Jesus Christ Will Fight for Your Battles, And He Always Wins!

 “In a couple of weeks my divorce will be final. Fifteen years and two kids later, what in the world happens now?!” This is what a friend said about her marriage and how difficult her life has become. Nothing seemed to be in its’ place anymore. My friend and her husband had what many of us thought was a happy marriage. They both have good jobs, a beautiful home, and their two children are very well-mannered and turning into very productive people. This is the outside view, but as many of us know, the inside can be a very different reality. A relationship can be falling apart, and sometimes a spouse doesn’t realize things are that bad. My friend was blindsided, and as I listened to the way she still talks about her husband, I found it hard to believe she’s a woman that’s about to finalize a divorce.

“When we met, he had on a crisp white button-down shirt and blue jeans. He was wearing a silver chain with a cross around his neck. He smelled so good, and I remember it as if it were yesterday. I was so captivated with him, and I can’t believe we’re at this point. The thought of not having my family together anymore is too much. I never wanted to be a single parent, and I don’t know if I can do it.” Many women that have been in my friend’s shoes can relate to how she’s feeling. Your life falls apart, and it can do it very rapidly; so much so that you don’t have a chance to catch your breath. It feels like the rug is being snatched from beneath your feet.

Jesus Christ said in John 10:10(NKJV), “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The thief is the devil, and he has only three occupations, to steal, kill, and destroy. It is extremely important for every man and woman to realize that destroying a family is the enemy’s aim, and there are several ways that he tries to do it. Some spouses will hear this and they will either ignore it or become afraid. These are exactly the responses the devil wants.

1Peter 5:8(NLT) warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” A lion roars to intimidate his prey. The victim is so frighten by the sound of his roar that they are paralyzed. This is the state of my friend that is about to finalize her divorce. She is paralyzed from having her marriage snatched out of her hands, and she doesn’t know what to do. She believes it’s a lost cause.

The question for every believer is whether they will hand over their most valued treasures to the devil or whether they will armor up the way God commands. Romans 8:37(NLT) declares, “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. This is our standing in him! Overwhelming victory is ours because of what he accomplished on the cross through his sacrifice. The fight is over, finished, complete! Jesus Christ won the battle over satan; it’s a done deal! So, the battle that you and I must fight in order to preserve the unity of our families isn’t with the devil, it is with ourselves. Will we believe in the victory Christ has won for us? Will we stand in that victory with faith and perseverance?

Ephesians 6:13-17(NLT) tells us, “13Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Understand that you do not have to shrink back and cower when you are attacked by the devil. It’s not time to throw in the towel, but to put on all God’s armor. Armor up! God wants to strengthen you so that He can move through you in a mighty way. Commit yourself to renew your mind to His Word. Read and study it as much as possible and pray every opportunity that you get. Stay in the face of God and speak to Him often. He will respond. Through His Holy Spirit, He will lead, guide, and direct you if you are willing to be led. God’s way works! It never fails. Surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ, learn about him, and give your all to him. He will fight your battles, and he will always win!■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. 

“Jesus Christ Will Fight Your Battles, And He Always Win!”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2020. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

 

Recognize Your Inheritance

 Ephesians 1:11(NLT) 
“Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”

“God's got a Will, and you’re in it!”

In Ephesians 4:23, God commands us to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. This means we are to be aware of how we think, because our thoughts provide the framework for our tomorrows. We have a way of thinking that doesn’t always line up with the mind of Christ. We think the worst of others and we often think the worst about ourselves. We have doubt in many areas of our lives, and we don’t often make the connection between our conditions and the kind of mindset we have about God, His Word, and the life He wants for us. He commands that we examine our mindsets, compare them to Christ, then renew them to line up with the truth. 

To be humble is to recognize that we don’t know everything and that our way of thinking isn’t always right. Boy! That’s a tough one for a lot of people, because most of us think we’re always right. We see ourselves in a certain way, but in order to be the person God created us to be, we need to abandon some aspects of the way we think. We must replace the wrong way of thinking with the right way, so that truth can take root in our lives and blossom. When truth blossoms, it brings nothing but blessings with it, because Jesus Christ said in John 8:32(NLT), “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The darkest valleys of life take place because we are in bondage in some area of life. In other words, darkness happens in places where light doesn’t exist. We need to let the light in by changing how we think. A person that has been treated badly, feels defeated, and has endured many traumatic events in life may think that changing how they think and feel will not help them. But it isn’t a matter of simply changing our thoughts and feelings, it’s changing them to think like Jesus Christ thinks. His thoughts have power, and when we think like him, a spiritual transaction takes place. 

Jesus Christ tells us in John 14:6(NLT), “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Jesus Christ is the way to victory! He’s the only way to have victory in this life. Through him, we can overcome all obstacles, because we are God's children. Romans 8:17 says that we are co-heirs with Christ. We are God’s spiritual siblings, and just as the blessings of strength, power, love, peace, joy and all the other spiritual blessings belong to Jesus Christ, they belong to us as well, because he purchased them for us with his life! 

