FIGHTING THE BATTLES THAT MATTER
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16 (NIV)
There is a battle going on all around us. There are no swords, uniforms or battle lines. Instead, our enemy often works quietly—through temptation, discouragement, distraction, deception, fear, accusation and compromise. Beyond the struggles around us, there's a deeper, more crucial battle going on inside us. A battle for what we believe, what we love, what we think about, what we pursue and whom we will trust.
This battle affects every part of our lives.
Oddly enough, sometimes fighting the enemy looks surprisingly ordinary. A while back, someone said something about me that wasn't true. My first instinct was to defend myself, straighten them out and make sure everyone knew my side of the story. I could feel myself rehearsing the conversation in my head—what I would say, how I would say it and how I would prove them wrong. But somewhere in the middle of all that, I realized there was a bigger battle going on. The real battle wasn't between that person and me. The enemy was trying to pull me toward anger, resentment and pride. I could feel this was the real battle I was up against. So, I decided to fight that battle God's way. I prayed for the person. I asked God to guard my heart. And I chose to let it go. Nothing dramatic happened. No miracle. No great victory anyone else could see. But that day, in one small ordinary moment, the enemy didn't get what he wanted.
As Kingdom men and women, we live in enemy territory. Let's stay close to Jesus so we end up fighting the battles that really matter.
APPLICATION: Ask God to help you recognize where the real battle is taking place in your life today. Instead of spending your strength fighting people or circumstances, stand firm in Christ, fill your mind with truth and choose to live today as someone whose loyalty belongs to Jesus the King.
PRAYER: Father, open my eyes to the battles that matter. Help me recognize the enemy's lies, resist temptation and stand in Your truth. Keep me close to Jesus, remembering that the strongest life is not focused on the enemy, but on Christ—the One in me who is greater than the world. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?