Have you ever had a day when your timing was just right, everything was flowing smoothly and then something happened to throw you off track, or a day when everything seemed to fall apart right from the start? You plan and plan and nothing goes according to plan. Maybe you have had a rush of anger or anxiety upon awakening first thing. The enemy likes to come in and knock you out of alignment.
I had a day like that recently. I had to get to the airport to catch a flight to a leader’s conference and we couldn’t find my 3 year old son. We panic-looked for a bit and then I realized, we needed to look in the most dangerous places - the pool, the road for instance. It turned out he was hiding. He thought he was in trouble so he was being really quiet. When we found him, we just wanted to hold him and cherish that moment of knowing he was ok. Even though I had to fly out, we sat together for five minutes to savor that reassuring moment. We prayed together and I left. Later in the day, after I left my wife home alone with three kids, my oldest came home, put down her bag and threw up everywhere. You might say this was a coincidence. It’s true, this happens to everyone. I think it could have been an attack by the enemy.
Did you know four out of ten Christians believe Satan is not real, that he’s just a symbol of evil and doesn’t really exist. We are in a season of warfare. God is moving and the enemy does not like it. This is a season when we need to understand our enemy, how he works and that we need to pray longer and harder, using the weapons God has given us.
Look at 1 Peter 4:12. My son was hiding because he thought he should be afraid. The enemy will push against you. Don't be surprised when something out of the ordinary happens. It’s hard. But step up. A recent example was a friend of mine preparing to conduct baptism service for his church for the first time, lost his pet that same morning before he went to church. He pressed in and pressed forward and still helped with baptisms. This was a declaration on his part, serving God in spite of what was thrown at him.
In Daniel 3:16-30 we see the Hebrew boys resisting. Do not bow to the pressure the enemy will bring. Nebuchadnezzar made an idol and commanded everyone to worship it. The spiritual warfare turned into physical annihilation. Nebuchadnezzar set up a furnace to destroy anyone who did not bow, but the boys declared that they would only serve God. The king was so mad, he ordered the furnace to be heated up seven times hotter and had them thrown in. But the boys didn’t burn, and didn’t even smell of smoke when they came out. While they were in the furnace, the king saw a fourth man in the furnace with them. Understanding what he saw, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that they were saved by the most high God. Have you let things take root in your life that are not of God? James 4:7 says to resist the devil and he will flee.
Spend time with Jesus. Pray scripture. I had a professor who loved to pray the Psalms. I thought that sounded like plagiarism but I started doing it as well. Those prayers changed my life. Jesus also models prayer for us in the New Testament. In Matthew 3 Jesus gets baptized and then he goes to the desert to be tempted. I’ve seen two trajectories happen when people get baptized. Some dive into scripture and expand their worship. Some experience breakthroughs in their lives. But, sometimes people experience great tragedy, having to deal with their junk.
Matthew 4:1 says Jesus was tested by the devil. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and spent 40 days fasting. He was hungry. Verse 3 shows the enemy tempting him to tell stones to become bread. Jesus used scripture to resist “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. The Spirit was in the driver’s seat and Jesus knew He wasn’t going to die because He still had purpose on this earth.. He was sent to die on a cross for us, not to die in the desert. He had no fear for what the enemy could do. The enemy could not derail Him because He knew His purpose. Pray scripture and ask God if you are squarely in His purpose for your life. If you aren't, He will lead you into it if you ask.
What about worship? That’s what the enemy wants most for himself. That’s why he was expelled from Heaven. We just finished The Heart of Worship series. If you haven’t listened to it, please go back and take time to learn about worship. Last week we learned about Paul and Silas and that worship breaks chains. You may not know you have chains but chances are that you do. Have you ever listened to worship music and it changed your mood? Music can shift an atmosphere. That’s why worship is at the beginning of each of our services. Worship songs are based in scripture. Sing them on your own, in your car, in your Bible study time, while you are cleaning. You will be amazed at the impact it has on your mindset. Listen to the words and take them to heart. When we worship, the enemy cannot stay. God inhabits the praises of His people and the enemy can’t be where God is. When you’re in spiritual warfare, worship. That’s when you need it most. Sing a little louder!
Another form of spiritual warfare is kneeling at the feet of Jesus. Surrender in humility, seeking the face of God and forgiveness of sin. Jesus was invited to a Pharisee’s house one day and a woman who had great sin in her past sneaked in, stood behind Jesus weeping over His feet and wiping them with her hair. She then anointed Him with oil. Jesus used this as a teaching moment. She worshiped Him in this way out of the depths of her gratefulness for the sin of which she had been forgiven. The account is in Luke 7:36-50. Jesus publicly forgave her sins which spoke volumes to those at the dinner. He revealed His authority to forgive sin and restore her and He will do the same for you.
God wants to help you! He is FOR YOU! Release your past, your hurts, your insecurities, your habitual sins, fear and anxiety to the Lord. You are on the edge of a miracle. Pray scripture. Get to your small group. Worship the Lord through the pain. Kneel and bow to a God who loves you and gave everything for you. The enemy is going to come at you. Resist the devil and use these weapons of spiritual warfare. God will work on your behalf if you release things to Him.
