Today I just want to send an encouraging word to anyone reading this.....KNOW where your confidence comes from! In the world we live in right now, with all the craziness, all the evil and all the division on topics, it can be so hard to feel at peace or confident that NO MATTER WHAT, God is still in charge. But I'm here to say, HE IS!!
There are a few things the enemy is going to try to do to you day after day after day....and he can be relentless. He wants to rob you of any peace, any joy and any confidence in the Lord. It's the number one thing he has, to try and gain access into your life. But you do not have to give into him. Yes, he may not stop trying, but the good news I have for you is, through Christ you have the ability to wear the enemy out before he wears you out. And I really mean that!
I love how Ephesians 6:13 says this..."Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand". And that truly is the key, to refuse to let he enemy knock you down. I have a funny visual in my head when I think of this. Do you remember those fun punching bags we used to have as kids that had sand in the bottom to make them heavy and no matter how hard you hit it, it would just pop back up? That is how I see myself when it comes to the enemy, and you should too. Sure he tries to hit us with unexpected circumstances and things that are out of our control, and it's his attempt is to knock us down. But because we can rely on God for our strength, we can bounce right back to our feet. And sometimes he can't even get close enough to us to take a hit because Jesus steps in front of us before it happens. Yes, this really is how I see God. He is my protector, He is my defender, and He is the reason I can stand at all, just like Ephesians 6:13 says. It is our job to stay as close to God as we can, and it is His promise that as we do He will be there for us. Therefore my confidence is not longer in myself or my own abilities, if it was I would have no confidence at all. I have watched myself make the wrong choices and do the wrong things to many times. My confidence comes from the fact that if I go to Him before choices are made, if I got to Him before my flesh produces the wrong actions, if I go to Him about anything and everything, He will guide my footsteps. Proverbs 3:26 says "For the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught". When I read that, how can I not place my confidence in Him? It does not say he might keep your foot from being caught, it says he WILL keep your foot from being caught. And the key to allowing Him to do that in your life is making sure your foot is not in front of His. Follow His leading in your life, but don't expect Him to walk behind you and get your foot out of every trap you step into. At some point we must learn to wait on the Lord, listen for the Lord and trust in Him. This will keep you out of many of the traps the enemy tries to set before you. But be sure to give honor where it is due when you do overcome or completely avoid those traps. 2 Corinthians 3:5 tells us "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God". We overcome because of Him! Even if you miss one of the enemy's traps, he would love nothing for than for you to beat your own chest and take all the credit for it. Then he can get your confidence to be in yourself and the next trap he sets for you will certainly play off of that.
This is not a story of gloom and doom though. Let me be clear is saying I walk in victory because of God, I do not just get by. In John 14:26 Jesus said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit...he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you". The Holy Spirit walks with me daily, and I learn how to walk in victory from Him. And then I hold onto this promise in Isaiah 41:10..."Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand". And daily I remind the enemy of these things. My strength, my help, my righteousness...it all comes from my God. So you are not battling me alone...and my confidence is in Him!
God, thank You that we do not battle the enemy alone. Help us remember that, and open our lives up to You so You can battle with us and for us. Help our hearts and our minds remember that our confidence should come from being Yours...and let nothing in this world shake that. In Jesus name, Amen
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