Never forget my friends, Satan is against us. He does not want you to finish this race strong. So when you get a second wind or you reach a steady stride in the race set before you, He will try to weaken your resolve or put an obstacle in your way.
Friends if you have not been met with spiritual warfare in your walk with Christ, I wonder if you have ever really left the bench at all. Spiritual warfare, trials, and conflict are part of our journey with Jesus. If we are to live as He has lived, His life was not full of understanding and total harmony. He was at odds with the spiritual leaders of the day because He was radically changing and transforming their view of religion. He was trying to change how they interacted with one another and free them from the bondage of the law by fulfilling it through His atonement and sacrifice on the cross. Jesus lived in the midst of conflict. He was misunderstood and wrongly accused. He loved all and wanted all to come to know Him, but His love was rejected and exchanged for power, pride, and personal agendas. Jesus was love surrounded by conflict, should we expect any less?
My friends, I write this not to cripple you but to empower you and to bring you understanding and hope. The battles being waged against you should not make you weak but instead cause you to rejoice and make you strong. Jesus was surrounded by all this conflict but He was victorious over death through the cross. It did not slow Him down or cause Him to stumble, instead He focused on the prize and the love of the Father to give Him the strength to be the sacrifice for all mankind. This same power and strength is available to us today. My friends, we have won. Satan has no chance in victory because victory was claimed when Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross.
I don't know what spiritual warfare is being waged against you my friends. I do not know if it is a broken relationship or maybe a whisper inside your head saying you will never be good enough. I don't know if it's an addiction, mountain of financial debt, or physical aliments that cannot be cured. I do know Satan will use any means necessary to win because he still believes he can. The ultimate deceiver has deceived himself and when he feels he is loosing ground, he will actively try to make you stumble, loose focus, and doubt yourself so you cannot complete your race or be as effective in your walk with Christ.
Today let's rejoice in our struggles and draw strength from Him in our weaknesses. Let's celebrate during spiritual warfare and conflict for they are indicators we are running the race and not sitting the bench. Let's pray and seek guidance during times of conflict and confusion for wisdom will be given when we call upon Him for answers. Let's strive to love unconditionally and show kindness when it is not deserved for unconditional love and kindness were bestowed to us on the cross.
Run the race strong and do not be discouraged or side tracked. Lean on Him for help and understanding. Trust in God and truly be at peace for we are His and He has won. Celebrate and draw strength from His victory because through Him we are victorious. Keep your eyes on Jesus, finish the race.
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
~ Hebrews 12: 1-3
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