Challenged By Forces of Darkness

Do you feel like you are struggling?  I try to remind people at times, that we are in a battle and the ones that are accomplishing the most for the kingdom of God, are probably being hindered the most.  I have mentioned before in other ‘Tidbits,’ that those that are the closest to the front lines in a war are battling harder because that is where the heaviest fighting takes place.

I mentioned that when King David sinned with Bath-Sheba, David tried to cover it up by killing her husband.  The way he did that was to have him put on the front lines where the fighting was the heaviest and to withdraw the other men.  So remember this, when in a battle there are casualties and there are the victors, the question is which one will you be?  If you are a believer and the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you have all the power you need to be victorious.  

In the Old Testament there is a book called Joshua, this man was a minister under Moses and a faithful man that trusted God.  As time went on Moses, the man of God, died and Joshua was chosen to lead the Israelites which would take great courage.  Joshua was to take them over the Jordon River and every place their feet would step on they would possess.  In the process they would have to fight many nations to possess their lands.  This would take faith, courage and staying power to accomplish and also the hand of God to fight for them.  

Joshua heard these encouraging words from God, they are found in Joshua 1:5-9, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

If Joshua would have tried to accomplish this on his own the outcome would have been so different, but the battle was the Lord’s and through Him the victory was, and is, won.  God did this for Joshua and the Israelites, and He will also help us when we stand our ground against the enemy of our souls.  

If you have been experiencing the attacks of the enemy and are feeling defeated and depressed, wondering if you are going to make it, hang on, remember God loves you and nothing can take that from you or separate you from it.  Be encouraged by these words in Romans 8:35-39, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”      

And think about these words in the second part of Isaiah 59:19, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”  The Spirit of God has our best interest in mind and His power is used for our good, praise the Lord!!  And what about these encouraging words in Isaiah 54:17, “‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,’ says the Lord.”

Remember the Lord never said it would be easy, but He did say He would never leave us or forsake us, and the Lord never will, praise His holy name.  So I hope this has been an encouragement to you.  God bless you and have a great day.