256. WHEN YOU’RE A TARGET OF RAGING WARFARE

(The Faith Forum Series – Batch 7)

Note to self (and to any other believer who needs to hear this):

On any given day, know that if you are a child of the King, the enemy will send people and all kinds of situations your way, to harass you, rile you up, make you fret, provoke you and event tempt you. Don’t be surprised when these things happen and don’t be dismayed. Don’t be overwhelmed or give up, especially on those days when an avalanche of attacks seem leveled against you and with great intensity, some brazenly blatant and others cunningly subtle.

There are days when the battle will be threefold: The world, the devil and even your own flesh will be coming after you and mercilessly trying to take you down. Keep pressing on. Keep your eyes on Jesus Christ. Nothing takes him by surprise, not even what you’ve been up against. He is all powerful and able to keep you so trust him to get you through it and over it.

You can’t stop the enemy from dispatching his arrows but you can resist him. You have a shield of faith that can quench ALL the fiery darts of the wicked, even when the darts come unexpectedly and take you off guard (Ephesians 6:16).

No matter what comes against you and how tired you feel, you can respond to situations and people in ways that will please almighty God, not the enemy. When people come to provoke, stress or ridicule you, don’t get upset therefore. The enemy loves that. When they pick a fight against you or try their best to push your buttons in underhanded ways, don’t fret. The enemy loves that. Don’t lose your cool and get all worked up. The enemy loves that. He loves to see you miserable. Don’t give him that satisfaction. He hates it when you exude joy and declare that the joy of the Lord is your strength, so do that! He hates it when you read your Bible and apply the verses to your situation, for the Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). It is “…quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…” (Hebrews 4:12).

By all means fight therefore but in the spirit. Use your weapons. Pray, fast, read, apply and most importantly, obey the Word.

Don’t waste time and effort fighting in the natural. Control yourself. Take stock of your actions. Refrain from speaking or doing evil. Do not retaliate or worry. Take whatever is happening, even what you don’t understand and even when all that is taking place seems crazy and let God know. There may be no peace without but let him be your peace within.

Say boldly, even as the Psalmist said in Psalm 27:1-3:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be CONFIDENT .”

Don’t be afraid therefore, not of the devil (and his minions), the world or even that earthly nature that you see within your own flesh, which fights daily with the divine nature that is also in you and sometimes acts up in such a way, that it shocks you. Indeed, as Paul noted about his own flesh and as Peter found out, when he did what he thought he would never do and considered himself as not even capable of ever doing, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Romans 7:18).

Whatever you’re facing therefore, from whichever of your foes (and sometimes, it is a combination of all three coming up against you at the same time), don’t throw in the towel. Isaiah 59:19 assures that, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” Don’t despair therefore because it feels like you’re facing all sorts of attacks and all kinds of weird things keep happening, some seemingly orchestrated. Don’t feel as if you’re going through this alone while other Christians seem to be coasting through life without any of these problems. Don’t feel despondent because none of them seem to be able to make sense of what you’re going through, to explain why or to offer a helping hand because they’re too busy with their own affairs and nobody seemingly cares enough to pray (and even fast with) you through this.

Even if nobody else understands or cares to understand, remember that God understands what’s happening and why. He is seeing all that is taking place in the spiritual realm and nothing can happen unless he allows it.

He has equipped you for every battle, even if you feel like a weakling and even where the battle is within. For every dart, whether within or without, He wants you to have the right response, no matter what. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). Aim to therefore please and honour HIM in everything you do.

1 Peter 4 reminds us:

“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you… But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer…

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf…Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”

(Written on 20th August, 2022)

Dear Reader, if you found the above Article to be interesting, informative, beneficial or edifying, you may also be interested in reading the following:

Note 12 – ‘Stressful Attacks – How David, Hannah And Jehoshaphat Handled It‘
Note 77 – ‘Tired Of The Storm, Sterility, Stagnancy And Silence? – Create A Spiritual Safe House’
Note 160 – ‘Biblical Fasting – What Is It And Is It Important?‘
Note 161 – ‘Overcoming Oppression -Spiritual Warfare’
Note 224 – ‘Dear Enemy Of My Soul – I Will Not Retreat!’
Note 241 – ‘Fearless Against Our Foes’
Note 242 – ‘Note To Self: Feeling Defeated? Check Your Armour’
Note 243 – ‘Overcoming That Accusatory Spirit’
Note 245 – ‘Stand Guard – A World In Mutiny’
Note 255 -‘Facebook Says I Went Against Community Standards’