Winning The Battle Of Life

 

DAILY VITAMIN

- Winning The Battle Of Life

"I have given you authority over all the power of the Enemy, and to walk among serpents and scorpions and to crush them. Nothing shall injure you." (Luke 10:19 TLB)

If there's one thing we can never completely escape in this world, it is trials. The Bible says man's days are few but full of troubles (Job 14:1). No one can avoid them. If you don't go to them, they will come to you. As long as you're still in this world, you cannot be totally rid of them; be it in the form of a troublesome neighbor, or a pesky boss, or simply just direct spiritual attacks. We can never truly live life without encountering them.

As the opening scripture depicted, we live in world inhabited by serpents and scorpions. Some in human form like us, others as extraterrestrial forces. Yet in all these, we are expected to overcome. 

Little wonder Jesus never promised us a trouble-free life, rather He only assured us of a trouble-less one. In that though they would come but He has overcome them already (John 16:33). From time to time you might encounter such trials, but victory is ours already. As David wrote, weeping may last for a night but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). So there's always a time you might feel like weeping due to the pressures around you, a moment before the dawn of your restoration when you'd think all is lost. This might last for weeks, months or even years as with Job, but there is a way to come forth as Jesus destined us to--victorious; and it's much more possible now with the Holy Spirit in us helping us. Thus,

1. Trust in the Lord: The Bible says that the people who know their God shall be strong and do exploits (Dan 11:32) Do you know what it means to know God? It is to grow in Him, and this is dependent on knowledge (2 Peter 1:3-4), and knowledge is the raw material for faith. You must understand that just like the soul the human spirit feeds on knowledge. It is corrupted or transformed by nothing else but knowledge. This is why even our salvation is a product of knowledge-- the knowledge of what Christ did and our willingness to accept it as truth. Hence the more we know Him, the more we grow in faith, and as a result trust Him better. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews insinuates that faith is how we get on God's side, and this involves believing Him to be all He says He is and to do all He says He will (Heb 11:6). And to such a person, the scripture says that though the lion may suffer lack in times of trouble but not him because God will show up in his defense (Psalm 34:10). Therefore, as you put your trust in God, it's like an insurance policy that will pay off in days of trouble. Because no one has ever trusted in God and ever regretted it (Psalm 37:5)

2. Pray at all times: Prayer is not just a tool of defense but for attack. When Herod came after the apostles, they didn't just chicken away and flee. No. They gathered together and prayed. Their prayer brought an end to Herod. He had sought to kill Peter but died weeks later. In your tongue is the power of life and death, and this is more significantly true in prayer. A praying man has power as great as a dynamo. Effectual in its working (James 5:16). As such, when you feel the enemy forces gathering against you, get on your knees, and open your mouth in prayer. Remember what the psalmist wrote, though they gathered against him but in the name of the Lord he destroyed them all (Psalm 118:10). And how did he do this? Via prayer. A praying man is a winning man.

3. Live a godly life: The devil works against man through loopholes. That's why he couldn't harm Job without God's permission. He couldn't find any. Same as with Jesus. Jesus said he came but found nothing in Him, and for the reason had no power over Him (John 14:30). And what creates this loophole from which he inflicts afflictions and torments? A life of sin. Sin grants him entry. As the proverb says sin is a reproach, but righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34). The righteous can run to God and be safe. Their righteousness will speak for them, and in the face of righteousness all powers of the evil ones fail. That's why it's how God has empowered us to  spiritually safeguard ourselves in warfare, and as such called it the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:11-18).

These, though simple, are the easiest ways to come forth victorious in the cycle of life's unpredictability. As clearly revealed in Ephesians 6. Practice them now and see how quickly your life will begin to change.