OVERCOMING LIFE BATTLES

Dr. Lawrence Owoyemi  libertydeclaration.wordpress.com.   

The battle is fiercer than we realize. The enemy manifests as god in world religions, with great manipulative powers. (It’s Severer, sterner, more violent, ferocious and brutal) The world we live in is full of battles. The Christian life by itself is a battle or you could say, a catalogue of battles consisting of various challenges, obstacles, hardships and disappointments. The nature of these battles varies enormously. INTERNAL / EXTERNAL BATTLES We are sometimes confronted with periods of deep sadness, intense temptation, doubt, fear, anxiety, great losses and bereavements. We face battles over health, sleep, finances, work and relationships. We experience periods of great opposition, persecution and criticism. It is crucial that every Christian realizes that he/she is in a spiritual battle. Nothing can be worse than a Christian being unaware he is in a battle. The battle-line is drawn. We are enrolled in Christ’s Army. We cannot run away from it. We must show up and fight. IDENTIFYING THE ENEMIES Life battles are mainly reinforced by external and unseen enemies. There is a greater tragedy when one does not know that he/she is confronted with battles. To win the battles of life we must subdue or overpower our enemies. The first principle in overcoming the battles of life therefore, is to identify your enemies. While this may seem like a rather obvious principle, actually it isn’t. Many people simply do not know who their real enemies are, they start mistrusting everyone. Often we think the enemy is some other person. Many times the enemy is our own attitude – the way we handle situations. We have to know who our enemy is before we can start winning our battles. Our battle is against the world – ‘the enemy around us’, the heart/mind – ‘the enemy within us’, the devil – ‘the enemy above us’ – which the apostle Paul describes as ‘the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’ (Ephesians 6:12). For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. OUR BATTLE STRATEGY In the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” It is clear that “our warfare” as Christians is spiritual. The enemies we face, our privileges, provisions, fortresses, strategies, even weapons, are all spiritual. If we attempt to fight the spiritual with human weapons, we will fail and the enemy will be victorious. We cannot allow ourselves to be limited to mental customs and perception of this realm because, all that is seen in this realm is deception. 2 Cor 11:14-15 “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness”. DON’T BE DRIVEN BY EMOTION As Christians, we shouldn’t allow our feelings to determine any of our actions in the course of our battles. We are emotional beings however; we shouldn’t allow our emotions to get the better of us. Our moves and actions shouldn’t be determined by our fear, personal interest, people’s opinion, etc. The Bible says: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Tim. 1:7. Our actions should be based, solely on the word of God. ADMIT YOU NEED HELP Jesus Christ is our Lord, our source of life and strength; we cannot accomplish anything without Him. We need His power to fight and overpower the enemies. He said “……apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5. Surrender your life to Christ and stick with Him to the end. The full knowledge of the salvation of the gospel gives victory over sin, and death, and the grave. God is the one who gives victory Ps 144:10. Those who trust in their personal skills and experience will stumble and fall, but those who call on God for help will rise and stand firm Ps 20:7-8

DO NOT TRUST IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH: TRUST IN GOD (Zephaniah 3:17-18 The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;)

The key to winning your battles, according to David, is not to rely on your own strength, but to put your trust in God. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph. 6:11-12 This goes against human wisdom, but at the end of the day human strength and power is not enough: ‘No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. Ps 33:16-17. Rather, God gives victory to those who trust in him: ‘But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine’. Ps 33:18-19. We’re depending on God; He’s everything we need. What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve chosen His holy name as our Fortress and Strong Tower. TAKE YOUR PROBLEMS TO THE LORD Winning the battles of life requires faith expressed in fervent prayer. Problems submitted to the Lord are problems solved. Prayer ought to be the first weapon we use whenever we face the battles of life, not the last. Usually the last thing we try is prayer – maybe because we want things to work out in our way and on our own terms. THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH Faith is the basic atmosphere primarily required to fight and obtain victory as a believer. The awareness of God’s power gives you the enablement to defeat any enemy 2 Cor.10:4-5 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds…… Therefore refuse to be a looser in the battle of life James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 1John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. We are on the Lord’s side. His enemies are our enemies. Psalms 68:1, Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:5 IN CONCLUSION You are designed to abide in Christ. You are designed to live for God’s pleasure. You are made to live by faith in Christ. You are designed to step on scorpions and crush the head of serpents. You are designed to overcome, whenever the enemies wage war. You’re designed to resist the devil and see him fleeing. Thanks for reading, remain victoriously rooted in Christ. – Dr. Lawrence Owoyemi. libertydeclaration.wordpress.com            libertydnet@gmail.com