Not because it’s what is expected of us as Christians. That motivation can’t stand against the temptations of the enemy. When we don’t have the reserves stored in our thoughts to stand against the enemy we can be victimized by him. That’s when he can steal, kill, and destroy beginning with our thoughts. (John 10:10)
If what we have stored in our minds about God doesn’t outweigh what has been placed in our minds through what we watch on tv, what we read, by the music we listen to, by the counsel of those who aren’t sensitive to our faith, then we will drift further and further away. Because our anchor isn’t sunk deep into God’s truths.
But as we go through our day and temptations come our way we need the wisdom and strength to resist the enemy that has been stored there by the time we have spent in God’s word and prayer.
In light of recent global news, I believe I am faced with two choices. I can choose to allow fear to rule my thoughts and affect my choices. Alternatively, I can choose to plant my faith firmly in God’s Truth.
.If I choose fear, a formidable fiery dart, then I can be assured it will negatively affect my health. Additionally, my spiritual/mental state, and my emotional well-being, as well. That in turn will negatively affect my relationship with my family and my friends. Considering Satan’s intention to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10a), not only my life, but my witness would be impaired. So consider this. If Satan can pick us off one by one in this way, God’s army would be facing a demoralizing threat. right!
However, If I chose faith, then I have access to the mighty weapons of God mentioned in 2 Corinthians 10:4. With those weapons, I can counter every attack of the enemy. I can according to the second part of John 10:10, have an abundant life. Now, consider the powerful force of God’s army when we access such weapons!
God’s plans always succeed. We might not believe this if we lack the knowledge gleaned from the reading of Scripture. For that is where not only are God’s plans revealed but Satan’s as well. Is it any wonder then why Satan would distract us from spending time becoming informed about God’s weapons?
Yet, with the passage of time, our enemy has, with stealth and patience, deceived us into believing daily reading of God’s word isn’t all that necessary. The result is Christians have become malnourished and just plain ignorant of how to resist the enemy. Making us prime targets for, in this case, the fiery dart of fear.
Case in Point: Recently, by God’s leading, I’ve have discovered the following Truth thought in my battle with the fiery dart of fear.
Proverbs 2:6-12a
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He stores up success[a] for the upright; He is a shield for those who live with integrity 8 so that He may guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His loyal followers. 9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity—every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your mind, and knowledge will delight your heart. 11 Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you, 12 rescuing you from the way of evil—…
Notice verse 10. The result of conferring with God is that wisdom will enter our minds. That very wisdom will rescue us from the way of evil.
In addition, God directed me to the following:
Col 2:8, Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world (any godless idea raised up against the knowledge of God. based on 2 Corinthians 10:5)
But know this. To avail ourselves to these truths, we must go to the source of Truth. Then plant our faith firmly in what is revealed to us there. Then Faith will rule our thoughts, not fear!
I believe when God was in the process of creating human kind, He purposefully created the parent/child relationship as a blueprint for our relationship with Him. God desires parents, in particular fathers, to introduce their children to Him. Fathers do this by reflecting His characteristics to their children. For instance, being present in their children’s lives, expressing unconditional love towards them, exhibiting leadership qualities, instructing their children in the correct way, protecting their children, disciplining in a manner for their children’s good, providing for their children, and most in particular, modeling forgiveness. When a father models these characteristics to their children, their children get a grand introduction to their Heavenly Father.
But what if an earthly father fails to exhibit these godlike qualities to their children? Unfortunately, that is too often the case these days. We live in a world where that’s almost expected. And if we want to have an excuse for our own failures, we easily hand over the blame to the failures of our dads. When a dad isn’t able for whatever reason to sort through the godless philosophies running rampant in society then he and his children suffer. Being able to sort through what is true and what is false enables us to pass along life saving wisdom to our children.
But back to what a child can do when their dads fail them in this manner. Trench yourselves in God’s word. There you will find the necessary tips in refocusing on what to look for in a father (and how to become that kind of father). Try not to compare the failures you have been a victim of. Instead, search for a godly man that would take you under his wing.
Perhaps one of the hardest things to do will be to forgive your father for failing to introduce you to God. Find a Bible and read it! In order for any of us to have a relationship with God we must ask His forgiveness. Jesus really did exist, you know. He not only existed He took our place and paid the price for our sins. Remember, you are not fatherless. You have a Heavenly Father who will never fail you.
But the core truth here is that as children we all learn first about God via our dads. Dads are a powerful force in introducing their children to God by their day to day behavior displayed to them. And even those dads who have failed their children in this way, it’s not too late. Check out The Roman Road, there you will find the means to reclaim what was lost.
We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, NLT)
Instead of the belt of truth, they fight with manipulation. Instead of the breastplate of righteousness, they fight with the image of success. Instead of the shoes of the gospel, they fight with smooth words. Instead of the shield of faith, they fight with the perception of power. Instead of the helmet of salvation, they fight with lording over authority. Instead of the sword of the Spirit, they fight with human schemes and programs.https://enduringword.com/weapons-of-our-warfare/
It troubles me deeply as I watch people, especially Christians, suffering (without realizing they are suffering) from the effects of Satan’s manipulation. They don’t recognize their lack of desire to spend time with God in prayer and His word, is nothing more than a subtle attack of the enemy. An attack to keep them ignorant of the true weapons with which we can find the answers to the suffering and problems we all endure.
When problems arise, we will grab the weapons with which we are most familiar. If we are only familiar with the weapons of the world (like the ones mentioned above) lasting solutions or victory, or peace, or freedom, etc. will always evade us. .
