Spiritual warfare has been written about, dramatized about, taught about and preached about. But, what do we really know about spiritual warfare? Does what we know, or think we know, agree with the Bible?
Here is a short True/False quiz to help you discover if what you have been taught and believe is truly in line with scripture.
Check tomorrow’s post to find out how you did.
Satan is omnipresent?
Christians as well as non-believers can be possessed by a demon/demons?
Born-again Christians are no longer enslaved to Satan or to sin?
Christians have the authority and responsibility to rebuke Satan?
Today’s post completes our series on the search for peace. We have learned about the things that can hinder our peace and the ways we can overcome the things that rob us of our peace. Today we will look at what God’s word has to say about protecting our peace.
Through His life, death, and resurrection Jesus Christ destroyed the power of sin and death. One day, the very presence of sin and death will be destroyed. For now, for a little while longer, the battle continues.
As we await that glorious day we must continuously strengthen our minds and our faith through careful attention to God’s word. We must be ever watchful, but never fearful, always alert to the enemy’s schemes. We must stand firm. We must press on.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Christian, our enemy may be fierce but our victory is sure! Armed with the word of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, the strength of our faith, and the assurance of our salvation, we can know the wonderful “peace that surpasses understanding”.
Dear God of peace, I praise You for the shed blood of Jesus, changing me from Your enemy to Your friend. I thank You for also making obedience available through this new covenant of grace. I humbly ask that You teach me to live in dependence upon Your sufficiency, Amen.
Judson W. Van DeVenter was born 15 December 1855 on a farm near the village of Dundee, Michigan. He was educated in the country and village schools, and at Hillsdale College. He later moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. He wrote about 100 hymns.
1. All to Jesus I surrender; All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live. (Refrain)
2. All to Jesus I surrender; Make me, Savior, wholly Thine; Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit; Truly know that Thou art mine. (Refrain)
3. All to Jesus I surrender; Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy love and power; Let Thy blessing fall on me. (Refrain)
Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all, All to thee, my blessed Savior,
For we who have believed do enter that rest. (Hebrews 4:3)
Through the promises of God, spiritual rest can be experienced by all who believe. Initially, those who believe enjoy rest from the guilt and condemnation of sin. Additionally, those whose faith embraces more of the promises of God can enjoy rest from carnal striving and worldly indulgence.
Devotional is an excerpt from “Day By Day Grace” by Bob Hoekstra
Yesterday we discussed some of the reasons that peace is so elusive in todays world. Today we continue our series on the search for peace by looking at ways we can overcome the things that rob us of our joy and hinder our peace.
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
The world around us is in chaos. Evil appears to be winning the war. And yet, in John 14:27 we find that the Lord Himself gives us the assurance of peace.
What is the solution?
Is there a solution? The answer is “yes”. But in order to get to there, we must come to realize and accept some basic truths from God’s word.
TRUTH: Both joy and trials are from God, joy and peace are interwoven.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)
TRUTH: The opposite of joy us not sorrow, the opposite of joy is hopelessness.
“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is but breath; My eye will not again see good”. (Job 7:6-7)
TRUTH: When we are reconciled to God, Satan becomes more determined to rob us of our peace.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
TRUTH: There will be continual war between the flesh and the Spirit.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. (Romans 7:18-19)
Peace, true peace, is possible. The question we must ask ourselves, “am I willing to search for it and, when necessary, fight for it”?
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)
In our Bible study group this week we had a lesson on peace as a grace which is produced by the Fruit of the Spirit. Every woman in the room agreed that she could use more peace in her life. Over the next few days, we will look at some of the things that contribute to anxiety and rob us of our peace and we will discuss how we can be overcomers.
While anxiety can affect anyone, its most vulnerable victims are women and young people.
One major enemy to our peace is anxiety. As the the things of our world become more and more uncertain, anxiety becomes more and more prevalent. While anxiety can affect anyone, its most vulnerable victims are women and young people. According to a 2020 survey by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (yes, apparently there is an anxiety organization), an estimated 31% of Americans will suffer an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Think about that, among three of your friends, it is likely that one of them is suffering with anxiety.
What is the cause?
The Greek word for anxiety comes from the root word merizo which means to divide, separate, or sever. There was a time when life, from a moral standpoint, was black and white. Right was right, and wrong was wrong. Those are not the days in which we are currently living. These days man does “what is right in his own eyes”. When even the so called experts cannot agree on when life begins, what defines gender, or what constitutes child exploitation, and so many other issues, is it any wonder that our society, our relationships, and even our minds are divided?
Peace-robbing division doesn’t end with our human relationships. In fact, the greatest source of our anxiety is our divided mind concerning the things of God. Suddenly (or so it seems), professing Christians are in disagreement on the sovereignty of God, the existence of the Trinity, and the infallibility of the Bible. These are the things which have always been accepted by the Church as indisputable truths, but no longer. The wolves have snuck in and the very foundation our faith has been shaken. Without a plumb line against which to measure truth, we can have no sure sense of direction, no peace.
In tomorrow’s post we will continue our search for peace by exploring what God’s word has to say about how we can have “true peace”.
Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. (Psalms 36:5)
As far as the eye can see and beyond. Higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest ocean. Broader than the expanse of the horizon – this is the limit of God’s mercy. This is the measure of His faithfulness.
Can you count the times you have experienced the Lord’s mercies? Can you even begin to name the times has He proven Himself faithful to you? This one is easier, can you number the times He has failed you? Actually, let me answer that last question for you – never!
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Whatever you are facing today; whatever fears, uncertainty or sorrow, the Lord wants to show you that He is merciful and faithful. Let Him.
The LORD Is My Shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
Many of us can quote this familiar Psalm with our eyes closed. Because it is so familiar, I wonder how much we consider the words we we are reciting. I invite you to ponder and pray the words of this beautiful Psalm.
“LORD, because You are my Shepherd. I shall not want ___
for a good field in which to graze
for streams flowing with clear, refreshing, life-giving water
for a place to lie down in safety and peace
for protection from my enemies”
Jesus said ” I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
“LORD, because You are my Shepherd. I shall not live in worry or fear.”
He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. (Micah 5:4)
“LORD, because You are my Shepherd. I can face the uncertainty of tomorrow.”
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (Philippians 3:7)
In my younger days, especially in my years as a new wife and mother, I stressed over many things. It seemed Mama could always tell when I was worried and I can still hear her voice saying to me “a hundred years from now, it won’t make any difference”. Little did I know then that Mamma was trying to teach me eternal thinking.
Now that I’m older and (arguably) wiser, I find myself often replaying Mama’s words and wishing I had given them more attention. Paul doesn’t put it in the same way Mama did, but his message is the same – if we want a fuller life, if we want more joy, we have to know and keep our focus on what matters.
What matters to you? Take a moment for a little self-examination. Ask yourself this question – “what are the 3-5 most important things in my life?”
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (Revelation 22:16)
Lily of the Valley
TEXT: CHARLES W. FRY MUSIC: WILLIAM S. HAYS; ADAPT CHARLES W. FRY
I have found a friend in Jesus, He’s ev’rything to me, He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul; The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole. In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay; He tells me every care on Him to roll: (Refrain)
He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne; In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tow’r; I have all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn From my heart, and now He keeps me by His pow’r. Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore, Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal: (Refrain)
He will never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here, While I live by faith and do His blessed will; A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear, With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill. Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face, Where rivers of delight shall ever roll: (Refrain)
Refrain: He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
Sandra Bivens Smith 