Devotionals

In today’s passage, David does a wonderful job of describing the wicked. He points out how their sin, deception, and evil ways towards God and to their neighbor places them in a position as his enemies. The word “enemy” when speaking of a person might seem harsh. So, let’s take a moment to remember what Jesus says about those who refuse to welcome the Truth of His message.

When Jesus sends the Apostles out, in Matthew 10, He instructs them to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness, in His Name. He also tells them that they are not to accept money or anything of value, that they are to travel light, they are to accept hospitality, and they are to bless those households who have been a blessing to them. Jesus goes on to tell the Apostles that “If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on judgment day.” (V.14-15)

Our hearts (or household) should be like David’s heart and long for the Truth of Christ to be seen, heard, and revealed to our neighbors through us. We cannot allow the enemy, Satan, to use our words, actions, or inactions to harm others. When this happens, we must quickly confess our sinful ways, immediately turn back to the Truth, and ask Jesus for His unfailing forgiveness. Far too often, Satan will use our neighbor in an attempt to stand against Jesus, and His Truth that is rooted deep within our lives. We must not meet our neighbor, who is blind to the Truth, within that place of sin. Rather we need to cry out to the Lord. Seek for Him to shield our hearts with His strength as He covers us with His grace and fills us with His mercy. Friends, we must be ready for Jesus’s return.

Psalm 28 (NLT)
A psalm of David.

1 I pray to you, O Lord, my rock.
Do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you are silent,
I might as well give up and die.

2 Listen to my prayer for mercy
as I cry out to you for help,
as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked—
with those who do evil—
those who speak friendly words to their neighbors
while planning evil in their hearts.

4 Give them the punishment they so richly deserve!
Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness.
Pay them back for all their evil deeds!
Give them a taste of what they have done to others.

5 They care nothing for what the Lord has done
or for what his hands have made.
So he will tear them down,
and they will never be rebuilt!

6 Praise the Lord!
For he has heard my cry for mercy.

7 The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

8 The Lord gives his people strength.
He is a safe fortress for his anointed king.

9 Save your people!
Bless Israel, your special possession.
Lead them like a shepherd,
and carry them in your arms forever.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for shielding my heart from evil. I need for You to be my strength, today, and every day that follows, until we meet face-to-face in heaven. In the meantime, please help me to stand with You and against all evil. Holy Spirit, please guide me with Your wisdom to know when to brush the dust of those who are being moved by Satan from my feet. My feet stand on You, Jesus, Who is the Rock of my Salvation. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: When it comes to Jesus, people can always find a reason not to believe he is the only way to experience the fullness of God, as well as connect to salvation. People are skeptical about such claims, because so many different religions profess to know, serve, and worship a god. Jesus himself taught it was possible for people to have a form of godliness, but their hearts be estranged and lawless (Mat 23:27-28). For this reason, Jesus came to offer the humble and repentant heart a relationship and an opportunity to learn the truth about God, because to know Jesus is to know God (John 10:14-15).

To experience the fullness of God in relationship is to discover his amazing attributes and character, to taste his perfect holiness, to experience his supernatural life, and live fueled by his powerful love. Jesus is the fullness of God in human form (Col 2:9). And, to take it a bit further, “So you (believers) also are complete through your connection with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority” (Col 2:10).

In our passage today, we encounter skeptics. The religious leaders—Pharisees and the Sadducees—of God’s people have failed to recognize Jesus as the long-promised Messiah (the Christ) even though he had been doing many miracles around them. These two groups of religious leaders were very different in their beliefs; they held very little in common. However, both groups did believe only God could provide a sign revealed in the sky. I guess one sky sign was not enough, because the miraculous star over Bethlehem marking the birthplace of Messiah—the Light of the World—did not convince them.

The Pharisees were fastidious about their rules and traditions and how honoring them gave favor with God. As well, the Pharisees honored the authority of the sacred Scriptures and writings and believed in the resurrection from the dead. The Sadducees only honored the Torah—5 books of Moses—and did not believe in the resurrection. Really, the only thing these two religious groups absolutely agreed on was to terminate Jesus.

