This is no ordinary battle

I must admit that sometimes I get caught up in la la land.   Sometimes I get so caught up in the idea of this perfect life, filled with constant laughter, white picket fences, butterflies, chocolates, etc. that I forget that this is a battle, and that we must ALWAYS fight.

I know that the devil is real, but sometimes I get so caught up in life that I forget that he really exists purely “to steal and kill and destroy” John 10:10

I don’t remind myself nearly enough of Scripture that I must “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

I made the mistake a couple nights ago of going down memory lane in my head. I had a thought – I had a moment of feeling unworthy. I gave the enemy a foothold. Mistake #1: Rather than taking every thought captive as 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5 commands us to do, I started to dwell. I’m talking really dwell. I’m talking the painful and terrifying thoughts of fear, shame, doubt, panic – the kind of thoughts that shake your very foundation – the type that stop you in your tracks. 

Have you ever taken that trip? Where you feel completely stripped of all assurance? Where you just want to hide? To me, it’s possibly one of the most terrifying things that can happen to you. I think this is because it is an attack on the mind. I’ve tried to control a lot of things in my life (and always fail), but the mind is one I have not yet mastered (and never will) – and I KNOW there is an absolute reason for this. Through these attacks, however, I learned several truths that I’m hoping will help you too when these times come.

1. Amidst wrestling with such hard things, it makes me realize my absolute and complete desperation for Jesus. In moments like these, I am so overcome by fearful thoughts of being far from God, that nothing else in this world matters. Things that I held of importance last week dissipate. “Take it all away God. Take everything in this world away from me because you are ALL that I need to make it.” I want to run so far from my sin that the devil has no stronghold on me. In these moments, I realize that the Holy Spirit is the only thing in the universe that will make things OK.

2. The enemy and his lies are powerless. Just writing that here now gives me hope. If you are in Christ Jesus, you are sealed by the Blood of the Lamb. Nothing can snatch you from His hand, even when the future seems bleak. Romans 8:38 comes to mind - Learn it, recite it, know it backwards and forwards. Nothing can steal you from the King. 

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.

3. Scripture is our tool. It is what God gives us to fight back. The good news is we have already won being in Christ, but I have to be active. I can’t just sit in my bedroom and expect everything to get better. I have to refute every lie with who I know Jesus is, and who I am in Him. I can’t tell you how many times today I’ve had to repeat Ephesians 6. I am unshakable because "I am strong in the Lord and in the Power of His might". 

4. God never lets His children go. I must remind myself of things like Jeremiah 29:11, Psalms 16:11, Romans 15:13. Satan is a liar - It is what he does. Telling you that you have no hope or future or joyful fulfillment ahead of you are all lies. Christ promises us that He will be by our side.  I go to Hebrews 13:5 and Deuteronomy 31:6 for evidence. 

5. As Christians, we are called to suffering. Sometimes we must go through the fire, but it WILL be worth it. 1 Peter 4:12 says , "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed”. 1 Peter 1:6-7 also says, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” If God puts us through the fire, He will SURELY bring us out. In the book of Daniel (3), Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were all thrown into a REAL furnace for refusing to bow to an idol king Nebuchadnezzar built. However, 

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king" Daniel 3:17

6. And finally, our hope must be set on eternity.  To me it is in these moments that I find myself most longing for Heaven – A place where there are no lies and no paralyzing fear. Revelation 21:4: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

There are a ton of other truths I could go on and on, but I think that covers it for now. The fact is that once in Christ, we are at war with the enemy and the world. We have to always fight - However, never be discouraged. Once we have given our lives to Jesus, the battle is won. We can raise the white flag, and as John 19:30 says, "It is finished". 

Keep fighting the good fight!