Stop
Trying To Keep Score…Join The War
"Finally
my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of
His might. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly
places."
Ephesians
6:10, 12
Battle
wounds…we all get wounded from time to time. Whether
it be by a fellow believer, some stranger on the
street, a preacher, prophet, or close friend there
will come a time where we will feel pain. Many times
the inflicted wound is not intentional…but at other
times it is. The enemy works through people…people
we don’t really know, and people we know and trust.
Anyone can be used by the devil, and often times they
will not recognize that they are being used for evil
purposes. Many times we will not recognize it either
because we will be looking at the situation in the
natural instead of looking at it spiritually.
My son
is a very active little guy. He is always on the move.
He is as thin as a beanpole and it seems like every
time I look at him he is looking over some new injury.
Often times he comes in after school or time at the
play ground and looks at his wounds and even gives a
running commentary as to where they came from or who
hurt him. Drives me crazy! Yet, if I am not
careful…in other ways I find myself doing the same
thing.
I may
not be looking at scrapes and bruises but at injuries
to my heart and spirit. Perhaps someone said something
that was not truth based and it hurt me. Or maybe I
was left out of something that I felt sure that I was
to be included in. I could possibly have been
misjudged or misunderstood and someone’s assessment
of me my have brought me pain.
Someone
may have become jealous or envious and made some snide
comment just to "get to me." The question is
will I let it get to me. Will I allow it to sideline
me as I sit and ruminate about the injustices done to
me? Clearly the Scripture says that all who are godly
in Christ will suffer, so why am I thrown for such a
loop when it happens? Because I forget that these
battles, these wars are not about people. Flesh and
blood have no place in them. They are about
principalities and powers, and rulers of darkness. Any
injuries that I get though they may come at the hand
of a person are direct attacks by satan himself.
He
wants me to sit down and start examining myself and
counting up every little scrape, cut, and bruise. He
wants me to be consumed with the wrong in my life. He
wants me to tally it up and then recount it again.
Why? Because if we are busy keeping score than we are
one less soldier for Jesus on the frontlines of the
war. We say we are not ignorant of his devices yet
often we fall prey to this "victim
mentality." God forgive us for not standing on
His Word that says, "we are more than conquerors
in Christ Jesus." Hold it not against us Father,
when we fail to overcome him by the blood of the Lamb,
the word of our testimony, and not loving our lives
more than we love You.
Where
are you at today? Are you somewhere on the sidelines
counting your boo boos? Are you keeping a running
tally of them? Are you crying…poor, poor, pitiful
me? Or are you dressed in the whole armor of God and
moving forward in this battle that is raging?
It is
time to stop keeping score and join the war! We have
been granted victory before we even go forth! Let’s
claim that victory in Jesus Name! Lets walk together
united in victory and watch the enemy flee!
Prayer:
Oh
Father God, I thank You for the simple truths that You
bring to our hearts. Father we do not want to be busy
keeping score. We want to be mighty soldiers doing
battle in this war against darkness. We want to be
victorious. We want to plunder the enemy and we want
to take back those things that have been stolen from
us. I ask that You would heal us of our hurts and the
"victim mentality" that so easily plagues
us.
Give us a new level of
spiritual understanding and discernment so that we can
go out with joy and peace walking in faith and
victory!! As we submit to You, let us resist the enemy
and watch him flee!
I pray
You will speak to every heart that reads this today.
You alone know the spirit of a man, Father. Let Your
Word do its work in every heart. It shall not return
void. It shall accomplish that which You have set
forth for it to do! And for that we do thank You and
praise You even now!! Be glorified and magnified in
our lives today!
In
Jesus Name!
Amen!