If you have never chosen to begin a relationship with Jesus, please do so today. Skepticism has no power when we decide to trust our lives and understanding to Christ. We learn and experience the truth from the Living Lord to whom every knee will bow (Ro 14:11). The truth sets us free from further doubt and disbelief (John 8:31-32).

Matthew 16:1-4 NLT Leaders Demand a Miraculous Sign
1 One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

2 He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; 3 red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times! 4 Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah” (a metaphor for Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection). Then Jesus left them and went away.

Prayer: Lord, you are living and loving us all the time. Thank you for making a home for us in your heart. Please continue to teach us about your perfect nature, character, and love in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: As I was watching the news this morning, I witnessed a report about “magic mushrooms” that are being used in U.S. churches in California, Oregon, Alabama, and Utah. Magic mushrooms and cannabis buds are being given as “sacraments.” In fact, in Oakland, CA, the church founder believes and states, “There’s no doubt in my mind that mushrooms were the first way our ancient ancestors understood there was more to this existence.” This church has 80,000 registered members who pay $5 per month to pick up a “sacrament” in order to experience spiritual development by bringing people closer to the “divine” and the “theological heart of faith.” ($400K/mo) Here’s my thoughts: Not a chance! This is a church acting as a drug dispensary that leaves the mind open and unprotected to evil spirits.

What does it mean to be open-minded? According to Merriam Webster, we are open-minded when we are willing to listen to or accept different ideas or opinions. As I sit here considering that definition this morning, it occurs to me that my mind and the minds of all people have a different starting point of thought or understanding based on individual exposure. Besides, all minds are affected by sin and tempted to follow deception. I cannot just leave myself open-minded to just anything; I must guard my mind because it affects my life (Pro 4:23). So, I must decide where to find the truth and build my understanding from there or I will believe just about anything.

Scripture teaches the Lord is the one who opens our minds to the truth (Luke 24:45) It is the work of the Holy Spirit to witness to our spirit; “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). “His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7).

In our passage today, the Bereans are an example of being properly open-minded. They listen to the message from Paul and Silas, then they allow the Old Testament Scripture to be their filter for the truth about the Messiah, because at this time the New Testament had not been written. These people gather, because they want to learn the truth about Christ; they know there is truth to discover as they read Scripture and wait on the Holy Spirit. Beware, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (Pro 14:12).

Acts 17:10-15 NLT Paul and Silas in Berea
10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

13 But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. 14 The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. 15 Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.

Prayer: Lord, this morning I simply bow humbly before your throne of grace and call for mercy for those deceived by false shepherds. I pray for the ability to speak and share the truth that leads others into abundant living and righteous peace in the Spirit. Please help guard our thoughts, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Since we shared about repentance yesterday, let’s go a step beyond and ask, “What does it mean for the repentant heart to live a life that has been ransomed by God?” Before the work of Christ on the cross, our lives, as human beings, were in jeopardy because of sin. We had no power over evil or the sin that would lead every person toward death (spiritually and physically). Death is the penalty for sin, but for those who allow themselves to be ransomed by Christ’s sacrifice, they receive eternal life (Rom 6:23). Jesus’ death—the shedding of his blood on the cross—satisfied the legal requirements of God’s law for justice (Lev 17:11; Heb 9:22).

The blood of the sinless Christ paid ransom to God and defeated evil and sin’s power over those who come to him for forgiveness. When Scripture tells us we (believers) have been liberated from the power and penalty of sin, it is because we now belong to the Lord and his Kingdom not to Satan and the system of the world. We can love and serve the Lord wholeheartedly, as well as love and serve our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). If you have invited Jesus into your heart, you belong to him in a beautiful way. When the Father looks at you, he sees Jesus who covers you with his blood. Because of the miracle of salvation, you are the forgiven.

