Cope. Fight. Win.

April 7, 2009

Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy. Let me dwell in Your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah. Psalm 61:1-4

You may be overwhelmed in a situation where you flat-out need divine intervention. Jesus came for that purpose, that He might destroy the work of the devil (1 John 3:8). “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). Jesus became a sin substitute and set us free, and He has given us authority over all things (Luke 10:19).

Submit therefore to God Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:7-8a

God is looking for us to understand our authority as believers. Satan comes to paralyze your planning, dilute your hopes and abort your dreams, and he must be resisted. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith” (I Peter 5: 8-9a). Satan will try to hinder you from stepping out and fulfilling the things assigned for you to do (1 Thessalonians 2:18). Remember: God’s Word is true. Drive a stake in the ground and stand firm knowing that at the name of Jesus demons flee.

If you are preoccupied, spend some time in worship, meditate on the Word, and listen to good Bible-based teaching to get your mind renewed and on Jesus (Isaiah 26:3). We are called to trouble-shoot and problem-solve. We are called on a mission to alleviate suffering, address poverty and famine, and save lives. Take hold of what God has for you and step into effectiveness.

Press on,

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.