battle

Sudden Resurrection

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead?’” – Luke 24:1-5 What an awesome truth we celebrated this past Sunday! I can’t stop thinking about it! Though the road to the cross was dark and filled with pain and His death was bloody and horrible, Jesus’ resurrection overcame it all! Naturally, when His mother and friend came to the tomb to tend to

April 20, 2022 1 Comment

Evil Has No Power

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Romans 12:21 As Christians, we are constantly in a battle with the enemy! It’s critical to recognize that we have an opponent who is out to steal, murder, and destroy. Despite how counterintuitive it may sound, I don’t want you to be terrified of him because he’s already been defeated. Don’t ignore your adversary’s teachings, but don’t become discouraged, oppressed, or anxious about his influence in your life. You have authority and power against the forces of darkness as a believer in Jesus Christ, baptized into His Kingdom and covered by His blood. This is because you share your identity with your Savior; you are seated with Him in the heavenly realms and join in the work He finished on the cross. Even if the devil tempts and tests you, he does not have the final say! Friends,

November 12, 2021 1 Comment

What’s Your Battle?

“Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle.” – Psalm 140:7 The late actor Robin Williams once paraphrased Plato in saying: “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about, so be kind, always.” And as cliche as this expression sounds, I think it’s important to understand how true it is so that we allow it to shape our interactions with others. The reality is that life is hard, and humanity is struggling with all kinds of issues — some people are just better at hiding it. No one has it all together, and the mistaken belief that they do is what causes many of us to feel alone in our pain. Nevertheless, we’re not flawed because we’re going through stuff, and it’s important to give ourselves grace so we can heal and extend mercy to our fellow brothers and sisters. Nobody

September 28, 2021 No Comments

It’s a Spirit Thing

“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.” – 1 Peter 5:8,9 One thing Scripture makes clear is that our adversary means business. John 10:10 says that “the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy,” and 1 Peter tells us that he roams around like a lion, looking for someone to devour. And while I don’t think we should focus too much on the devil as a rule, it’s wise to be aware of his schemes, particularly so we have the right perspective on difficult people. We’ve been learning that there’s a spiritual war raging around us, and as such, it’s important to note that the battle isn’t entirely unseen. The truth

August 28, 2021 1 Comment

The Son of Man

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” – Daniel 7:13,14 For the past couple of days, we’ve seen that the system of the world is controlled by Satan, and that while he appears to have unlimited power, the duration of his dominion is actually limited. The Ancient of Days is sovereign over his fate, and it’s only a matter of time before his rule comes to an end. This is because the One who ascended the throne next to the Almighty — in

August 26, 2021 No Comments

The World’s System

“After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast — terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.” – Daniel 7:7 It’s safe to say that the world’s way is beastly. Ever since humanity fell into sin, the forces of darkness have been raging to orchestrate chaos and stir up violence. Throughout all of history, kingdoms have risen against each other and war has been commonplace. Of course, behind every mass movement of anarchy, disorder, or crime stands Satan — the Beast himself. It was his image that Daniel saw in the vision recorded in Daniel 7, wherein he took the form of four brutal monsters, each representing a worldly government under the sway

August 24, 2021 No Comments

The Struggle of Life

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” – Ephesians 6:12 Although it’s something that can be difficult to admit, the reality is that much of life is a fight. Interestingly, the term Israel means “to struggle with God,” and if this is how the Lord defined the existence of His people from the beginning of time, it remains just as true today. While it might be more accurate to say that we battle against sin (which places our conscience in conflict with our Creator), no matter how we define it, knowing that we’re in a spiritual conflict is an important part of our Christian experience. As much as we want to believe that we reside on a planet full of goodwill, to

August 12, 2021 No Comments

To Roar or Shine?

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” – John 8:12 There’s an old story in Aesop’s Fables in which the north wind and the sun both want to see who can get a man to take his jacket off faster. The north wind goes first, and he begins howling, roaring, and sending violent gusts that he is certain will blow the coat right off of his subject. However, much to his chagrin, the gales only cause him to pull his garment closer. Reveling in the wind’s defeat, the sun steps up and says, “Watch this!” Then, he turns up the heat and shines so brightly that his unsuspecting victim begins to sweat — and sure enough, off the jacket comes. Though this is an ancient story,

August 11, 2021 No Comments

Crushing Evil

“But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.” – Judges 4:21 I love that the Old Testament is full of stories about good conquering evil. Through the lens of a Jew born before Christ, every victory the Israelites had pointed to the ultimate victory of the Messiah and to the heart of a God who wanted justice to prevail. That said, there’s a very interesting account in the book of Judges, and I’m especially fond of it because it involves the forces of darkness being taken down by a woman. In the tradition of Eve, whose offspring would eventually crush the serpent’s head, this story is yet more proof of the Lord’s power to triumph over wickedness. Having been oppressed by a

July 8, 2021 No Comments

The Devil is Defeated

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” – Genesis 3:15 I can’t imagine what God felt at the moment Adam and Eve rebelled against His perfect plan. He must have been crushed, and I’m certain that his anger burned against Satan. After all, the lineage of mankind — the glory of His Creation — was now tainted by sin, and He wanted to make sure that such an atrocity never happened again. To seal the deal, He cursed the devil and his forces of darkness forever. Though there would be an ongoing battle, or enmity, between humanity and demonic powers, He promised that one day, the father of lies would be crushed on the head and defeated. This means that now, while our adversary can still inflict surface wounds, he

July 5, 2021 1 Comment

Sudden Resurrection

Evil Has No Power

What’s Your Battle?

It’s a Spirit Thing

The Son of Man

The World’s System

The Struggle of Life

To Roar or Shine?

Crushing Evil

The Devil is Defeated

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