daily devotional

1 John 5:4 (NASB) says:

For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.

Life can come at us a million miles an hour at times, and the enemy loves nothing more than to interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to do all he can to derail and destroy us.

He’ll come, speaking the language of shame.

He’ll taunt and tempt.

He’ll remind us of past situations or past sin.

He will do all he can to try and make us feel the suffocating pressure of his attack, so to try and keep us in fear, anxiety, and confusion.

He’ll bring up harmful thought patterns or stiff-necked, arrogant attitudes from our past. So often, he will whisper messages to us from his hardened heart of hatred that will leave a lasting impression upon our hearts and minds.

He loves nothing more than to try and slay us with strongholds, because he knows that strongholds can become a sleeping giant.

Our enemy is cunning. He doesn’t mind playing the long game and he won’t mind setting a snare to create a sleeping giant if, eventually, that somehow keeps us from living fully into our God-created destiny.

When we find ourselves living under the crushing weight of this type of attack, we must look up and remember who we are and the power we have at our disposal because of Jesus.

Romans 8 tells us that the very same Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead lives inside of us.

Because of the power of the blood of Jesus and because of His resurrection from the dead, we can have resolve. We have the ability to rise up in faith, knowing that we can overcome whatever attack the enemy wages.

As 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) instructs us, we can know that:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

It’s important we also hold to the truth of 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (ESV), where it tells us that:

Though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ …

There is no attack Jesus hasn’t overcome that we can’t overcome.

There is no temptation Jesus hasn’t overcome that we can’t overcome.

There is no trial Jesus hasn’t overcome that we can’t overcome.

There is no sin Jesus didn’t overcome that we can’t overcome.

There is no stronghold that Jesus didn’t overcome that we can’t overcome.

We have to remember who we are in Christ.

We have to remember whose we are, who we belong to, and who our Father is.

We have to remember to stand on His word.

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) reminds us that:

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

We have no need to fear because whatever may bring us fear is afraid of Jesus. All darkness fades at the name of Jesus. All strongholds bow at the name of Jesus. All giants fall at the name of Jesus.

We must stand upon His word, claiming the power of His blood and the truth of His resurrection. Because Jesus overcame, we overcome.

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.