The Battle Is His

My post at the Joli Blog today:

I had a blog picked out for this week’s post.

I began to type it up a few days ago.

I struggled with it, not quite feeling that it was the “right” post for this week.

Not knowing if I should post it at all, and just delete the entire thing,

beginning over with something new.

At one point, slowly gliding my finger over the delete button in my doubt.

I worried throughout writing it,

“This isn’t good, something just isn’t right. Ugghh, it’s just not good enough! Maybe, I should just not write anything at all. Why am I even a writer on this blog?”

The enemy was having a field day with me.

Trying to tear down what God was building up.

I began to pray in my doubt,

“Okay God, I’m going to go to Joli Night tonight at church, and if you have something better for me to write about, let it be in the message tonight. Show me what it is you want me to write about. I’m struggling here Lord and I need You.”

I saved the post in my files as “Joliblogpost?”-still doubting what to do.

That day would prove to be a battle for me.

I had woken up, like everyone else, to the first day of Autumn, and my sinuses were feeling every ounce of it.

I love the Fall, but it doesn’t always love me.

I felt tired and worn out, and thought that I might just not go to Joli Night.

I fiddled with the blogpost, reading it over and over again trying to find the missing piece.

I soon gave up, feeling defeated.

I later went to town to do a little shopping for my daughter,

and on the way, my breaks began to grind, sounding like two pieces of steal rubbing together.

Well guess what?

It was two pieces of steal rubbing together.

I had no breaks left on the right side of my car.

Lovely…

I was the ride for two of my girl friends for Joli Night.

I called one of them to see if we could just take her car instead.

She had family come in from out of town and couldn’t make it.

Trying not to panic, I called my second friend.

Yes! We could ride together in her car!

Woohoo!!

I was feeling better and looking forward to the evening.

I still prayed within my Spirit about the blogpost,

believing God to show me something.

A few moments later, she called back.

An issue came up at the last minute and she was not going to be able to make it.

Oi Vay!

What now?

What do I do?

The enemy was fighting hard, but little did he know, I had a little more fight in me.

I was willing to get there even if I had to walk!

I called another friend and desperately asked her if I could ride with her.
Thankfully, she said yes!!

We arrived at church feeling great and anticipating a huge move of God.

I thought,

“For that dawg gone devil to fight me this hard, God has something huge planned.”

Well,

I wasn’t disappointed.

He moved alright.

I laughed until my side hurt.

The worship was amazing.

And the message?

The message was exactly what I had written my blog about!

My jaw dropped open more and more, as she said these words:

“In this life we will have battles and we must put on our armor to fight.”

“It’s God’s strength not our own.”

“Stand firm!”

All I have to say is,

We serve a mighty God…

Here is the post that almost got deleted.

The one the enemy didn’t want me to post.

The Battle is His

Ephesians 6:10-13

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

 

“I'm free!”

I spoke these words the other day.

In fact, I wanted to shout them to the world.

I had been in a battle that was difficult and life consuming.

At times, I didn’t know if I was fighting the battle, or fighting myself simply trying to run from it.

It had been long, and exhausting at times,

and it was finally over.

Those words were the first to crawl over my lips as I exited the building,

closing the door on the painful chapter of my life.

I shouted them as I closed my car door,

“Woohooooo! I’m free. Thank you Jesus! I’m finally free.”

I called my family and my friends and shared my “freedom” with them.

I wanted to claim my freedom to anyone I came in contact with that day.

The battle was over and I was free!

Later in the day, I sat at my laptop,

with my fingers on the keys, ready to type "I'm free" as my Facebook status.

Something stopped me and I felt a stirring in my spirit.

God spoke to me,

“You were never bound. You were right where I wanted you. You were already free."

He came to set the captive free.

I had gotten so caught up in the battle, that I forgot Who brought me to the battle.

He spoke firmly, when He told me, just a few weeks before my battle even began,

“I’m going to bring you through something.”

I AM going to.

Not you…ME!

Had I somehow forgotten who He was?

Had I forgotten what the great I Am was capable of doing for me?

Had I forgotten who I was in Him?

The battle wasn’t mine, it was His all along.

I am set free from ALL things through His power.

I wasn't ever bound at all.

I was right where God wanted me.

I was in the hands of He who had already set me free.

Sometimes,

the place that He wants us, is right in the middle of the battle, looking our enemy in the face, bringing forth His strength in and through us, declaring our victory!

We may be called to fight at times, and others just to stand firm in our faith in Him.
Our faith brings us to that place of freedom.

We have freedom through Him, before our battle even begins.

He reminded me of the story of David and Goliath.

David was a small shepherd boy who loved the Lord.

Goliath was a Phillistine giant.

God had chosen David to fight Goliath in battle.

Goliath was feared by all.

He was estimated to be 9 ft., 6in. tall.

His armor alone, weighed over 200 lbs.

He was thought to be somewhere between 500 and 700 lbs!

I don’t care where your from,

that’s one BIG dude!

Little David weighed half the size of even the giant’s armor.

He tried to put on some metal armor, but it just didn’t feel right, so he opted to wear no armor at all,

declaring that his strength was in God, not some steal plated vest or sword.

He carried only five smooth stones in his pouch to battle the giant.

Yet, God had chosen him to take down the giant.

He brought him directly to the battle!

David was aware of his enemy, but he was more aware of his God.

He knew that God had brought him to this particular battle and given him what he needed to fight it.

God had been preparing David for battle.

Through small daily troubles David’s faith grew, and he discovered his God-given strengths.

He discovered that it was through the “armor of God” that his battles would be won.

He lived out his faith daily, putting on that armor and believing in what his God was capable of.

His faith wasn’t in hundreds of pounds of steal, but in He who created him to be stronger than any steal!

Not only did David take down that giant, even cutting off his head, but he did it with great confidence in God’s strength!

He knew who his God was, and he knew of His strength and power.

He claimed his freedom in God before he even fought.

That’s where his victory and freedom was,

not within the strength of a small rock he picked from a stream, but in

The Rock!

His faith in God won that battle.

His victory happened before the battle ever began!

I Samuel 17:45

You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day that Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Phillistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.

Looking back now, I realize that God had been preparing me for this particular battle,

but He didn’t need me to fight it.

He just wanted my faith.

He wanted me claiming my freedom while facing it and walking through it.

He needed me to wear my armor and just stand firm, letting Him fight for me.

Let’s face it, this life is filled with giant problems and battles that resemble Goliath.

Some so big and evil, that it makes Goliath look like a walk in the park.

But, we don’t have to be bound up in those struggles.

We can put on our armor and claim freedom within those daily battles.

We can approach them in victory, and claim the battle won before it even begins.

If you read on, you will find out that David is eventually promoted to King!

David had no idea how his faithfulness in daily living played into God’s bigger plans for him…and neither do we.

God gives us a Goliath, not to harm us, but to promote us.

To remind us what our enemy is not,

and who He is!

To bring us to a place of victory!

Our victory is in our faith!

Stand firm!

Shout the shout of triumph!

Claim your freedom, before the battle begins!

The battle is His!

 

It’s already won!

2 Chronicles 20: 15-17

The Spirit of the Lord said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”