The battle part 3

When Jesus gave His life on the cross it gave all of us who accept Him the ability to have a restored relationship with the Lord. We have the Holy Spirit in us and the Lord’s freedom, love and grace to follow Him and give our lives to what ever he calls us to.  Because of Jesus every person has the freedom to seek the Lord whole heartedly to become who he made them to be.

 

We know satan cannot take or steal this eternal life from us. 1 Peter 1:4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. When we follow Jesus there is a journey He has for each of us. In John 10 Jesus is our Good Shepherd and came to give us life in Him and has a plan for our life. The enemy will try to steal kill and destroy this plan. John 10:10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. The enemy will always use very deceptive ways to steal what Jesus has for us.

 

A great comparison is when God freed is people from slavery in Egypt and they had to travel through this wilderness desert to get to the promise land. It was this beautiful plentiful land and better life He gave them. But they had to travel through some rough places and they had to battle the enemy some were giants. I noticed one day reading the bible that in Genesis 6 the nephilim were created when the sons of God angles had intercourse with women. God destroyed every living thing with a flood except Noah and His family and animals that was on the boat. But later the giants are back and they had to fight them on various occasions. This was a reminder to me to be alert to the enemy we deal with. After we have victory he can always come back. They had to be dependent on God, learn His ways, obedience and to fight in His strength. I think for me this is a great comparison when we accept Jesus we die to our old nature and He lives in us. We are free to follow Him and grow in our new nature and experience his love and grace and the life He has for us.

 

Jesus will always want to lead us to the cross. A place where each of us die to our old self and become more Like Him. The Holy Spirit which led Jesus into the desert to be tested and tempted by satan. Jesus had a purpose and mission and was lead to die on a cross. He died so we could have life in Him. Jesus will want to lead us to the plan and purpose he has for our life. I like what Francis Frangipane wrote, I can’t copy word for word so I will try to explain. He uses an example of psalm 23 where God is our Shepherd and will take care of us and lead us beside peaceful streams and give us victory over our enemies. While God does all these things he will also lead us to the journey, battle and plan he has for each of us. This may be a difficult place at times but he has a battle or journey specifically designed for each of us. May be a place where we have fears or have had a bad experience before. He leads us into the storm and we find Jesus in the eye of the storm. But this is where we find God in a deeper way and become more one with Him. We experience His peace in a deeper way and become stronger in our faith. Francis writes though the battle may be difficult with failures you will grow spiritually and have victory in God. The battle you are in will soon become a meal to you an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually. So in other words the battle or storm he wants to lead you into for His glory may be a place you naturally won’t want to go but over time will make you spiritually strong in Him.  

 

I think Satan the deceiver will want to keep you from this battle or place because he knows that is where you will find and live with the fullness of Jesus in your life. Colossians 2:9-10 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.  So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. Satan will want us to fear this journey Jesus has for us. Romans 8:15-17 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

 

I don’t have this figured out for myself completely but would like to try to let go and go on this journey into this battle to find what Jesus has for me. I do believe this is real for not only my own life but for all men. I spend a lot of time in a mentoring ministry with men so I know this is a common thing for all men. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so we can be enslaved in anything other then what he made us for.

 

What we think this is for our life and what Jesus wants may be two different views. John the Baptist was raised for a specific purpose for the Lord. His ministry lasted six months and he was beheaded. Doesn’t sound very appealing to most but Jesus said in Matthew 11:11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. What Jesus  made us for may not always be what we want or what everyone else wants.

 

The next devotional will be on a passive spirit when it comes to taking this journey and dealing with the enemy.