The main ingredient for success is your faith.
This is a spiritual battle, and it is not yours.
This battle belongs to the King of Glory, and
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle” (Psalms 24:8, KJV).
I am truly a witness of His awesome faithfulness, and I personally know this to be true. When you seek God, He will prosper you and His word confirms it! “…But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing” (Psalms 34:10b, KJV).
I never will forget the morning I sat down to study God’s word, meditate and pray. It seemed as if the more I tried to get into the presence of God, the more my mind would reflect on the things that I personally desired.
These were not random thoughts; they were intentional and targeted desires of my heart. Psalms 34:7 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (KJV). Although I desired to spend time with God, my thoughts were, “I want a new roof, new carpet, new wall paper and paint, new garage doors, and new appliances.”
As these thoughts and desires continued throughout the day, I began to feel guilty. My focus was off. I was supposed to be spending time with the Lord. However, what I did not know was that God was supernaturally moving on my behalf.
To my surprise, by 3:30 p.m. my roof was on fire!
My husband and son both ran to inform me that the house was on fire. I was in disbelief and began walking around the downstairs praying.
“Why is my house on fire?”
The Fire Department rushed in and asked me to leave the house. God then instructed me to get my home insurance policy and go outside.
As I stood outside watching the wind blow and my roof fervently burning, I began to cry and scream, “No!” I worried and I cried out to God.
“Father, you blessed me with this house, and you gave me a prayer ministry here. What is happening?”
“Has this house consumed you?” The Holy Spirit seemed to be asking.
“No Lord.”
“Trust Me. You said you wanted a new roof, new carpet, new garage doors. When you delight yourself in Me, I will give you the desires of your heart.”
“Lord, burn it down!”
I was comical now. In amazement, I started laughing with joy. God had heard my heart and I heard Him say, “Be still and know that I am God.” Right in that moment, the wind stopped blowing and the firefighters were able to get the fire under control.
I knew that I was witnessing God at work and my faith in action by my obedience. God was blessing me right before my eyes! He said, “… exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20, NKJV).
I was blessed with a brand new, rebuilt house. Everywhere that I walked around downstairs praying, was untouched by the fire. But because of smoke and water damage, I was able to receive everything my heart desired and more.
What a mighty God we serve!
“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power” (Ephesians 1:19, KJV). “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, KJV). The devil is no match for the Almighty God.
This is a command from the King of Glory saying: Trust Me, I got you! Be encouraged, no matter what the situation looks or feels like right now. You must have the faith to believe that God is in control!
When we begin to see our faith catapult to new levels and conflict with new devils, it is imperative that we are able to discern and better understand what it means to battle in the Spirit and to overcome the enemy by the power of God. The good news is that when our faith levels up, we are victorious in our defeat of the enemy.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrew 4:12, KJV).
In our humanness we have a tendency to want to give up when times get tough and our burdens are weighing us down:
- When we are perplexed in our thoughts and the enemy begins to contradict the word of God;
- When our mind and body yield to an addiction or habit that is destroying our lives and relationships;
- When our lack of faith causes us to wallow in confusion and our spiritual growth is stunted;
- When you cannot get a prayer answered;
- When you have no desire to read the Bible, go to church or fellowship with others.
It truly is a dark place to be trapped in. Where is the light? Where is your hope? Where is your faith? Do you still believe? The battle is truly raging, but whatever the case may be, never give up—God is still control.
Intentionally prepare yourself, now, recognizing the enemy’s strategy involves deception, discouragement and active opposition. How do you prepare? In addition to moving in faith upon the word of God, brief yourself in four critical principles:
- “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV).
- “Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God…I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10, KJV).
- “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1John 4:4, KJV).
What does that mean? It means my negative thoughts, my insecurities, my intentions, my fears, my inhibitions, my brokenness, my pain, my unforgiveness, my faults, and my sins—my inner battle and struggle with myself—are formidable foes! All of these traits stand in clear contrast to everything that God has breathed into my spirit and spoken over my life.
The Word of God and the Holy Spirit within me are already manifesting the victory. So, regardless of what the enemy has managed to work in my reality, my faith is declaring:
I will trust the Lord with all of my heart, and lean not to my own understanding; in all my ways I will acknowledge him and he will direct my paths (see Proverbs 3:5-6).
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, KJV).
- “But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries” (Exodus 23:22, KJV).
- “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13, KJV).
- “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8, KJV).
- Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:10-12, KJV).
“Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14, KJV).
