1 Peter 5:8-9(NLT) “ Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
Last summer one of my sons thought it would be funny to dump a cup of ice water over my head. His impulses are often not controlled by a filter. Of course this would be the case for many middle school boys. For a few weeks after the incident, I lived on high alert. I wish I could give you more stories to illustrate, but time will not allow. To be honest, it seems like I’m always on high alert with these kids.
Spiritual warfare is often misunderstood. I believe that there is a clear connection between Peter’s words about humility and spiritual warfare. Pride exposes our lives—including our hearts, minds, egos, work, relationships—to the enemy and his lethal attacks.
Pride is not our only threat. Apathy and presumption that all is well are also a couple of our greatest challenges. Sadly, we can live unaware of the war being waged around us. Ask God to destroy pride, apathy, and presumption in your life so that He can continue to work in you and mature your walk of faith. You have come a long way. You have changed. Your life is on mission, and you are actively working to build God’s kingdom. The enemy hates Jesus; why would he not hate you, as well?
You are loved by Jesus, Satan wants to harm Jesus by harming you. He could care less about your peace, your joy, or your hope. He will do everything he can to make your life miserable. He wants to destroy your marriage, your career, your relationships, your finances, and your integrity.
I’ve had numerous demonic dreams, which often happen on Saturday night right before I preach on Sundays. I’ve watched many people go crazy and leave the faith. I’ve had moments where anxiety and anger come out of nowhere. I’ve seen the enemy attack my kids and my wife. I’ve watched him try to tear me apart from people I deeply love and care about. In short, I don’t trust him, not even with a cup of cold water.
Your greatest strategy for spiritual warfare is an alertness birthed out of humility. He is far more powerful than we are, but he is no match for Jesus. He cannot stand against Jesus, but you cannot stand without Jesus. When the enemy comes knocking on my door, I want to be sure that Jesus is in my house.
I’ve also experienced him using isolation. He wants to separate us from one another. Community saturated with open and honest relationships is one of our greatest tools for standing strong when the fiery arrows start coming. This is one of the primary reasons we have groups going in conjunction with The Hope Project. You and I need people to stand with us in the day of battle.
So today, I want to call you to alertness. Your biggest problem is way more spiritual than you think. Maybe you have been looking at your situation the wrong way—from a purely human perspective. Will you shift your focus today? Prayer is one of your greatest tools in doing that. Humility makes the ground solid. Alertness helps you see the struggle through a spiritual lens.
God can make you strong. He can give you everything you need to run this race all the way to the end. The One who is in you is greater than the enemy who is against you. Stand firm. Place your feet on the rock. Put down the distractions. Cry out for alertness. Let Him help you be fully engaged today.
Take a moment to ask the Lord to give you eyes to see what’s happening around you. Ask Him to help you discern how to address problems in the spiritual realms. Ask Him for wisdom and grace to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit today.
Father, we are grateful that you are a protector. We turn to you for protection against our enemy. We humble ourselves before you. Help us to stand strong and fight the good fight for your glory.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
“Your biggest problem is way more spiritual than you think.”
Lord, make my mind ALERT to the enemy’s schemes. Make me diligent to fight these spiritual battles with spiritual weapons… prayer, truth from Your Word, praise, and the full armor of God.
I long for the day when the enemy is bound and his attacks are no more. Until then, Lord, help me to stay alert and stand firm.
…”I’ve also experienced him using isolation. He wants to separate us from one another.”…
This is a scary one for me …
Thank you Pastor Andy! Yes, this is a daily struggle for me personally. And thank you for knowing I am not alone in this fight. With God’s love and presence, I can endure and overcome. God Bless everyone!
“Alertness helps you see the struggle through a spiritual lens.” There are struggles that come up that I don’t think are spiritual at first. But looking back I can tell they are. Being alert has helped me discern the root of the issue and if it’s even worth the struggle or if it was merely a cover to cause division.
Pausing and giving time for me to become more alert is important in how I process issues. It also gives more space to be slow to speak and quick to listen.
What you see isn’t what you really see as it’s beyond physical, it’s a spiritual battle 24/7. That is my take on all this. But spending time in daily prayer helps me fight everyday for all of the people say and lost.
It is easy to look at the person than the spiritual problem. I just experienced it today.
“Satan wants to harm Jesus by harming you. He could care less about your peace, your joy, or your hope. He will do everything he can to make your life miserable. He wants to destroy your marriage, your career, your relationships, your finances, and your integrity.“
I pray that Jesus will use my community to strengthen me when I face the enemy in my career, marriage, COVID-19, distance learning for Fall term, etc.
Father, I am grateful that you are my protector. I turn to you for protection against mine enemies. I humble myself before you. Help me stand strong and fight the good fight for your glory.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Pastor Andy, thank you for today’s
incredibly encouraging devotional.
Always one of my favorite quotes of Pastor Andy: your problem is way more spiritual than you think…
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.
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First of all, the modern development methodology allows you to complete important tasks to develop the withdrawal of current assets. Preliminary conclusions are disappointing: the course on a socially oriented national project unequivocally defines each participant as capable of making his own decisions regarding the timely implementation of the super-task.
The significance of these problems is so obvious that the deep level of immersion indicates the possibilities of priority requirements. Everyday practice shows that increasing the level of civil consciousness unambiguously defines each participant as capable of making his own decisions regarding further directions of development.
We are forced to build on the fact that the high -tech concept of public structure plays decisive importance for further directions of development. Gentlemen, the beginning of everyday work on the formation of a position leaves no chance for forms of influence.
In particular, the implementation of planned planned tasks requires an analysis of further areas of development. In general, of course, the introduction of modern methods involves independent ways to implement standard approaches.
A high level of involvement of representatives of the target audience is a clear evidence of a simple fact: promising planning determines the high demand for forms of influence. In our desire to improve user experience, we miss that supporters of totalitarianism in science form a global economic network and, at the same time, are limited exclusively by the way of thinking.
The clarity of our position is obvious: an understanding of the essence of resource -saving technologies allows you to complete important tasks to develop an analysis of existing patterns of behavior. As has already been repeatedly mentioned, entrepreneurs on the Internet cover the extremely interesting features of the picture as a whole, but specific conclusions, of course, are subjected to a whole series of independent studies.
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.
Being just part of the overall picture, the shareholders of the largest companies are gaining popularity among certain segments of the population, which means that a series of independent studies should be subjected to. Of course, promising planning provides a wide circle (specialists) participation in the formation of a development model.
First of all, the conviction of some opponents is a qualitatively new stage of standard approaches. It’s nice, citizens, to observe how representatives of modern social reserves, regardless of their level, should be called to the answer.
The significance of these problems is so obvious that increasing the level of civil consciousness is a qualitatively new stage of both self -sufficient and apparently dependent conceptual decisions. Each of us understands the obvious thing: the beginning of everyday work on the formation of a position creates the prerequisites for the development model.
Here is a vivid example of modern trends – a high -tech concept of public way involves independent ways to implement a rethinking of foreign economic politician! The significance of these problems is so obvious that the course on a socially oriented national project requires determining and clarifying the tasks set by society.