The Confidence in Knowing that God is On Your Side

Devotional Reading September 11, 2023

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” —Ephesians 6:10-11

Where does humanity fit into the great controversy between the literal supernatural powers of good and evil?

For the righteous, we are the seed of Abraham who has made a covenant with Christ, the Source of the believer’s strength. Yet, we are the target of Satan’s spiritual warfare in which we are powerless without Divine Help. We derive our power from the Source of Life, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“We love Him because he first loved us.” —1 John 4:19

Our relationship with Christ is based on love. Through the gift of His life, Jesus has already proven His overwhelming love for us. Still, Jesus serves as our Heavenly Intercessor. Through Him, we receive Agape love, salvation, God’s grace, mercy, and the forgiveness of our sins. It is our choice to embrace His love through surrender and faithful obedience to His commandments and God’s will.

The Believers Requirement: The relationship with Christ requires a heart filled with love, surrender, faith, and obedience—Jesus must be our First Love.

As we progress into the unknown future, from studying Revelation prophecies, we know the battle of spiritual warfare will intensify. As the prophetic events unfold, those who fail to make a steadfast commitment of consecration and surrender to Christ will lose their courage to fight the good fight of faith. The connection to God is one that we establish and maintain through our daily worship practices of reverencing and honoring God. Christ is our anchor!

For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. —Ephesians 3:14-19

In our personal worship, we separate ourselves from spouses, children, and electronic devices to have alone time with God. It takes a concerted effort to maintain our one-to-one relationship with Christ. From our willingness to put God first, we receive strength, discernment, and wisdom from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. “…but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed'” (1 Samuel 2:30, last part).

The Spiritual Conflict we face every day requires the sacrificial practice of putting God first. Facing the tasks of daily living along with the unexpected life events combined with ongoing spiritual warfare would leave us defeated without spiritual nourishment and reinforcement.

We cannot live off of yesterday’s worship. Every day we receive new mercies that require our commitment to much praying, studying the Bible, and taking the time to include the quietness of spiritual meditation. Our desire to listen to the Voice of God allows the Holy Spirit to reveal a deeper insight into our relationship with Christ. With a heart filled with gratitude, we can reflect on the goodness of God despite the circumstances.

“Strength for every current and future conflict is to be found in the believer’s solidarity [oneness] with the resurrected and exalted Christ.” John K. McVay, PhD

God’s Promise: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me, says the LORD.” — Isaiah 54:16-17

Although the battle is continuous, God has ensured that we can be Victorious Overcomers! All three members of the Triune Godhead are involved in every believer’s life. We have guardian angels who fight Satan and his evil angels 24/7. Thankfully we are unaware of these battles because our eyes are shielded from the activities in the spiritual realm.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” —Psalm 46:1 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” —Isaiah 40:29

God’s promises to give us power through the Holy Spirit to fight against the battles of evil. Our role is to consecrate ourselves as soldiers in God’s Army. Striving to live holy is possible when we totally surrender ourselves to God. The human effort of putting God first by seeking Him in prayer throughout our waking hours unleashes God’s power and promises.

“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God:” —Deuteronomy 28:1-2

God honors our dedication and obedience! We receive many blessings including the blessings of peace and joy from having the assurance that we are living in the perfect will of God. From our faithfulness, we have unwavering confidence and courage in the power and might of the Lord. It pays to serve the LORD!

Scripture: “Our soul waits for the LORD, He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.” — Psalm 33:20-21

Prayer: Lord, draw us close to you, closer than before, closer than we have ever been with You. We promise to dedicate ourselves to You by giving You the honor, the glory, and the praise for the rest of our lives, In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries