!!!
Amen Jen!! I want to more like Christ!!! More and more of your Lord less and less of me!
I agree Lorraine…..more of Him, less of me!!
I really loved this chapter, and your comments Jen. Last year I read Ephesians 6 everyday, I really saw the fight was just to stand firm and to resist, not to conquer. Jesus is our King and Conqueror, He has already beaten death and Satan. I am a fighter, I want the action but there are times when to win means to surrender. And if I want to live with/for Jesus, I need to show love. Love is so much harder than being “right”. I would challenge you all and myself to love/pray for those people in your lives that hurt you and your family. I believe that they need more prayers than we do. We have God’s blessings, they are struggling with the “world’s emptiness”…
Amy, I believe with all my heart, that as we begin to pray for our enemies, the Lord will begin to soften our heart toward our enemy, and then when we see the Lord answer those prayers, the blessing will be more meaningful to us, and so much deeper. While I write this, I am thinking of Joyce Meyer, and how as an adult, she began to pray for her father…the father who sexually molested her for so many years. She had a choice, actually. She could have chosen to walk in anger and unforgiveness toward her father, OR she could choose to do as God was instructing her to do and pray for him. As she began to pray for him, the anger and unforgiveness began to fall off…and eventually, she was able to totally forgive her father. But you know where the blessing really came in? When she saw her father accept Christ, and then Dave (her husband) and Joyce, had the pleasure of baptizing her father in Christ!!!! Just think if she had chosen to walk in all that anger and unforgiveness instead of pray for him! She may never has seen the day her father was saved, and she would have missed out on the blessing of being the one to baptize him!!! Wow!!! That just speaks volumes to me!!! You never know what God has in mind for YOU, and for your enemies, when you make the choice to pray for them! Amen!!
<3 you, Miss Amy. Thanks for leaving me a comment!
yes and amen! The enemy is everywhere and loves to try to change our hearts from love to anger, jealousy, bitterness, and hate. Praying for all to listen to the Spirit and stand against satan schemes!
YES! Amen!!! Wield the SWORD!
One thing that Lisa mentions in this chapter is that we can choose which battles we wish to wrestle with! As she says, “Attempting to defeat the enemy by wrestling with people could be likened to trying to destroy a tress by picking all its fruit. To kill a tree, you must destroy the root system.” Isn’t that powerful!!??
….”destroy a TREE” not tress!!! Grrr….
I love that, Christi!! Spoke volumes to me!!!
This really has opened up my eyes a bit. I love being a child of God and I know i struggle. One of my main struggles is my ex husband. We were married 16 years then bam He wants a divorce cause he wants a son. He about killed me when he told me that. He has a daughter from a previous marriage. Long story short. I am Mamaw to her 3 boys. He is nothing. His choice. I have so much anger toward him. I wanted a child more than anything. The devil just about helped My ex destroy me.
So ladies how do I get rid of all this hurt and anger,
Penny, forgiveness is a choice that WE, as Christians, have to make. It begins with the choice to forgive. The forgiveness from that point on, is a process. It’s a day-by-day, minute-by-minute process. It’s something that once you make that decision to forgive, and You ask God to help you, He will help you. I was physically and emotionally abused when I was a kid. I carried a lot of unforgiveness, confusion, and actual hatred in my heart toward the ones who abused me. Many many years I walked in that mess!! But you know what? That unforgiveness was only hurting ME. The ones who abused me went on with their lives, and didn’t give it a 2nd thought what they had done to me!! BUT, I was carrying the hurt, unforgiveness, anger, and bitterness on my back, and I was the only one it was hurting!! My life was filled with nightmares and more…until I finally cried out one night “GOD HELP ME!!!! I can’t do this anymore!!!” It was from that point on that God began to soften my heart, and every time one of those bad memories began to rear its ugly head, I would tell the devil…”Oh NO YOU DON’T!!! You will NOT bring this bondage back onto me! I forgave that person for such and such, and this is no longer MY load to carry….it belongs to Jesus now!!” I had to do that over and over and over and over again. Finally, the nightmares stopped; the anger lifted, and today I feel no unforgiveness in my heart. Unforgiveness, most times, is a process that we have to go through. It isn’t a drive-thru process though. God may need to take us through counseling, or whatever else He needs us to do. But just remember….once you make the choice to let it go…and forgive, DON’T TAKE IT BACK!!! It’s not yours to carry anymore. Matthew 11:28-30 really helped me a lot when I was going through this. It reminded me that my battle was His now, and I no longer carried that ugly yoke upon my back!! Hope this helps.
Remember this too hon: There is NOTHING you can do to change the past, but oh Sister, there is SO MUCH you can do to change the future!!!
And also remember Penny, that Satan came to steal, kill, and destroy! Jesus came so that you may have LIFE abundantly!!! Satan’s way is Unforgiveness, Anger, Bitterness, and all that jazz. Jesus’ way is PEACE, ABUNDANT LIFE, JOY, FORGIVENESS, AND LOVE! No strongholds or bondage; which is just the opposite of what satan wants for you!
