for the kids because I don’t want to
raise them alone!”
A person that doesn’t think the devil is real would probably have a difficult time convincing an individual that is going through domestic violence and abuse of this. I’ve heard stories from friends, family, and other individuals who found themselves being treated horribly, and at one time felt they had no one to turn to and nowhere to go. They felt like prisoners in their own homes, but it didn’t start out that way.
They fell in love with men they had dated for a year or so, and for them, it was a foregone conclusion that their relationship with one another was a safe place to land. You would think that a year or two is long enough to see everything you need to see about someone. Surely, you’d have an idea of the highs and lows of their behavior. You might have even checked off those little temper tantrums as disappointing, but not enough to make you throw in the towel. His upsets after you didn’t answer his several attempts at reaching you felt like assurances of his love. You just didn’t think these things were enough to signal a red flag.
Proverbs 2:6(NLT) tells us, “For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Our Heavenly Father created us to be intelligent, respectful, loving, and kind human beings that are full of His wisdom. He wants us to be ‘woke’ to the tricks of the enemy so that we are no longer blinded by darkness and evil. If we’re blinded, we can’t see the light of God’s truth, and this is precisely what the devil wants. 2Corinthians 4:4(NLT) tells us, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”
The problem with our intelligence is that sometimes we
place it above God’s wisdom. We think we know better than He does, and most
believe there’s no real danger if we ignore God’s warnings. The environment we’re
currently living in is proof positive of what happens when we ignore our
Creator’s love and wisdom. Heavenly Father doesn’t want us to be afraid of evil
and darkness, but He’s made absolutely sure we know that He has an enemy. And
His enemy is our enemy. There are some that will say, “Oh, that’s just the
way things were written back then. The Bible isn’t talking about a real devil.”
This is wishful thinking. It’s hiding behind what most people have refused to
see.
Countless numbers of God’s children have suffered domestic
violence and abuse for many years, and they want it to stop, but they don’t see
a way out. I met someone recently that is really struggling to hold it together.
She’s desperately trying to find ways to deal with her husband’s outburst and
abusive behavior towards her and sometimes the kids. She said, “I know my
husband is crazy, but I’m trying to hang in there for the kids, because I don’t
want to raise them alone!” What do you tell someone that may have a support
system that is willing to help, but feels they simply can’t leave the abuser?
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we know the
power of prayer, and this must be our encouragement. It’s the spiritual tool we
use to help ourselves and others, and it’s the spiritual weapon that when used
effectively, helps to strengthen us through life’s battles. God’s Word tells us
that it is impossible to pray to Him earnestly and not receive His help. In Philippians
4:6(NLT), Heavenly Father instructs, “Don't worry about anything; instead,
pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has
done.” Our hearts are to be open to God in such a way that our prayers are
wrapped in gratitude. It’s being thankful not only for what He’s done in the
past, but what He is doing in the present and what He will do in the future. This
is where our faith must be.
It’s very important to understand that the battles in
life are spiritual. Heavenly Father tells us in Ephesians 6:12(NLT), “For we
are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and
authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and
against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Most of us don’t begin to wake
up to this until we’ve tried many things unsuccessfully and suffered many years.
God’s wisdom teaches us that we need spiritual weapons for spiritual battle,
and the ones that Heavenly Father provides will guarantee that we fight strong
and smart.
He goes on to tell us in Ephesians 6:13(NLT), “Therefore, 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.” God has all power, knowledge, wisdom,
and grace. He is a loving God who wants us to come to Him with every detail of
our lives, from the smallest to the greatest. It’s important that we know that He’s
equipped us with spiritual weapons that are perfect in every way, and if we
submit to Him, He’ll teach us how to employ them. God’s spiritual weapons are fail-proof.
He commands us to put on the weaponry He’s provided through Jesus Christ so
that we learn to stand on the Lord’s solid and sure foundation. It is
unshakable when we place our faith in Him alone.
Our
Heavenly Father wants us to not only experience His light, He wants us to live and
bask in it every day of our lives. Galatians 5:1 affirms our freedom through
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as a sacrifice for our
sins. I’ve witnessed people buckle under the pressures of life because they
think they have no other choice, but that’s not the truth. Because of what Jesus
Christ has done for us, we can have victory in life. Through the wisdom and
weapons that God’s provides, we can triumph over the challenges and struggles
of domestic violence and abuse, and begin to help others do it to.■
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.
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