Anxiety Series

Prepare For Battle – Day 4

In order to prepare for battle, we need to know what we are fighting against.

My desires led to living a selfish life. The words I spoke over my life were those of defeat and degradation. The lies that I believed about myself created my reality, telling me I wasn’t good enough. Temptations caused me to do things that weren’t good for me. I made many decisions that hurt myself and others.

I have always been my own worst enemy.

Enemy #1 Ourselves

My worldview has helped me to understand that there is also a spiritual battle happening, one between good and evil. While researching this topic I came across a “job description” that I thought was quite fitting. “The enemy is like a prosecuting attorney, calling attention to the unworthiness of mankind, collecting evidence to prove cases (source unknown).”

Now that we know the mission of the enemy, we need to know what to look for;

rebellion
distortion
darkness
disorder
chaos
death
stealing
destruction

How does the enemy work? Mostly behind the scenes.

hatred
division
temptation
lies
deception
working through our weaknesses

Enemy #2: The Accuser

Peter 5:8 says, “Your enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Now that we know what we are fighting against, we can develop our battle plan.

In what areas are you vulnerable to attack?

Identity

Who Do You Think You Are?

I think it’s about time we stop letting the world define us. So here goes:

You are not your roles at home or work.

You are not your decisions.

You are not your mistakes or failures.

You are not your thoughts or emotions.

You are not what others say about you.

You are not what you say about yourself.

You are not your circumstances.

You are not your diagnosis.

You are not your perceptions.

You are not your past.

You are not your talents or gifts.

You are not your success or financial status.

You, are not who you think you are.

You are a child of God. Period.

Attitude

Recycled

There is lots of waste in the world. Thankfully, recycling has helped with the process of converting waste into reusable material.

This got me thinking about times in my life that I perceived as wasteful. Poor decisions, hard lessons, times of suffering, and despair. I’d often find myself in the role of victim: “why me, why this?”

What was the point of it all?

What if all we’ve been through wasn’t pointless but for a greater purpose?

This has helped me to view my experiences differently.

Would I repeat some of the things I’ve done in my life? Nope, BUT I wouldn’t take them back either. I’ve seen God recycle the messes I’ve made into reusable goods.

Instead of kicking my crap to the curb and burning it, I’ve decided to put mine in storage, saving it for opportunities to support, love and walk alongside others in need.

Together We Can

Benefits of recycling:

Less pollution: healthier relationships, community.

Saves energy: resentments burn our time and energy. Forgiveness and kindness refuel.

Conserves valuable resources: We are God’s most valuable resource. Let’s support each other so we can be the people He created us to be.

What experiences in your life can be used to help someone else?