from my morning devotions ... "The One Year walk with God devotional"
~ chris tiegreen
The Christian life is not a playground; it is a
battleground.
~ Warren Wiersbe
~ Warren Wiersbe
IN WORD Satan rules a rogue nation in one
small corner of God’s cosmos. But to us, it’s not a faraway corner; we were
born in it. It is exceedingly relevant to our lives. It affects us every day,
constraining our choices and influencing our personalities. We were born as its
citizens, destined to die when it is overthrown. But we have found a way of
escape: We can fall as refugees into the safe asylum of Jesus. His Kingdom
will grant us protection.
Paul tells Timothy that everyone – no exceptions – who wants
to live a godly life will face persecution. This is one of God’s promises we
rarely claim by faith, but it is certain anyway. It’s a solid guarantee: We
will be harassed within our born-again hearts and harassed on the outside by a
campaign of misinformation and even physical threats. Temptations aim to
dissuade us from our holy calling, and people try to convince us that we need to
conform to their wishes and their corrupt world. The battle wasn’t over the day
we placed our faith in Jesus. It had only just begun.
Evil doesn’t die without a fight, and sometimes the fight can
be really nasty. Satan’s tactics aren’t fair; lawlessness is one of his core
attributes. We might as well get used to his attempts to hit us below the
belt. We cannot turn a blind eye to his tactics. The only sure way to resist
them is to be aware of them. Our awareness will turn us to the refuge of Jesus
at exactly the right times.
IN DEED Do you wonder why you struggle? Are
you disheartened because you thought the Christian life was easier than this?
Avoid such illusions. You’re in a war. Maybe you didn’t realize that when you
joined the Kingdom, but you will have to realize it now.
The good news is that the only harm that can come to you in
this battle is temporary, and the only victory Satan can win is psychological.
Real victory, lasting victory, is certain. It is our inheritance. Do not be
disheartened. Stand firm. The day of triumph is coming.
Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
2 Timothy 3:12
3 comments:
This brings to mind... The. Story of queen Esther. 'For such a time as this'. May God hold us close and keep us faithful.
We are having a beautiful day here.. And revival meetings started today.. I am having a good rest this afternoon.
Hope you are too!
You are so right. Life with Christ is both roses and thorns. Just now I also need that one his names is The Comforter"I cling to that. I cannot protect myself. He can and he will.
We need this kind of straight talk and encouragement now that the days are waxing darker all around us. It's good to remember also that The Lord told us we would have struggles! We shouldn't be surprised- but rather encouraged! Xxoo
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