Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash
As a Christian and a human, you get beset by life’s challenges and happenstances. There are people who love you naturally, those who come to love you, those who are indifferent, and then there are those who hurt you intentionally or by accident. How you react to all challenges, happenstances, and people make up who you are as a person. They define how you come to be defined. It sure is important to always be aware of, and choose, how you react. The one sure way of ensuring you get it right is to be prepared for these circumstances.
Through life, I have been an emotional being and have looked to be appreciated and accepted by all. I have learnt that you can never win everyone over. Being a “politically incorrect” person by nature, I have gone through heart-aches caused by close family members, friends, and colleagues. Where intentions have been misconstrued, where people have acted on perceptions and not the truth (and justified it by saying “Perception is the truth, you know“. Perception is perception.), and where people have just labelled you despite evidence that proves the labels wrong.
I have prayed many prayers in life: For my spiritual walk with God, for my family and our lives, for healing for people, for success in mine and others’ endeavors, for gifts of the Holy Spirit. But three days ago, it became clear I needed to ask for thick skin. Only then can you be truly free. Thick skin, and a loving and understanding heart.
God has always known this is what we required. And that’s why the scriptures give us the guidance to accomplish this in His Word.
Know that we indeed are not wrestling with flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Why the emotional attacks? – When we are angered, we’re more likely to sin. When we’re depressed, beaten and downtrodden, it can be difficult to see through these to understand that we are indeed Blessed, that the victory is ours, and the battle already won. In this, we sadden God. Our faith is hindered and we live as defeated Christians. .. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”
But in truth, we are not defeated in the Spiritual. Before things manifest in the Physical, it’s already happened in the Spiritual. We only need to recognize this, and put on our armor against attacks. We must know and believe that we have won. When we allow our emotions to dictate, fear and doubt sneak in, we speak what our emotions dictate, and what we speak comes to pass: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” ..Proverbs 18:21. Do not allow fear, allow faith and love. “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, of love, and of a sound mind”… 1 Timothy 1:7
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore having your loins girt about by truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6: 10 – 17
The power of His might is the power that raised Jesus from the dead.
The sword, the Word, is Jesus Christ. Study the Word, and hide the Word in your heart that you may bring it to remembrance and thrust forth when you need to. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart.” …Hebrews 4:12
Have faith, for without faith, we cannot please God. Faith is the sixth sense. With faith, we see the unseen and the victory the human eye still seeks to find. When the fiery darts are thrust our way, they can’t penetrate this shield of faith.
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