Worldly weapons are fueled by human reasoning and false assumptions. Take a look at the church as a whole. Consider the human reasoning and false assumptions infilterating too many of them today. No real victory is achieved, only continual deterioration. Just what the enemy has in mind.
ONLY by becoming familiar with the weapons God has given us (again through spending time with God in prayer and His word) will we be wise to the enemy’s deception and manipulation. ONLY there can we find the answers to solve our problems.
So let’s examine ourselves. When problems, and suffering, enter upon the battlefield of our lives what weapons do we grab first? Do we turn to a verse in Scripture that will expose the true problem and solution? Do the weapons we choose actually resolve the situation or only prolong it?
Let’s be real here. Daily we are being attacked by the enemy. Therefore, daily we need to learn which weapons we should be choosing, and therefore have the wrong weapons exposed.
Sleeping at night came a lot easier because of such peace, didn’t it.
Do you remember, as time progressed, the struggles you brought to me?
Each struggle only made you stronger, when you brought them to me, didn’t it.
But, remember when you began spending less and less time bringing your troubles to me?
Those struggles increased and almost overwhelmed you at times, didn’t they.
Did you happen to notice you were spending less time with Me in prayer and My word?
Peace lessened and justifying your action increased, didn’t they.
Yet, the peace you lack can be restored.
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Ps 23:3 NKJV
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Ps. 25:4
Dear One, I will close with this.
Matthew 16:24-26
24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? (The Message)
By applying the truths from God’s word I mentioned in my previous post, Ignorance is not Bliss, the enemy’s efforts to steal my joy can be thwarted. So this post will be written from the point of view of one who applied those truths and claimed and is claiming the victory.
As each day unfolds, I choose my perspective. I can choose to be self-centered and limit my view to only those thoughts that reflect what concerns me. Or I can choose to broaden my point of view and ponder thoughts that reflect the wonder of God.
The fact that I am even here in Edinburgh is a miraculous gift from God. When my children were small I wrestled (yes wrestled) with God about surrendering my children to His will for their lives. Reason being I was afraid He would call them to go to far away places and I wouldn’t know the joy of living life within proximity of one another. So I asked God that if His plans for them would require the sacrifice I dreaded, would He please make it possible for me to visit them as often as I needed to.
I have four children and only my firstborn lives close enough to share in the living of life with them. My second born lives in New Jersey, my third born lives in Texas, and now my fourth born is living in Scotland. Yet God has been faithful and while I have not always gotten to visit my children who live far away whenever I wanted to, I have certainly been blessed to visit them whenever I needed to.
It’s a matter of not only choosing to surrender my children to God but of also choosing to surrender my will to God. And I believe because I made (and continue to make) that choice (although at times, it’s like I mentioned before. a real struggle) God has the freedom to fulfill my request to be able to visit them.
Yes, there is much in their lives and my grandchildren’s lives that their distant addresses have deemed I miss out on. But it’s once again a matter of perspective. In light of eternity what really matters here on earth? That I missed out on so much of my grandchildren’s growing up years, or that each one has made a decision to follow Christ?
We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NLT
As we learn more about Christ, through Bible study and prayer, we will gain wisdom and understanding for accessing God’s power to attack the fiery darts that have gotten us off course and confused our thinking concerning what God desired to teach us…
p. 92, 3rd Ed Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2 NI
Those who don’t read and study their Bibles consistently are the easiest to deceive by those who misuse it.
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;” Psalm 130:5
Do you see the connection between this verse and this photo?
The dead leaves represent the concealment of hope.
After waiting through the winter, the daffodils thrust through all the dead leaves and shouts,
“Hope is alive!”
THEN
The psalmist advices us to wait on hope,
For hope will spring forth from God’s word.
God illustrates His truths, time and time again, through nature. A daffodil’s appearance following a cold winter fairly shouts the truth of hope. This visual of hope serves to remind us to wait and just like the daffodils, in God’s timing, hope will spring forth.
Let’s ponder our present troubles (winter). Like the dead leaves do they conceal the signs of hope? The psalmist counsels us to wait. And as we wait, or gaze upon a simple daffodil, we will be reminded of the hope we have in God’s word.
December 31, 2018, I read the final verses of the Daily Bible Reading booklet you see above. The result of this year long effort was that I had read though the entire Bible. Then starting January 1, 2019, I started all over! My goal is the same; to read through the Bible again! For the last two years, I have maintained a consistency in daily reading my bible, thanks to this program!
Yet, off and on through the years, I have attempted to read my bible daily. But no matter how diligently I began, after a time I would fizzle out. Pretty discouraging!
Since writing Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, I have come to understand why I was such a washout in developing a daily bible reading routine. Why negative thinking ruled my thoughts. Why I became susceptible to Satan’s manipulation.
If he (meaning Satan)can keep you from consistent Bible study and prayer, then you will not possess the ability to recognize the lies of fiery darts, and your thinking will be vulnerable to Satan’s manipulation. p 79, FD’s 3rd edition
Satan’s plot to render us ineffective as Christians is simple. “Just keep us from reading the Bible.”
If we didn’t eat, what would happen to our bodies.
If we only ate every so often, what would happen to our health?
Well, to a Christian, reading the Bible is like eating. To keep us spiritually healthy, we must consume a daily portion of God’s Word.
I read of so much pain, depression, struggles with peace of mind, unhappiness, misplaced priorities, lack of purpose, following after the world, and the list goes on. But it all comes down to being in bondage to negative thinking.
There is a way to break free, my dear readers. The key to unlock this bondage is found through prayer and in God’s Word. My book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, reveals the plan.
Fiery Darts: Satan's Weapon of Choice 