Jesus gives us the victory in both!
I think the first battle is always hard because it’s usually a surprise— something we didn’t see coming, that maybe knocked the breath out of us, or pushed us to our knees. But with a lot of Jesus and a little bit of time (through prayer and faith), we get through that first battle.
But the devil is a punk and he loves to hash out the what-ifs— the should’ve, would’ve, could’ves in our mind. He is simply a tormentor.
But is Jesus any less victorious in the second round than He was in the first?
Absolutely not! The Bible says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds and everything that exalts itself above the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
This means we have been equipped to tell the devil where to go as we lift up the name of Jesus and set our eyes on our father God!
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sin! (Colossians 1:13-14)
In other words, we always triumph in Christ!
May this be your reminder today and always: Don’t let the devil pull you into an arena that has already been WON in Christ.
Dec 20
Resilient. Anchored. Goodness of God.
What a beautiful picture of true joy 🤩
Happiness is based on happenings — meaning if something good is going on, you’re happy. If things are tough, you’re not happy.
But joy is very different! Joy is based on Jesus and nothing else. And He told us that if we’d turn to Him, our joy would be full.
This tells me that if my joy can be full, my joy can be half-full …it all depends on where my focus is, and where my trust lies.
But when you’ve learned, and experienced, and chosen to believe in the goodness of God, not only does joy anchor you in the middle of trials and frustrations, but it bounces back when the enemy tries to steal it!
Real joy is resilient!
Dec 17