Now, through the ongoing work of repentance and ransom, we can be RESCUED! I could stop right here and lose myself in praise, because the Lord has rescued me so many times! Jesus is the miraculous Rescuer of those whom he has ransomed and, as Lord of our lives, he fights our spiritual battles when evil attacks and tries to tempt us into sin. We are not human conquerors in our worldly flesh, we are human conquers in the Holy Spirit, because Christ is for us not against us and we can never be separated from his love (Rom 8:31-39).

In our passage today, David reminds us of the truth: as the repentant, we are the ransomed and the rescued. So, don’t fear the deep waters of trials, rivers of difficulty, or fires of oppression…you belong to God and the Rescuer lives within. Blessings my dear conquerors in Christ!
Psalm 17:1-2 NLT
1
But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
    O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 
When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for paying the penalty for our sin and lifting us out of the very things the enemy sends to destroy us. You are our wisdom, courage, protection, and the love we require…we are yours! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: What does it mean to have a repentant heart? In order to understand a biblical definition of repentance, we must be willing to first see it as a gift from God to bring humanity into a place of divine peace and wholeness. Repentance has to do with turning away from sin and evil and returning to God and His goodness for salvation. Although this is truly a great definition all by itself, I think it is also important to recognize the state or position of the heart for genuine repentance since our heart is connected to what we treasure (Mat 6:21).

To have a repentant or a contrite heart is to be broken-hearted and grieving about our sin against God (Acts 2:37). We must acknowledge we have allowed sin to interrupt our personal relationship with the glorious One who died for us to have victory over sin. If we have a repentant heart, we find ourselves being filled with a greater desire to fight against the temptation to sin in order to abide uninterrupted in the glorious goodness of God found in Christ! It is in the glory of God’s presence we experience His miraculous power and grace for living. When our greatest desire is to dwell with the glorious One [our Treasure], sin loses its power.

In the Book of Acts, Peter proclaims to the crowd that the crucified Jesus—through his life, death, and resurrection—is the promised Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. Peter goes on to tell the people that the apostles—all chosen by Christ himself—are eyewitnesses to the miracles of Jesus and repentance from sin is the way to know this God of all miracles. Peter tells the crowd having a repentant heart and a willingness to follow Christ away from sin would bring them the greatest miracle of all—salvation life in the Spirit and fellowship with God and His family. Three thousand repentant hearts responded to the truth spoken by Peter.

Acts 2:37-42 37 NLT Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

The Believers Form a Community
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of repentance you have provided. Stir within every one of your children a passionate desire for you as our Treasure. Please destroy the sin that tries to rob us.  Fill us with the Holy Spirit and help us to love and care for one another. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

During yesterday’s sermon, Pastor Mary reminded us that we are to be praying boldly, because we serve the Miraculous Creator of everything. She also nudged us to remember what Jesus commanded us to do, and that is that we must serve our neighbors. Jesus feels that loving our neighbors is so important that He put it right up there with loving God: “And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

Everyday, God places people within our path, whether it’s at home, work, school, or within the community who He wants to be able to reach…but, only by being able to move in and through us to bring those people His love. Are you spiritually open and aware that God is seeking to use you each and every day to love a neighbor, or two, or maybe even more?

In today’s passage, Paul exemplifies how we are to treat our neighbor, by how he treats his neighbors, who are the brothers and sisters of Christ in Rome. He is thankful for them, he prays diligently for them, he wants to spend time with them so they can grow in their faith and use their spiritual gift together, he wants to encourage them and to be encouraged by them (“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17), and he is eager to share the Good News with them.

Friends, we need to be in diligent prayer, and not only for ourselves, but for our neighbor, for all of humanity, and for the world. We need to come boldly before the Throne and ask our Creator for more and more miracles so that the Kingdom of God can keep growing here on earth, and we have to do it together, and alongside of our neighbor.

Romans 1:8-15 NLT

God’s Good News

8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.

10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.

13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for hearing and answering our prayers. Help us to be patient when our prayers seem to not be answered, and to trust that You are working what is good and You will bring forth the highest and best. Holy Spirit, please guide us to be a loving neighbor to someone today. Quiet our own thoughts so that we can hear what You need us to hear, let us see others through Jesus’s eyes, and guide our hearts to be in one accord with His heart. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: What makes people effective with work or any given task? I’m sure there are many things that are important and must work together, but an essential element must be having a positive attitude that radiates confidence and commitment. If we are going to be effective, we must begin with ourselves—be a self-starter with a positive “I can do it as I focus my faith on Jesus” attitude. Then, we must follow-through in order to please God!

