I am not a fighter. I do not like hurting people or being hurt by people, especially physically. If I have the opportunity to fight or make peace, I’d rather make peace. However, there is an exception…

There is a very real enemy that comes only to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). Like really, he wants you dead, utterly lifeless, and fully disconnected from God. This enemy, Satan, wants nothing more than for you, who are the Bride of Christ, to be divorced from your Husbandman, Holy God. Divorce equals death. Have you ever been in a fight and you think that you all are going to throw the fair ones (fist fighting), and then your opponent pulls out a razor or gun? What would go through your head? I can tell you right now, I’d be thinking fight or flight. Our opponent Satan does not play fair. He doesn’t fight to hurt, he fights to kill. This enemy, I want annihilated and finished like a Mortal Combat match.

I rarely blog when I am in the midst of an attack. I like to always have a word of encouragement to get you through, but when I’m going through, phew! I don’t want to encourage anyone and I NEED the encouragement myself! But this time is different. I have to fight this time. My focus is worth it, My view of God remaining untainted by Satan’s lies is worth it, and my ability to be an unveiled light is worth this fight.

I was challenged by My Elizabeth to “fall in love with what God gave me.” I looked in front of me and this blog is one thing He gave me. So here I am you all, in a fight against apathy, the lies of Satan, and self pity. I am fighting with different weapons than I’ve engaged in battles past. I am engaging hearing: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17 I am also engaging praise: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5 Lastly, I am engaging my weapon of remembering: “My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.” Psalm 42:6 “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” Psalm 143:5 Not only am I remembering what Jesus has done, but who He is and how he loves me.

I heard an exhortation from a sister and she said something to the effect of, “No one has to force you to fall in love. The more time you intimately spend with the person, the more naturally you grow to love and deepen the love with that person. That is how it is with God.” My intimacy is a weapon. Loving and obeying Jesus is the most radical expression of intimacy there is… then wanting the friut not just for you, but for others!? OF COURSE you’re going to be attacked! Do you realize what’s in you?! Square off sis, square off!

Here are our weapons one more time as we square off with Satan:

1. Hearing– to increase our faith in God
2. Praise– to confuse the enemy and throw off the heaviness we feel
3. Remembering– remember and meditating on the Truth so we can identify and dismiss the lies
4. Intimacy– to know, truly know and love, truly love our Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Infinite God. He is love, and to love Him is to obey Him, which sets us radically at odds against the enemy, Satan.

Forgive me, I am speaking as though you know what “square off” means. To square off is to prepare to engage in a fight with another person. The wonderful thing about us squaring off with the evil on is that the battle is not ours, it is the Lord’s (2 Chronicles 20:15)! When we fight differently by hearing, praising, remembering, and being intimate with God, we show up, and HE does the fighting. It is a fixed fight and WE (His true followers) are on the winning side! Be encouraged! The battle is the Lord’s! Now, square up!

#refreshher #squareoff #squareup #fightright #betterweapons #encouragingmyself