Resist with Tenacity (1 Peter 5:8-9)
“Be self-controlled and alert. 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 your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
“What’s the point!? This is just too hard and I can’t seem to escape this fight so I am just going to give in…I am just going to lay down and a die!”
This thought has not just crossed my mind, but crosses my thoughts daily. I want to give up, throw in the towel and stop the battle because it is too hard…it can appear so hopeless.
The first thing I notice about this thought pattern is where my hope is lying. I put my hope in myself and what I am able to do. Then when I realize how weak, sinful and wretched I am in I want to give up. This gives me reason to never put my hope in me but in Christ and Christ alone.
Psalm 33:19-21 says this;
“to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.”
These words speak to the core of who I long to be and yet so often am not. Many times in my life I feel the fear of death and the ‘famine’ I face have consumed me and nothing can deliver or redeem. This again is because so many times my hope is found outside of Jesus.
How can I do this? Well, thanks to the greatest message ever to touch my soul, because of the GRACE that Jesus Christ poured out on the Cross I am free from this burden. It is because of the amazing grace of God that I am able to place my hope in Him, find my strength in him, and give my life to Him.
In a world where I am constantly bombarded with lies about sex, money and power I need to be ready to resist with tenacity! It is not ok to give in and allow the evil one to consume my mind and heart (which are always joined) and bring me to a place of hopelessness.
It is my conviction that we must be ready and willing to fight. We cannot politely say “Oh, no thank you, no lust for me today please.” Or “Nope I won’t give into my pride because I really think humility is better.”
NO, we need to meet our temptations at centre ice, drop our gloves, square off and be ready for a battle. With tenacity and by the grace of God, we FIGHT!
We look our temptation in the eye and we scream “NO, YOU DON’T GET TO CONSUME ME! I AM HIS (Jesus) AND HE IS MINE. YOU MUST LEAVE NOW!”
I think we like to justify and give in too easily in the name of ‘being nice’ or really just being cowardly!
But I can’t do that anymore and God has ignited a passion in me to not just say ‘No’ but RESIST WITH TENACITY that which ultimately will rob, kill and destroy.
Satan gets no ground in my marriage, my ministry or my life. And I want to call all who long to be men and women of the cross to stand up and resist!
1Timothy 6:10-12 says this;
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Oh Abba would you fill me with this longing, this pursuit of righteousness. To be a man who stands for godliness, faith, love, enduring suffering, and with love and gentleness, surrender my will and have it replaced by yours…I cry out “I am a sinner or God” but by your grace I am saved.
You have promised me that if I FLEE the evil one He must go, in your name, because you are a conquer and have called us to be more the conquerors in your name (Rom. 8)! I need your strength for this my God.
Friends lets rise up, lets stand up for what we believe in, and with a tenacious resistant we will hush the devil and bring praise, glory and honor to the name of Jesus and the world will know not just what, but who we fight for!
“Be self-controlled and alert. 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 your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
“What’s the point!? This is just too hard and I can’t seem to escape this fight so I am just going to give in…I am just going to lay down and a die!”
This thought has not just crossed my mind, but crosses my thoughts daily. I want to give up, throw in the towel and stop the battle because it is too hard…it can appear so hopeless.
The first thing I notice about this thought pattern is where my hope is lying. I put my hope in myself and what I am able to do. Then when I realize how weak, sinful and wretched I am in I want to give up. This gives me reason to never put my hope in me but in Christ and Christ alone.
Psalm 33:19-21 says this;
“to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.”
These words speak to the core of who I long to be and yet so often am not. Many times in my life I feel the fear of death and the ‘famine’ I face have consumed me and nothing can deliver or redeem. This again is because so many times my hope is found outside of Jesus.
How can I do this? Well, thanks to the greatest message ever to touch my soul, because of the GRACE that Jesus Christ poured out on the Cross I am free from this burden. It is because of the amazing grace of God that I am able to place my hope in Him, find my strength in him, and give my life to Him.
In a world where I am constantly bombarded with lies about sex, money and power I need to be ready to resist with tenacity! It is not ok to give in and allow the evil one to consume my mind and heart (which are always joined) and bring me to a place of hopelessness.
It is my conviction that we must be ready and willing to fight. We cannot politely say “Oh, no thank you, no lust for me today please.” Or “Nope I won’t give into my pride because I really think humility is better.”
NO, we need to meet our temptations at centre ice, drop our gloves, square off and be ready for a battle. With tenacity and by the grace of God, we FIGHT!
We look our temptation in the eye and we scream “NO, YOU DON’T GET TO CONSUME ME! I AM HIS (Jesus) AND HE IS MINE. YOU MUST LEAVE NOW!”
I think we like to justify and give in too easily in the name of ‘being nice’ or really just being cowardly!
But I can’t do that anymore and God has ignited a passion in me to not just say ‘No’ but RESIST WITH TENACITY that which ultimately will rob, kill and destroy.
Satan gets no ground in my marriage, my ministry or my life. And I want to call all who long to be men and women of the cross to stand up and resist!
1Timothy 6:10-12 says this;
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Oh Abba would you fill me with this longing, this pursuit of righteousness. To be a man who stands for godliness, faith, love, enduring suffering, and with love and gentleness, surrender my will and have it replaced by yours…I cry out “I am a sinner or God” but by your grace I am saved.
You have promised me that if I FLEE the evil one He must go, in your name, because you are a conquer and have called us to be more the conquerors in your name (Rom. 8)! I need your strength for this my God.
Friends lets rise up, lets stand up for what we believe in, and with a tenacious resistant we will hush the devil and bring praise, glory and honor to the name of Jesus and the world will know not just what, but who we fight for!
No comments:
Post a Comment