Spiritual Battles

Last week I fell victim to the lies of satan. He caused me to become despondent and discouraged. However through the comfort of online friends, church members and others, I began to emerge from this very personal battle I was fighting and losing.

In my failing battle, I had forgotten the “armor of God” and the One to whom I should have turned to during my battle. I knew and believed in God. I didn’t fully place my faith and trust in Him. Had I done so, I would have beaten satan at his own game; fighting his deception with the Word of God just as Jesus did after his fasting in the desert.

My losing this battle points out the importance of building your relationship with God. We should never place our faith in ourselves, we don’t stand a chance against the devil and his army. But in every spiritual battle, whether won or lost, there is a lesson to learn.

What lesson you learn is dependent upon your particular battle. In mine, I was knowledgeable that in life, we are certain to have many valleys of trial and many mountain tops of victory. We should never worry about the trials when we have God on our side.

He is shaping and molding us to do what He has planned for us. We shouldn’t belabor the agony of the trial but be obedient to His teaching. God has a purpose and a plan in which we are uniquely qualified to achieve, but only if we are obedient.

In crawling out of my despair, I read a devotional which proved to be the turning point in this particular battle. Its message was so simple and clear cut. I was blinded by my fears, I couldn’t see it during the fighting. The devotional author pointed out the facts about everyone having valleys’ and mountain top experiences.

He said the valleys’ were the bad things to happen in our life and the mountain tops were the good things. The point he made which hit me hardest was almost too easy to believe. Every time you are in a valley (bad thing), it is always followed by a mountain top (good thing).

Even though I am still in the middle of a valley, there is a mountain top coming. God is preparing me for something good. Knowing and remembering this is helping me to fight my way back. My mountain top may happen tonight, tomorrow or a few years down the road.

My part is to be obedient to God and allow Him to do His work in and through me. When I do that, my trials will be fewer and the victories will be many. If we live our lives in twenty four hour chunks; the trials are easier to manage, because Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 “Tomorrow has enough of its own worries.” Spend today living and being obedient to God and your future will be eternal.

Robert Dodson

July 22, 2013