A Call to Fight
In light of a recent article I read on the dark world of
social media --
https://medium.com/@anastasiabasilcunningham/porn-is-not-the-worst-thing-on-musical-ly-5df07ab842af
I am reminded that we are in the midst of a great battle. Too often, I forget this Truth. I sit back and enjoy my comfortable life, and
push back this nagging Word:
“Be
alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the
devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith,
because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing
the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter
5:8-9
But, as my oldest gets scarily close to those teenage
years, things are getting real. Boys,
phones, and the beginning of seeing if any of those things I taught her the
past 12 years have stuck! What if they
didn’t? What if she gets taken? What if she believes the lies? What if she goes astray?
Ever had any of these thoughts?
So what’s the answer?
Do we just panic and give in to fear because we’re not in control? Well, I hate to break it to you…but, we never
were.
Take a deep breath and REMEMBER THE GOD WE SERVE. He is good and He is God of our children as
well. He will not abandon us.
Ephesians
6:10-18 discusses this battle we’re in and how we are to approach it. Verse 10 begins, ”Finally, be strong in the
Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the
full armor of God, so that you can take a stand against the devil’s
schemes. For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the
full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand
your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.“
He goes on to describe the armor of God and he finishes
with this command in verse 18, ”And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with
all kinds of prayers and requests.”
We come to this fight, not in fear, but in confidence, in
strength, and in faith. We know how this
great war will end.
“The
Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:5
Rejoice! Because
LIGHT WINS! So we march boldly forward,
putting on the armor He has given us, speaking the Truth loudly, and
proclaiming to the darkness, “You will not win!”
Here’s a prayer to start praying boldly, in faith, over our
families. It is adapted from Psalms
139-144. Stand firm, because our GOD is
MIGHTY TO SAVE.
“O
Lord, you have examined our hearts and know everything about us…You see each of
us when we (go to work, school, etc.) and when we rest at home. You know everything we do. (Psalm 139:1-3)
Search
each of us, O God, and know our hearts.
Test us and know our anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in us that offends you, and lead us along the path of
everlasting life. (Psalm 139:23-24)
Rescue
us from evil people O Sovereign Lord; protect us on the day of battle. (Psalm
140:1,7)
Do not
let us drift toward evil. (Psalm 141:4)
Teach
us to do your will, for you are our God.
May your gracious Spirit lead each of us forward on a firm footing. (Psalm 143:10)
Praise
you, Lord, for You are our Rock. Train
our hands for war and give our fingers skill for battle. You are our loving ally and our fortress,
our tower of safety, our rescuer. You
are our shield and we take refuge in you.
(Psalm 144:1-2)
May
there be no enemy breaking through our walls—no going into captivity. (Psalm 144:14)
In the
MIGHTY NAME of JESUS,
Amen”
