Facing Internal and External Opposition? God Always Wins! Devotional Reading August 31, 2023
Who can control the internal battle of a sinful heart or win the external battles of strife without praying for Divine power?
Living in perilous times [2 Timothy 3] has led many believers to become distracted. We are trying to fight battles—internal and external that originate from spiritual warfare [that we cannot possibly win] without God. Human wisdom and strategies are extremely limited in fighting against the temptations and deceptions of Satan—never forget that he is a fallen angel.
Jesus’ Human Status on Earth: “You made him a little lower than the angels…” —Hebrews 2:7-8
Jesus, the Commander of Angel Armies and the Son of God was born as a human baby and was required to be tempted and suffer just like us. God also required Jesus to learn obedience to human parents and earthly laws. For Jesus to live and think as a human being, He had to give up part of His Omnipotence—Divine Power while living on this earth.
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” —Hebrews 4:15
When Jesus was in heaven, His mind and will were connected and in perfect harmony with God, His Father. Once He was born as a human, Jesus had to pray constantly to seek the will of God. Obedience to God was His highest priority! Humanity always requires an Intercessor! The Holy Spirit also interceded for Jesus when He was living on this earth.
Yes, Jesus was human and divine, but in humility and surrender, He accepted and acknowledged the limitations of becoming a human being—to be tempted along with struggle to obey the will of God. Constantly seeking His Father in prayer empowered Jesus to live in total obedience to God. Even at the time of His betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus gave reverence to God, His Father.
“Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” —Matthew 26:53-54, NIV
If Jesus the Son of God openly acknowledged that He always needed to call on His Father [in His earthly life] how much more do we need God in every aspect of our lives? Throughout the Gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John] we have Scriptural proof that Jesus was in constant communication with God, His Father.
“It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.” —Luke 6:12
The Apostle Paul describes Jesus’ prayer life: “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Though He was a Son, yet, He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” — Hebrews 5:7-8, NIV, NKJV
From Jesus, we have a Role Model who demonstrates how we must place our faith and trust in God, the Father. It is a privilege to have unlimited access to God the Father through praying.
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16
We are told to come boldly before the throne of grace in prayer. Prayer is so important to the believer’s life that the Holy Spirit intercedes by taking our prayer of misguided words and presenting them to Christ, our Heavenly Intercessor with reverence and deeper meaning.
Spiritual warfare will exist until Jesus’ Second Coming. Yes, we face temptations, but Satan is using two methods to attack our relationship with God.
Doubt: The method he used with Eve to create doubt in her mind is the same method he is using with us. Satan desires that we believe God is withholding the best from us. Without faithfully trusting in God, we will pursue our desires for success, wealth, and marriage and never pray for God’s guidance or blessings.
Division and Strife: He uses people [most often spouses, family members, friends, dating partners, and coworkers] to draw us into debates that result in division and strife. Yet, Satan has increased his game of warfare by luring many into the web of debating the Scriptures on social media.
We live in the time of a Spiritual War Zone and our minds are the battlefield! Those who fulfill the carnal desires of their hearts do not love God with all of their hearts, souls, and minds. They would rather compromise and accept Satan’s poor choices of people and tangible wealth [which always produce consequences] rather than wait for God’s perfect blessings.
The people in our lives who cause strife and incite our emotions of anger are being used by Satan. A believer who insists on having relationships with unbelievers [“Not everyone who says, Lord, Lord will enter in…” Matthew 7:21] whether they are husbands, wives, family, friends, or dating partners, sadly will lose their relationship with Christ. The believer is always the one who compromises!
Without praying for guidance from the Holy Spirit, we chase our carnal desires, make the wrong decisions, and do not have the power to control our emotions, and spoken words. A believer with a sinful spirit of disobedience or strife is in a lose-lose situation. Their focus is no longer on God, it is on self.
The Solution: In Ephesians chapter 6, we are told to put on the Whole Armor of God. We are defeated unless we stay in the presence of God through prayer and study of the Scriptures. To combat spiritual warfare, we must pray and rely on the Holy Spirit. When we surrender and ask for the Divine Strength of the Holy Spirit, we receive the wisdom and power to overcome all situations.
Praying throughout our waking hours is the key to victory. Talk to God. Not only does our relationship with Christ strengthen, but we begin to view life through spiritual eyes. Prayer enables us to receive wisdom and the Fruit of self-control. The Holy Spirit empowers us to place God’s will over our heart’s desires and amid strife either we remain silent or quote the Scriptures and walk away.
The impossible remains impossible without God. We must double or triple our prayers and begin searching, studying, and obeying the Scriptures. The spiritual battles we face can only be won when we put forth the human effort of faith, surrender, and obedience to God. We prepare ourselves to receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer indicating our desire for Divine Help.
God always requires us to surrender and obey first before He intervenes. When we fulfill our responsibilities to God then our Mighty Warrior God will demonstrate His Divine power and defeat every enemy we face, even our internal battles with the enemy of our carnal hearts!
Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 14
Prayer: “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name, we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” (2 Chronicles 14:11). Lord God, in faith, we pray the prayer of King Asa and we pray for deliverance from Satan and our earthly enemies. And we also ask for spiritual discernment and the power to fight our carnal desires. Thank You for the victory over our enemies. In Jesus’ Mighty name, we pray. Amen and Amen!
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