You’re A Force To Be Reckoned With

We have an Enemy who prowls the earth looking for ways to destroy us.

He wants to kill our hope…

unravel our marriages…

take out our kids…

ruin our ministries…

confuse our vision…

deplete our energy…

distort our dreams…

But while the Enemy is in hot pursuit of our lives… God offers hope.

We’re told countless times in the Bible that He is our shelter. He’s our comforter.  He will provide for us.  He will prosper us.  He will never leave us.

So you know what that means?

We don’t have to fear the Enemy.

Now I am not suggesting we carry on a conversation with, seek him out or provoke him, but when the Enemy comes at us… we don’t need to fear him.

• His plans are not particularly clever.
• The Lord will expose the Enemy’s lies.
• God offers us wisdom and discernment.
  
• We can call down the Kingdom for reinforcements. 

Because of the strength, insight, wisdom and power I receive through Jesus Christ as my Savior, I am dangerous to the Enemy.

You are, too.

There is no reason to fear him.  Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.

When we speak God’s goodness in our lives… when we offer hope to others… when we pray for God’s intervention… when we choose to forgive… when we allow God to heal our brokenness… then Enemy has no option but to flee.

We deal him a mighty blow.

As a matter of fact, when we wake up in the morning and our feet hit the floor, the Enemy should shudder and say, “Dang, they’re awake!”

He can knock us down… but we get back up. 

He can mess with our plans… but we regroup. 

He can challenge our faith… but we’ll remain steadfast.

So when he works over time to mess with our lives, let’s respond in victory.

• Praise God louder and more radically.
• Expose the Enemy’s hidden tactics and lies.
• Face hardships with grace and forgiveness.
• See the cup as half full rather than the other way around.
• Trust God completely and fully.

When we maintain an eternal perspective even when life throws a curve ball, it foils the Enemy’s plans.

He loses.

“In every way we’re troubled, but we aren’t crushed by our troubles. We’re frustrated, but we don’t give up.  We’re persecuted, but we’re not abandoned. We’re captured, but we’re not killed.”  (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

Darkness and Light simply cannot exist together.

We may sometimes find ourselves at the end of our rope, but never at the end of our hope.

So instead of allowing the Enemy to take you out of the game…

Trust God for restoration when your marriage is struggling.

Trust God for provision when you can’t pay your bills.

Trust God for direction when your overwhelmed with life.

Because as a Christ-follower, you are a force to be reckoned with.

♥

REALITY CHECK:  Don’t give the Enemy more power than he actually has.  In the end… he loses.

†††

©2012 careyscotttalks.com

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Double-Teamed?

Last weekend’s football was amazing!  It really made my “Texas-ness” come out.

You see, my son was a madman on defense and I could barely sit still.  Since he was born, I’ve wanted nothing more than for him to be a football player.  When it seemed his interests would take him places other than sports… I worked hard to readjust my hopes.

He’s tried a lot of different sports, but something seemed to click on the football field this weekend.

While playing the defensive line, I noticed the other team put two guys on Sam in an effort to block him.  He was being double-teamed.  And you know what… they couldn’t make him budge. 

YEE-HAW!

Being from Texas… a state where football is in our blood… I was in pure heaven.  They pushed and pushed, but Sam stared them down and pushed through regardless.  Be still my heart, I am about to leap up and down right now.

You know what, though… we can learn from his determination.

I don’t know about you, but there are times in my life when I feel “double-teamed” by the enemy.  You, too?  I usually feel some “push back” from him on a regular basis… but then there are specific times where I know the heat has been turned up.

Dang it makes me mad.  But I’m gonna push back.  How?

• When he attacks my marriage, I’m going to forgive easier and confess sooner.
• When he double-teams my children, I will be on my face in prayer for them and advise them with Godly advice.
• When the enemy comes after my self-esteem, I’m going to remember “who I am and whose I am” faster.
• When he brings up a past mistake I’ve already confessed, I will use it as a prompt to thank God for what Jesus did on the cross to forgive that specific sin.

I going to stare him down and push back.

John 16:33b tells us “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In this verse, Jesus was telling His disciples to be courageous “when” they face hardship… not “if.”

We will face an attack from the enemy.  It is inevitable.  We’ll also face times when it feels like a different level of oppression.  It will be harder, last longer, hurt deeper…

But He has overcome the world.  Amen…

Satan can double-team all he wants.  The good news is that he loses in the end… because the ultimate victory has already been won.

Brothers and sisters, push back!

• When you feel overwhelmed with life’s circumstances… push back.
• When your decision back-fires in your face… push back.
• When it seems no one is on your side… push back.
• When your self-esteem gets dinged… push back.
• When your marriage seems on the rocks… push back.
• When your kids are turning from what they know is right… push back.
• When you can’t figure out how to pay those bills… push back.

Stand up!  For heaven’s sake… Don’t sit on the bench in complacency!  Get in the game and… push back.

Christ has overcome it!  Pray for His peace!!!

Like Sam did on that field… stare the enemy down and push back!

©2010 careyscotttalks.com

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