Enemies

Recently, I had the privledge of speaking to a group of women at Vintage Church in Edmond, Oklahoma.  Because I was asked to speak, I sat alone to hear from God about what on earth He wanted me to say to them - to myself.  He replied simply:  "Tell them what I've been telling you."  So I did.

The result is an ongoing message I'm continuing to develop long after the girls night ended.  Because I pay attention to the things I've come to see as fingerprints from God, I got a new fingerprint.  It was in the form of a dream.  In my dream, I knew I was supposed to write.  This morning, fighting jet lag and drinking from my new favorite coffee mug, I'm following through with the impression to write.

Joshua 10: 16 - 19 recounts just one of many stories of victory.  Israel was promised a land of their own BUT there was a little hitch/catch/snafu - at least in their eyes.  It seems the land that was given to them as their own possession just happened to be occupied by homeowners who were not thrilled at having to list their homes/land/possessions on Craigslist.

God's economy is always counterculture.  He gave them (Israel) a land of their own.  Yet, circumstances didn't thwart (love that word) His promise just because other people's shoes where on the welcome mat and had no intentions of moving.  These turn of events may have taken the Israelites by surprise but it didn't shake God off His throne.

This makes me arrive at a principle:  There will always be an enemy.

For Israel, it happened to be occupiers of land that had been given to them.  For me, it's a bill, a doctor's diagnosis, a lie I believe.  Anything that tries to shake me off firm foundations in order for me to disbelieve who God is and what He is capable of is my enemy.

This makes me arrive at yet another principle:  We always operate from a position of victory.

For Israel, God have them a promise in Joshua 10:8 that the land was theirs and that He, Himself, would give them victory.  That's exactly what happened.  For Israel, their enemy was slaughtered/crushed/wiped out.  Joshua did what God told Him to do - he fought.  For me, most of my battles have been won of my knee's.  I hold on to a promise that God has given me in His word.  I listen to the Holy Spirit as he tells me what to do.  I do what He says.  God's desire is always victory over my enemy.

Finally, this makes me arrive at yet one more principle:  There is value in the battle.

Isreal could have walked to the borders of their paradise, waved some sort of magic wand, seen a mass exodus of people leaving wide, open spaces for them to come in, set up, and call "home".  Yet, they had to fight.  Because God is a God of order and infinite wisdom, He planned for them to fight.  Fighting brought a greater purpose.  Romans 8:28 tells me that He causes all things to work for my good:  cancer, bills, lies.  When the enemy is exposed and defeated, I then operate not only from victory but from AUTHORITY.  When God conquers my enemy, I then have AUTHORITY over something that had opposed me.

Anxiety was my biggest enemy for years.  Guess what?  I have AUTHORITY over it.  Not because it vanished by some arbitrary flick of a spiritual wand but because I held on to promises and fought against it because I knew God had put me in a position of victory.

Resist the enemy and he will flee from you.  It's in the Bible as a promise.  We resist, the enemy flees.   We make the mistake of thinking the enemy has the power.  The enemy is present, but doesn't have the power to overcome us.  He can scare the living day lights out of us, ruffle our feathers, and get us stressed but he has no power.  God does - and therefore, we do!

Stay tunned for more on enemies.  Face yours today with the truth that you are in a position of victory!

- Christina