Ephesians 1:18(NLT) says, “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.” This is the prayer for all eternity! Our hearts must be flooded with the light of Christ, and we are the ones to let that light in. We must make a decision to let Christ change our lives. We must give him permission to do this for us, and the way to give Jesus Christ permission is to take the action of changing our thoughts to his thoughts. 

Through the work that God accomplished through His all-powerful and precious Son, you and I have inherited all the benefits of God’s Kingdom. Some of us have forfeited our rights in Christ because we didn’t know what they were. Hosea 4:6 says that people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge, but we can put a stop to this. We can refuse to allow the enemy to continue stealing from us by studying, reading, trusting, and applying God’s Word. When we know the Word of God, victory in Christ is ours! 

Isaiah 40:29(NLT) tells us, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” We have the authority of Jesus Christ to handle any circumstance that comes our way. In and of ourselves, we don’t have any power, and we may feel inadequate, but God’s power and strength isn’t dependent on our feelings. His power and strength is the truth, and we must put His truth in our minds and hearts. We must depend on God’s Word and not on how we feel. 

God’s Word never fails, and it is impossible for HIM to fail. When you are feeling weak, God will demonstrate His strength through your faith in Him. Ephesians 1:14(NLT) says, “The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.” You have an inheritance in Christ, and because of this, you can draw-down from heaven’s overwhelmingly abundant resources. No matter what you’re going through, the Lord is with you, and He will never leave you defenseless. Recognize that your inheritance is in Christ! So, let your thoughts and feelings be anchored in God’s goodness towards you, and begin to thank Him for what He is doing and will do in your life! Keep the faith! ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Recognize Your Inheritance”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2020. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Let Them Go and Wish Them Well

Colossians 2:10(NLT) “And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.”

A young woman said to me, “I’ve been hurt before, but this came out of nowhere - I give up!” We had a long conversation, and she talked over an hour about her despair regarding the break-up with her boyfriend. They’d been together for two and a half years, and she thought he was the one. She thought they’d spend the rest of their lives together. To her shock and dismay, he broke it off with her during a phone call, and it was totally unexpected. There were no arguments or disagreements, he just very calmly told her that he wasn’t ready for a commitment with her. He realized he still had feelings for his ex-wife. The emotional pain from this was devastating, but the other thing that surprised her was how it had caused her to repeatedly question her decisions and self-worth. She doesn’t think she’ll have the courage to love again. 

There are things about ourselves that we don’t realize until we go through certain challenges in life. For some of us, these hiccups may not come until later in life, and for some, they come much earlier. But it doesn’t matter when we experience them, the most difficult hiccups to get over emotionally will probably be in the form of heartbreak. As women that love the Lord and that endeavor to walk in the example of Christ, we should hold ourselves to a greater standard of love. Unfortunately, some of us think that loving someone means that we should abandon certain aspects of firmness and stability. We have a difficult time determining when to stand firm on certain principles and when to be vulnerable.

Vulnerability in a relationship is necessary for it to flourish, and this is where many of us get into trouble. This kind of vulnerability should be reserved for those who honor us and honor our standing in Christ. But sometimes, we don’t wait for a green light from God. We don’t know what we’re working with, but assume the man is a blessing simply because he’s interested in us and we’re interested in him. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus Christ commands us to seek the Kingdom of God above all other things, and God will give us all that we need. This verse assures us that God is our Provider. He takes care of all that we need. It also tells us that we must meet the condition of seeking God first. Nothing or no one comes before this extremely beneficial and crucial spiritual practice.

The wisdom of Matthew 6:33 means that we are to consult God before we make life-changing decisions and choices; this is especially necessary when it comes to our significant relationships. James 1:5 tells us that if we lack wisdom about any subject, we must ask God, and He will not be upset with us for asking Him. As a matter of truth, He desires that we consult Him in all that we do. Proverbs 3:6 says that He, and He alone, is the One who directs our paths. God doesn’t overstep our free-will choice. He will not come into our lives and start controlling everything without our permission. We must ask Him to take control, and we must humble ourselves under His mighty hand and follow His guidance and direction.

God leads, guides, and directs us through His Word and through His Spirit. While reading His Word, a scripture might jump out at us, giving us God’s divine revelation. Sometimes, He places people in our lives that will speak the truth prophetically to us. Others of us have dreams and other confirmations that provide God’s guidance. God knows us through and through, and He knows exactly how to get our attention, but we must be humble, and show ourselves willing to obey the direction He provides. 

We often translate being vulnerable in a relationship with someone we really care about as putting everything we are into that relationship. We give it our all, and we think this person will return our investment. Subconsciously or consciously, we think this person can complete us in some way. Colossians 2:10 reminds us that our completeness and wholeness comes from Jesus Christ. He is the living Word of God, and God’s Word is the only solid foundation that exists. This is what we should be clinging to. We should never lose focus on our relationship with God. We should never abandon our firm foundation in Christ by completely wrapping ourselves in another individual.

