Stand Firm - Be Strong

Prayer ~ Lord, sometimes I feel weak—but I know that You have called me…called all Christians…to be strong—to stand firm again our enemy the devil. We are so easily deceived—so please give us discernment and wisdom that we would see how and where we are being spiritually attacked and how we can combat the evil that tries to invade our lives. Thank you that You always hear our prayers.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11 (Underlined for emphasis.)

 

Meditate. How do you see God working in your life?

 

There is a war going on—and I don’t mean the war in the Ukraine. I am referring to the spiritual battle that has been going on since Adam and Eve were confronted by serpent in the Garden of Eden. We don’t see the spiritual realm, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. God the Father is a spiritual being—as is the Holy Spirit—and He loves us enough to call us His own.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:3-5 (Underlined for emphasis.)

It is good to be a part of the family of God and know that it is the great God and Savior Jesus Christ who fight for us. We also have angels doing battle for us, but just as Peter warned, Paul also wrote to the Ephesians, we must stand firm.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 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. Ephesians 6:10-12 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Christians around the world are suffering under the attack of the enemy Satan. Know God—and maintain a strong relationship with Him. But be on guard against Satan. Stand firm in your faith. Be strong.

 

Verse of Salvation ~ For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

 

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

© 2022 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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