Christi gave a great answer… I’ll just add that… Satan wants you to live in hurt, bitterness, and anger. When you live there, you cannot be free to move forward to where God wants you to be. Forgiveness is difficult, but oh-so-necessary. You have to make a choice; to choose not to live in the hurt anymore. You have to say, “I will forgive”. I recommend the book “Total Forgiveness” by R.T. Kendall. Life-changing.
Yes, Jennifer!! EXCELLENT book by R.T. Kendall!! Highly recommend it!!
amen, Jenn! I have helped several people to embrace forgiveness they never thought they could achieve by working through God’s Word and that book and letting God take over. Its not easy, but so worth it! Satan wants nothing more than for all of us to keep barriers in the way of the abundant life that God has for us if we just get out of His way and love like Him <3
great sisterly advice! as christi related what she did with her heart to deal w/ her situation, see that she went to God and kept going to God…penny, we are not able to do this on our own…nor thankfully does our Father want us to do so. He is ALWAYS there to help us! xo
GREAT blog today Jennifer, I love this! It’s been terrible around here, with hubby not doing good it’s been worse, the enemy has gotten us again yesterday, Every Sunday at that so again yesterday, on our way to Church got in the worse fight, I just pulled over to the side of the road and told him good, you drive, I don’t care if you can or not just do it!! Yes late for Church, I went still he left, Jennifer I knew this was the enemy AGAIN and he was having a hey day, I know its the enemy but yet I don’t have the strength to tell him to get away, yes we rather fight with someone, why? why is it that I know it’s the enemy but can’t seem to want to tell him to flee, why fight instead? Yes it’s the enemy and I try explaining that to my hubby after but again WHY?!! I so need to get in the word tonight and I so need prayer tonight.
Remember, Patricia, it’s your choice which battles you choose to fight. Instead of getting mad at your husband, or allowing satan to convince you to be mad at your husband, YELL AT SATAN AND SAY “NO MORE!!!!! You WILL NOT cause this confusion in us any longer!!! BE GONE SATAN!!!” Take authority over Satan! The Word tells us to resist the devil and he will flee, and as Jen pointed out today, our war is not against the people in our lives….it is against the enemy.
God wants peace between the two of you more than you even want it…. which means that satan will not stop at trying to cause a divide. Imagine the unseen battle around you and know that OUR GOD IS BIGGER!!!!! We can do ALL things through Christ! Let Him take over and let God lead heart <3 you every step of the way! Continuing to pray for your marriage, dear heart
Oh Pat… my heart just hurt for you when I read your comment. I pray you will take my comment in love as that is the spirit of the words I am about to give…. don’t let Satan gain a foothold in your life by letting him have free reign over your emotions. Don’t let him lead you into sin by allowing anger to build up toward your husband when it should be directed toward the enemy. When those thoughts arise, you MUST immediately take the thought captive.. You have to stop it and say NO! Remember this, whatever you think about increases… so if you dwell on positive things, the positivity will increase in your life. If you allow the negativity of Satan to reign free, that will only increase, too, unfortunately. I am praying that you stop Satan’s attacks and that you seek God’s strength and leading to fight the enemy at its source – Satan (not your beloved hubby).
thanks Christi, Megan and Jennifer! Yes it’s been whirl wind around here, the enemy is having such a good time laughing. Yet again and again I knew but I guess I finally admitted it I’d rather fight. It was hubby who actually took me and said “Enough! we are praying”!! Yes ladies he prayed, I sat there with an attitutude! You know it was something he said though to me that really got me thinking, when he actually was trying to hold and hug me, he said we won’t always be together, I don’t know but that got me, It really got me! I started praying silently, well actually crying to God, telling Him how sorry I was and to please forgive me, which I felt seriously like He wouldn’t. I told God I seriously needed Him in my life and wanted Him in my life. We talked a little after that and I said God came to give us life more abundantly, the enemy came to steal kill and destroy and that is what he’s doing in our life, this is not the life that God wants for us or has for us! We need change yes we need to kick satan to the curb!! I just really pray that with all that happened we will actually take hold of it really take hold of it and take hold of God and put Him forefront and first!!!!
Wow awesome blog post , I have thought many times to say something angry , but you are right God is watching and He is right there and we defintely need to be careful with our words , and I really have to pray espically when I have been hurt by someone , so I really need to watch my words and really take every thought captive.
Thankful for His abundant GRACE…even when we do mess up, which we will, he offers us forgiveness. I can strive to be more like Him every moment but live knowing I am covered by His grace.
