W4D5 Using Your Weapons

READ THE BIBLE

James 4:7

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1 Peter 5:8

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Hebrews 10:35

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

REFLECT ON WHAT IT MEANS

Here's a lesson from history: The modern day writer and historian, Jack Kelley, tells us this about a famous war:

George Washington called the American victory in the Revolutionary war “little short of a standing miracle.” In 1776, an overwhelming British army had defeated his poorly trained force, driven them out of New York City, and chased them across New Jersey. Washington then lost Philadelphia, and his men had barely survived the wretched winter at Valley Forge. In 1780, the British captured the major southern port at Charleston, imprisoning the American garrison there, and utterly defeated a second patriot army. Before that year was out, his long-suffering troops were on the verge of mutiny and one of his senior generals had gone over to the enemy.

A year later he had effectively won the war. How was it possible? Jack Kelly gives a total of 6 reasons and here is just one of them:

They persevered. Americans won their independence because they continued to fight. Again and again during the war, they reached points when they could have thrown in the towel.

At times, the Continental Army seemed only weeks or days from disbanding. In spite of defeat after defeat, in spite of no pay, rampant disease and inadequate supplies, they kept at it. George Washington was no military genius. But his faith in the cause, his determination to fight, and the mutual love he came to share with his officers and men carried him through many dark nights.

“He never has more resources,” a Frenchman observed, “than when he seems to have no more.”

Inspired by leaders like Nathanael Greene and Anthony Wayne and Henry Knox, thousands of men gave up their youth, their health, and sometimes their lives, for independence. Against such perseverance, it was the British who finally had to admit defeat.

So far we have looked at two spiritual weapons that God has given us to overcome the enemy, the Devil. These are the the Bible and the Blood of Jesus. The main lessons from today are to resist and keep resisting the enemy and, to do that, keep using the weapons. Spiritual victory and breakthrough comes to the person who perseveres and keeps resisting and keeps doing the right thing.

The promise is clear, if we resist the enemy, the Devil, he will flee from us. There is no clue as to whether that is 5 minutes, 5 hours, or even days or weeks. But he will, in the end, give up and leave us in peace and in possession of God’s promise for our lives.

So, keep on resisting and don’t talk the language of giving up, don’t think the thoughts of giving up. Just keep your confidence in God and resistance to the enemy, and you will win through.

God’s word spoken out, the blood of Jesus applied, your perseverance and persistence. Together, they a make you a powerful fighter and warrior in all of life’s struggles, physical and spiritual.

RELATE IT TO YOUR LIFE

Where do I need to persevere in life in order to overcome and dare to believe for the best outcome in God?

Have I lost confidence in God in any area of my life and deed to get it back again?

Have I stopped or eased off resisting for God in any are of my life?

Pray and ask God to help you in these things.

RESPOND WITH A DECLARATION

“I will resist the enemy; I will not throw away my confidence in God!”