Fighting a War with Confidence
People describe themselves in so many ways. Some say, “I’m not a math person,” or “I’m not a grammarian of the English language” & others claim, “I am just not that studious, smart, athletic, or even a people-person.” Truly, not everyone can be everything! There’s probably a sigh of relief & an exclamation of “Thank You, God.”
In God’s Word, we find many instances of those who were born one way, physically, only to be reborn, spiritually, to become brand new in their name, character & faith. Consider:
- Abram—Abraham
- Sarai—Sarah
- Jacob—Israel
- Simon–Peter
- Saul of Tarsus—the apostle Paul
It is the apostle Paul’s letter, inspired by God & written to the church at Corinth, that captures my attention this day. Please pause to read the way Paul describes himself.
“Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—
(The Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 10: 1-4 NASB)
I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!
I ask that when I am present
I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some,
who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.
For though we walk in the flesh,
we do not war according to the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,
but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”
Satan is not troubled by us. That’s right. In and of ourselves, we do not cause any fear in the devil; however, when we pray, when we confess God as our LORD—then immediately the devil becomes troubled.
“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God,
(The Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 10: 5-7 NASB)
and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
and we are ready to punish all disobedience,
whenever your obedience is complete.
You are looking at things as they are outwardly.
If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s,
let him consider this again within himself,
that just as he is Christ’s so also are we.”
[We can know God because we have chosen to be in Christ, as in obedience to HIM!]
Martin Luther testified as such (and I paraphrase): We cannot stop the birds from flying over top our heads, but we can keep those same birds from landing and building their nests on the top of our heads. Meaning—thoughts are plentiful throughout the days we live, but our thoughts are NOT harmless because our thoughts generate from the evilness deep within our hearts. If we do not believe so, then take up the Bible to read because the Bible tells us so!
The thoughts that come from our hearts into our minds are the preparations for the actions that may manifest. Thus, the apostle Paul cautions the believers living in Corinth (and us alive today):
“For though we walk in the flesh,
(The Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 10: 3-6 NASB)
we do not war according to the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,
but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God,
and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
and we are ready to punish all disobedience,
whenever your obedience is complete.”
When we pray to our Father & when we confess God as our LORD—then immediately our enemy Satan becomes troubled because he wants to block our focus & create a barrier between God and us.
Satan recognizes the power of prayer.
Therefore—
- When God’s people humble themselves to pray, just watch the way Satan runs.
&
- When Christ’s followers lift our praise to our Father, just watch the way Satan quakes.
&
- When God’s children kneel in prayer to God, just watch the way the devil must leave—for it is a truth of God—the devil cannot remain where Jesus resides!
The Bible tells us so!
Let the children of God NEVER FORGET how we are to be Fighting a War with the Power of God & with His Courage & within His Confidence!
Toward the end of the Scriptures, it is the apostle John who was led by God to write what the little children of God know—
“We know that no one who is born of God sins;
(The First Letter of John 5: 18-21 NASB)
but He who was born of God keeps him,
and the evil one does not touch him.
We know that we are of God,
and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
[Fight the War with Confidence]
And we know that the Son of God has come,
and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true;
and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God and eternal life.
Little children, guard yourselves from idols.”