Not sure that came out sounding how I wanted it too! I meant that I don’t have to live trying to be perfect…I can live each day doing my best to honor Him and feel secure in my relationship with Him. I hope I am making sense. It is past my bedtime I think. LOL
When I feel like I have been wronged, I try to think of the images of Jesus when he was being accused and He said nothing. The Bible says, “He said nothing” many times. He could have answered his accusers, but He remained quiet and let their words fall. Sometimes when we are faced with the same battle over and over again, we just need to be still and quiet and let the words fall to silence. Let God take over and work it out. One sided arguments do not last very long. I want to learn to react like Jesus. I want to make it to worship so I can Praise Jesus! I want to kick Satan in the teeth for even trying to cause a fight in my home, car, or family. Let’s stand strong and fight the spiritual battle, not the physical one.
Love it!!! I want to see you kick Satan in the teeth!!!
Oh how hard to stay quiet! Thank you for your wise words. I had not thought of that before but you are so right. I remember reading those parts of the gospels and thinking, “why doesn’t He explain His side?!” Thank you for this nugget of truth!!
Yes!!!
Awesome blog today Jennifer!! Lots to reflect on and come back to repeatedly because these things can’t be reiterated enough 🙂
Absolutely, Sherrie!! Thanks for leaving me a comment!
Thank you for sharing this SO MUCH! I remember the days when I felt as though I was living a double life….the fake me and the even faker me that I tried so hard to convince was real. I thought I had to be a certain way on the outside (go to church, read the Bible) but my heart was not filled with the Lord, He was shoved to the side and attention from men and men were filling up my heart. I remember thinking anyone who thought I was this Christian girl would be so disgusted when they found out who I really was. Now that I know who I really am…a Princess of the Most High King, I feel this freedom and nothing like the paranoia I used to feel if someone were to find out who I was. Now, I WANT EVERYONE TO FIND OUT WHO I AM AND FIND THEIR INNER PRINCESS TOO. Jennifer, this was a perfect blog for me to read today. I love when blogs make me think about my relationship with God and how I can grow even more:)
Woo Hoo! Love this God Girl!
Thanks Jennifer,am so bless through your thoughts,the song,various comments,contributions and replies.Though I know who the enemy really is,sometimes i get frustrated with so called believers that do things that,leaves me wondering,what?but I give God the glory for helping me every now than to forgive and pray for them.I definitely do not want to carry their diseases.As stated in( Deuteronomy 7:15)For If I can’t forgive then I might hate those who wrong me.
I pray we all let Jesus be the judge so we don’t feel like we have to. He was quiet and drew in the sand while accusers walked away. He encouraged the sinners to go and sin no more, not condemn. I want to be like that. I’m a sinner too. I want that mercy. The Word says that to receive that mercy, I have to give that mercy to others. His grace is sufficient and his ways are higher. Man, I love the forgiveness He offers me so I can forgive others. Thanks for making me think about these things tonight, Florence. I’m grateful.
Right on, Jennifer! Good word! God bless you and thank you for speaking the truth! <3
Jennifer look at what you wrote today- “Our current world is broken. We all know that. It is difficult to go through each day and not hear about another tragedy somewhere in the world. It is heartbreaking. But, the answer is not to lash out in anger. We must model our leader, Jesus Christ, who tells us love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31); to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44); and to pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). This, girlfriends, is the answer to how we defeat the enemy.” You didn’t know that later this day there would be a bombing in Boston- and as people ask “why” we know why- because the devil comes to kill steal and destroy that’s why. There was a man interviewed from our local area that ran in the marathon today and he shared that someone came up to him before the race and asked if he could pray with him- he’s been running the race for years and no one has ever asked to pray with him- the man prayed for his safety- as he neared the finish line he was cramping up and a man came up behind him and patted him on the back and said “you can do this keep going”- because that man helped him he got past the finish line moments before the bomb went off- he said that he truly believes that the Lord sent angels to protect him today. My other thought is that the more we practice these truths the easier it gets to know what to do when the enemy strikes- in the military our soldiers are drilled over and over so that when the enemy strikes they instinctively know how to react. We need to learn to wield our swords. When we learn not to hold on to things, not to take things personally, to guard our thoughts- when the negative thoughts come in to replace them with God’s thoughts- I was thinking about one of my favorite verses Phil 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The battle is in our hearts and minds. When you look at the context of this passage it begins with an exhortation by Paul for Euodia and Syntyche to agree with each other, and Paul asks the church to help in the matter. He then tells the believers to “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice: Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ” Phil 4:2-5. So there are women bickering and Paul asks for help and then he says to Rejoice. I have always wondered about this- then it occurred to me that the Lord inhabits the praises of His people. “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. Ps. 8:2 and Matt. 21:16. I looked up “praise” on Bible Gateway and there are 100’s of references- check out Ps. 149- sorry I got off track there- going back to Phil 4- in verse 8 the Word tell us to think about the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. Think about it if we think about these things when we are mad at someone can we still stay mad at them? Sorry this is so long- I just kept going deeper and deeper! Love you girls with swords : )
Thanks for sharing, Cher. Excellent addition to the study, especially in light of the day’s events.