Is this really what we believe? Well is it? When I think about the question, the answer is NO we don't.
Ephesians6:11 says Put on God's whole armor (the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies), that you may be able successfully to stand up against (ALL) the strategies and the deceits of the devil.
This is the mental picture that we would all have of what the soldier should looks like, but God's Word tells us that we put on His armor. His Word.
Ephesians6:12-13 says For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood (contending only with physical opponents), but against the despotisms (tyrannies), against the powers, against (the master spirits who are) the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day (of danger), and, having done all (the crises demands), to stand (firmly in your place). (Meaning you will not be moved).
In other words we are not fighting flesh and blood, so guns are not going to help us only God's Word which we need to know and be able to quote and stand on when the devil attacks us. The picture of the soldier is simply an illustration of how we must guard our bodies and our minds with God's Word. (There must be not place for satan to enter).
Let's say your mountain that you are facing is anger. You know you have a problem with anger and need to resolve it. If you are going let God be the Lord of your life He needs to change you. So anger needs to go.
But He is not going to let you go to Him and say God please help me with my anger and not give you an assignment on anger? Think about it. So He allows your anger to be tested and if you do not succeed the first time He will continue your test until you get 100%. Oh and remember the person or situation on the other end is your test. God uses anyone to do things in our lives whether they are good or bad. He uses people. Also remember just because you passed today does not mean you cannot be tested again. Mmm
And so are all our mountains that we face. It does not matter what it is. If it is an issue in your life God is going to use it to make (not ask your permission) you change. God wants us to be holy, but we cannot be holy if we have things that are hindering us.
The reason why we are brought down by our mountains is because we allow satan to come into our minds with "stupid" thoughts and we entertain them instead of telling him where to get off. He cannot do anything to you if you do not allow it. Remember God has given us free will so if your will is to let satan play with your mind then you are going to suffer the consequences, right? It is so much easier to give in and say I can't do this than to be like the lion in picture above and say TRY ME! I have got God on my side, satan you loose.
I remember standing in church one Sunday morning during praise and worship and God spoke to me about a similar picture of a lion that was hanging on the wall. He said to me - we all have the spirit of that lion in us we just need to find it. We need to stop being mice in the army of God.
Our mountains are our bondage and God leads us out of a situation to deliver us from any kind of bondage, but it is a process and God takes us through it one step at a time and then He gives us something better.
At times God will lead us the hard way instead of the easy way because He is doing a specific work in us. How will we ever learn to lean on God if everything in our lives is easy for us to handle by ourselves?
God lead the Israelites the long, difficult way through the wilderness in preparation for the battles they would face in possessing the Promised Land. God wanted to teach them Who He was and that they could depend on Him to fight their battles (and ours).
Many of us think when we enter our Promised Land we will not have anymore spiritual battles, but that is not so! If you know God has asked you to do something, do not back down just because it gets hard. When things get tough, spend more time with Him, lean more on Him, and receive more grace from Him.
Grace does not come at a cost to you; grace is the power of God working in and through you to do those things you cannot do.
Be aware of your thoughts - I can't do this; it's just too hard. Do not let your mind give up! satan knows that if he can defeat you in your mind, he can defeat you in your experience. That is why it so important not to lose heart and not grow weary or faint. God is able to keep you. God will never allow more to come on you than you can bear.
1 Corinthians10:13 says For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), (no matter how it comes or where it leads) has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man (that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear). But God is faithful (to His Word and to His compassionate nature), and He (can be trusted) not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation he will (always) also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.
So are you ready to face your mountain?
Lord help me to do something DYNAMIC for You today!
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