Isaiah 54:17 (NIV) “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from Me,” declares the Lord.
Matthew 21:21 (NIV) “Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.’”
Mark 9:24 (NIV) “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!’”
1 John 4:18 (NIV) “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
You’ve learned that Adam’s sin, carried forward through the generations, had separated you from God. This breach was only overcome by Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross for all who would receive Him as God’s Son and our Lord. Salvation is accomplished and our sins are forgiven when we accept Jesus into our lives. However, we continue to be confronted in life by sin that we must overcome.
Some of the biggest stumbling blocks that we face are fear, doubt, and unbelief. And, unfortunately, many Christians do not realize that accepting these are, actually, willfully sinning against God. The Lord has revealed Himself as our good Father and provider, the One who created us with good plans for our lives. He has given us the mind of Christ; and power, authority, and self-control are ours. We have the Holy Spirit to teach us how to live with the fruit of the Spirit and grow more like Jesus. It’s time we become more alert to snares to our faith and boldness for Jesus!
Just consider what these slimy enemies are. Doubt in us believes God Can but questions that He Will. Unbelief is a complete lack of trust that Jesus really accomplished what you need for your current and eternal life. His life, mission, and words are not trusted, and, thus, His promises, although ironclad from the Creator of all things, are dismissed in unbelief. Thankfully, the lesson in Mark 9:24 shows us that Jesus is willing to cleanse us of these sins when we bring them to Him. Matthew 21:21 shows us how our authority is restored by casting them down.
Peter warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV), “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The enemy makes a lot of noise, bringing fear and anxiety and its side effects of poor decisions, and stress-induced medical issues. When you give in to it, it takes up space where you should have great faith. Like a bully stepping into your territory, it will continue to demand your attention until your faith has wavered and your eyes are off of Jesus.
Our Savior, Jesus, has conquered every one of these enemies. We become like a Tar-baby with sticky, unclean hands and feet when we proclaim our fear and walk unempowered against these enemy weapons. The Lord has provided us a spiritual sword of the Spirit of the Word- that is to say, scriptural truths to fight our battles. As Psalm 46:1-3 (NIV) declares, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
The Bible is full of admonitions to believe in Jesus’ provision and promises for your welfare and abundant life in Him. As you Speak these scriptures out, repent of any agreement with the enemy and receive the Lord’s forgiveness; renounce giving thought to the enemy’s falsehoods; replace the negative thoughts with truth from the Bible and continue to resist the enemy. The Lord will cleanse you, and you will be empowered again!
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