Living Life Lessons :: IDENTIFY ENEMY TACTICS

IN THE LIVING LIFE LESSONS COLUMN EACH MONTH I AM SHARING VARIOUS LESSONS GOD HAS TAUGHT ME. TODAY WE PREPARE FOR BATTLE!

 

In the Garden of Eden Satan knew exactly how to trick Adam and Eve. He was very cunning, knew their weaknesses and right where to attack. I sometimes think Adam and Eve were a bit unprepared. They lived in paradise, daily walking in the Garden with God which definitely equipped them to defeat the enemy. But did they know they were equipped?

Just like Adam and Eve we are blessed beyond measure with God’s goodness in our every day lives. But along with those blessings also come attacks from our enemy who wants more than anything to trip us up.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are equipped with the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to defeat any enemy attack. But unless we are aware of the attacks how can we fight back?

Below are specific areas listed in my Life Application Study Bible that speak to this battle. I liken them to land mines on our life pathway.

Satan’s Plan of Attack:

    • DOUBT ~ Makes you question God’s Word and His goodness.
    • DISCOURAGEMENT ~ Makes you look at your problems rather than God.
    • DIVERSION ~ Makes wrong things seem attractive.
    • DEFEAT ~ Makes you feel like a failure so you won’t even try.
    • DELAY ~ Makes you put off doing what you should do.
 

Rather than allowing these attacks to stay hidden as land mines buried on our life path; let’s put red flags on them so that when they appear we will recognize them for what they are. Then can we face the battle with The Weapon we’ve been given: God’s Word!

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 *MSG

 
Father God, help me to recognize enemy attacks when they come upon me. Help me to turn to You for strength and to use Your Word to fight against these evil attacks. I ask this in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Amen
 If you cannot see the video screen below CLICK HERE for our battle song by Tye Tribbett.
RESOURCES

Life Application Study Bible
*The Message Bible

 

Celebrate Discipline :: SERVICE

IN OUR CELEBRATE DISCIPLINE COLUMN EACH MONTH WE ARE LEARNING A NEW SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, HOW TO APPLY IT AND HOPEFULLY GROW INTO THE PEOPLE GOD WANTS US TO BE.

 
 

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: habits that nurture spiritual growth; exercises unto godliness.

 

SERVICE:  offering resources, influence and expertise for care and protection of others.

 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ “ ~ Matthew 22:37-39

The Christian discipline of service is the way we can share God’s love with the world. We are the mouth, hands and feet of Christ in our world today. Unless we see the needs of our friends and neighbors as real and as important as our own we will never really be serving others.

True service requires checking our motives. 

Are our efforts all in our own human strength? 

Are we trying to impress someone? 

Are we looking for an external reward?

 
Service is rooted in seeing others the way God does. It requires us to put on our Jesus glasses. In service we experience the little deaths that come when we move beyond ourselves into the shoes of another.

 

The Discipline of Service is worked into our lives with the grace of humility:

    • Hidden, anonymous, maybe even secret.
    • An act of submission allowing other to serve us.
    • Simple acts of common courtesy.
    • Practicing ungrudging hospitality.
    • Being a listening ear.
    • Sharing the Life of God’s Word.
Because service is one of my primary Love Languages it comes easier for me than some other things. The main thing I have to remember is to keep my motives pure and serve as unto the Lord. That prevents bitterness from taking root.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Where do you like to serve? What can you do different this week?

 

If you can’t see the video screen below CLICK HERE to watch an inspirational video.

RESOURCES:
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Spiritual Discipline Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
The Spirit of The Disciplines by Dallas Willard

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