The young woman asked me, “Can God keep a man from breaking your heart?” God has the power to do absolutely anything, but again, He will never overstep an individual’s freedom of will. He will not stop a man from breaking our hearts, just as He didn’t stop us from pursuing the relationship with this man. God will quicken us through His Spirit, and He will guide us in His love and Word. It is important for us to know that we should never be controlled in any way by another person’s love. They didn’t create us and they can’t complete us. Being loving doesn’t require us to lose ourselves. When Christ is the love of our lives, our confidence in him won’t allow us to walk around with a fear of getting hurt. We should be walking in him, so that we have sharp discernment about someone that isn’t destined to walk with us through life.

The lesson to be learned from heartbreak and heartache is always about trusting God in a greater way and seeing His love in a greater light. Our Heavenly Father will never break our hearts, and we should be continually confident and thankful for His enduring, unconditional, and powerful love. Yes, heartache feels awful, but it shouldn’t linger for too long. Sometimes the man will not or cannot love us the way we’d like. If that’s the case, we should let them go, and wish them well. They were not meant to journey forward with us. God has a great plan for our lives. Trust this, because our love for Christ will not fail us. It will strengthen our hearts, so we will receive the greenlight from God and recognize when the right person has come into our lives.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Let Them Go and Wish Them Well”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2020. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

See God for Who He Is

Psalm 91:1(NIV)

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

When life starts to unravel and fall apart, or tragedy knocks at the door, people that have never done so before will finally turn to God and seek His help. Fear and discomfort have a way of making us gravitate to whatever feels safe and secure. As women, we sometimes look to a man to make us feel this way, but God is our true and everlasting shelter of protection. He tells us in Psalm 91:1 that we can dwell in His shelter. It doesn’t matter who we are or what we’ve done in the past, Heavenly Father welcomes us through Jesus Christ to hang-out with Him. He wants us to enjoy His covering and bask in His care. There, in His shelter, we will find rest for our souls, and we can stay in the shadow of all that God is continually. 

A person can’t build confidence in something they don’t know or haven’t been taught, so if you don’t know or you’ve never heard that we can come boldly to God for help, then you might allow fear to dominate your life. I had a relationship with God in my youth, but I didn’t know Him very well. As a matter of fact, I never believed that He wanted to get to know me. So, I went on about my life, not really consulting God about my decisions and not really asking Him for help unless there was a huge problem I couldn’t solve on my own.

It was in my late twenties and early thirties that I began to make mistakes that had big-time consequences. I felt as if I was the devil’s punching bag because I’d take one step forward and two steps backward. I couldn’t understand what was happening, and I wanted so desperately for my life to change. One of the reasons that I couldn’t see a way forward is because of the emotional entanglements with men who said they loved me but tried to hurt me. They were used by the devil, and because of this, they weren’t satisfied to see me being free, happy, and secure. Through them, the enemy tried to steal my liberty, and keep me enslaved to darkness and fear.

God tells us in Galatians 5:1(MSG), “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.” This is one of the most important building blocks to life in Christ that you and I must know; Christ has set us free! Our liberty comes from him, and we must know that it is God’s desire that we walk in the liberty of Christ every moment of each day. I didn’t realize that the devil was trying to destroy me, and that he was trying to rob the plan God had for my life. I had experienced the trauma of domestic violence as a child, and I didn’t recognize how fear was still impacting me as an adult. God lovingly taught me about the liberty Christ offers. We should all want to know this kind of freedom, and we should want to know how to live it boldly through Christ. All we need to do is ask the Lord to teach us. 

We must also know the most important commandment that Jesus Christ gives. Then, we should begin to rededicate ourselves to it. In Mark 12:30(NIV), Jesus Christ commands “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” This means that we should love God with all that we are, holding nothing back. We don’t need to try to hide our fears or our flaws. He knows us inside out, and we can come to Him flaws and all. Some of us make the mistake of putting our significant relationships before God. We make the man the center of our lives. This is a violation of the commandment of Christ. Do you know what happens when we put anything before God? We become blind to the love and help God wants to give us. This is where many women are today.

Philippians 4:6(NLT) gives us a good practical guide to keeping Jesus Christ in the driver’s seat of our lives. It says, “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Worrying is what we do when we don’t know who God is, and we don’t trust in His willingness and ability to rescue us from any and all danger. We have to see our Heavenly Father for who He is. He’s our Protector and Provider. He is our refuge, and He must have this place in our hearts and minds, because it’s who He is.

We must continue to study and learn more about God through His Word, because this is the only way that our faith in Him will increase. He wants us to seek Him first, above all other things, because only He can guarantee our safety. His love never fails, and He watches over us every day of our lives. Bring pleasure to Heavenly Father by seeing Him for the loving and powerful God that He is. Because of His great love, you and I are free through Jesus Christ, and if we let Him, Heavenly Father will make sure we continually abide in the protection of His shelter.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

(MSG) Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

“See God for Who He Is”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2020. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.