No matter what we go through daily we must remember that the battle is not ours it is the Lords. I know I have been going through many trials these past few weeks and I am finding myself being constantly reminded that the battle is not mine. I often want to fight and take these trials head on because I am hard headed yes but I am also determined to come out on top, BUT I found that going into it in the physical sense isn't necessarily the right option. So how does one prepare to go into battle in the spiritual sense rather than the physical? For starters prayer is always helpful. It helps you clear your mind from the clutter that has bogged you down all day as well as you gain a closer relationship with God. I try to pray daily in the morning and at night. These past 2 months I have found myself being woken up at all hours of the night and a person will come to mind and it is laid on my heart that I should pray for them. Do I know their circumstances at that point? No I do not, But does that mean God won't use your faith to pray for someone who is struggling? This is a way that you begin to prepare for battle whether it is you who is going into battle or it is the person who you are praying for. One of the most important things to remember is that God has given us authority to speak and believe what we can achieve not by sight or might but by His spirit (Authority Karen Clark-Sheard). If we believe the battle is won then it is. It is when we begin to doubt that more battles or trials come our way because the devil sees a weakness and will prey on it. We need to guard our hearts and our minds to know what is right and what is the will of God. Far too often and I am included something or someone comes along that seems is in your best interest but in the end it is a facade. A wolf in sheeps clothing. We need to remember that the devil knows the word. Often times people will come into your life "preaching" the word but are they living their lives according to the word? Yes we are sinners we arent perfect and we will backslide from time to time but does that mean that God doesn't love us? No it doesn't, God loves us so much there are no words to describe it. He gave His only son so that we will be saved. He didn't have to do that. He could have treated us like the townspeople in Sodom and Gomorrah. We often (and yes I am part of the we, ) look back at our past and try to figure out what happened. Don't be like Lots wife and look back at once was and be turned into a pillar of salt. In other words don't look back over your sinful past or go back to it because it will only lead to death. It is in the past for a reason. Another way to prepare for battle is by reading the bible.I dont't mean reading a scripture here and there but doing a thorough study. I am in the process of doing another study on the book Isaiah. There is a scripture that speaks to my heart and I feel this is my passage in the bible it is Isaiah 54:1-8. 1"Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman that of her who has a husband," says the Lord 2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. 3 For you will spread out the the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. 4"Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. you will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 5 For your Maker is your husband the Lord Almighty is His name the Holy one of Israel is your Redeemer He is called the God of all the earth.6 The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit a wife who married young only to be rejected," says your God 7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back 8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, BUT with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you says the Lord your Redeemer. This may not speak to your heart the way it does mine, BUT I lived with the shame and the hurt of my youth for almost 10 years before I found this scripture. That was a spiritual battle I was in because I knew God forgave me for what I did I believed it in my heart but my mind was telling me different. Ever get that before? Where you know what you did was wrong you asked for forgiveness and then theres that voice. That says how can he forgive you for that or for this? That's when it is important to have scripture to back you. If you have forgiven those that came against you and in return asked for forgiveness for the things you have done then God will forgive you Mark 11:26. The final two things that are the most important to going into battle spiritually is Fully trusting and Believing in God that he will see you through.
I know I am tying two topics into one but in all honesty you can not fully go into battle spiritually if you are not spiritually sound. Meaning have you asked for forgiveness are you able to humble yourself completely before God without regret or sorrow? One scripture that really comes to mind when speaking about battles is Deuteronomy 20:1-4 NIV 1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Another Scripture that comes to mind is Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.There have been alot of battles in the physical sense that are in the bible. Almost all of the battles occurred in the valley. Is this a coincidence to our everyday lives no its not. It is in the valleys that we are tested that we have many trials and battles come at us. In the old testament you will read about battles and when the battles were fought the leaders of the two sides would go down off of the mountain top into the valley to meet and discuss whether or not they wanted to battle. Then the two leaders would go back up out of the valley to relay the message to their armies.. Then they would go back down into the valley to fight.. One thing you have to remember is that the winning army rose up out of the valley and went back up to the mountain top because there was nothing but death left in the valley. When we are victorious with our battles there is no longer a need to go back down into the valley.. God brought us out victoriously for a reason. He is with us every second hour minute nano second of the day, we just have to say Lord here I am I am going through it and I need you now. Does He already know we need Him of course He does but he doesn't get tired of His children asking Him for help. When you are on an uphill climb and you feel you can't make it to the top know that God is there to carry you if you fall. He is there with you every step of the way every trial that comes our way He is with us. I pray that we as Christians will begin to see our worth that We will continue to seek God daily. We may fall and "backslide" but Romans 3:23 states For ALL have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. No one is perfect not you, your pastor, your wife, husband, children, boss etc..NO One is perfect except For God. I leave you with this song...