Some background for our passage today from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has been teaching about being judgmental—before pointing out the speck in our neighbor’s eye, first we need to attend to the log in our own eye, because only then can we see properly to effectively help others (Mat 7:3-5). The desire to help is essential, but the willingness to first invite Jesus to cleanse and direct our hearts and way is what makes the help we give truly effective. After sharing about our personal need for his help to make us effective disciples, Jesus shifts his teaching to effective prayer.

What makes people effective with prayer? Clearly, we see the need for confident faith, a positive attitude, a focus on God’s plan, and a commitment to follow-through when we want answers. Through prayer we search for God and ask for his purpose to be manifest in our hearts and as we reach out to help others. Jesus teaches us there are “intensities of effort,” and he shares these as asking, seeking, and knocking.

We persist in asking for Father God’s will with confidence because we know he loves and cares for the souls of all his children; asking keeps us humble. Seeking diligently is key, because God has promised, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (Jeremiah 29:13). And, when we keep knocking or persevering for the door to open and release grace to fulfill God’s purpose, we will be rewarded. God is good and will never withhold good things from us. However, he wants us focused on what is important to him and trust in his timing, because then we bring glory to his name.

Matthew 7:7-11 NLT Effective Prayer
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Prayer: Lord, we want to be effective for the work of your Kingdom and we understand we do so by inviting you to first bring the necessary changes in our hearts and attitudes. Please work to cleanse us and set us free from the things that do not honor you. By asking, seeking, and knocking, we want to position ourselves to receive your help in touching lives for the Kingdom. We are going to persevere in prayer and remain confident that you will bring the good gifts we need at the appointed time. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: As I sit here quietly, I have many praises to offer up, today. God is good and loving to walk with me through life; I am blessed beyond measure. Granted not everything is easy, but God has been, remains, and will always be with me in Spirit, love, and truth. I can praise him everyday, because the Spirit helps me know God’s merciful heart as he helps me reach up to love the Lord wholeheartedly, as well as helps me to reach out and love others as I love myself. Our God is a beautiful and priceless Treasure and his action toward us flows out of his perfect character.

The Book of Psalms is a book of praises. In our passage today, we praise God, because his nature is essential for us to live a life of meaning and wholeness. We must learn to praise God as individuals and we must also gather to learn how to praise God as a spiritual community. Life can be heavy these days, but we must diligently keep our focus on the all-encompassing goodness of our God who is with us.

If we were never needing mercy, we would not need the God of all mercy. If we never struggled with selfishness, we would not need the unfailing love of God. If we were sure-footed and never failed, we would not need the God who lifts and rescues us. If we could find fulfillment in our worldly endeavors, we would not need the God of truth who satisfies us. There are so many ways and reasons to praise God, but only those who respect (fear) him will actually do so. I need God to extend mercy, compassion, love, goodness, help, spiritual food, refreshment for my soul, kindness, as well as the truth to me rescue me, so living wickedly (with no regard for righteousness) is not an option. Praise the Lord, today!

Psalm 145:8-9, 14-20 NLT
8
The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 
The Lord is good to everyone.
    He showers compassion on all his creation.
14
The Lord helps the fallen
    and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
15 
The eyes of all look to you in hope;
    you give them their food as they need it.
16 
When you open your hand,
    you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
17 
The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
    he is filled with kindness.
18 
The Lord is close to all who call on him,
    yes, to all who call on him in truth.
19 
He grants the desires of those who fear him;
    he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
20 
The Lord protects all those who love him,
    but he destroys the wicked.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for this day and your goodness that surrounds all your children. Please keep us looking in your righteous direction and put praise on our lips as we know you are with us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Small beginnings seem to be the way of God; he is the Author of seed time and harvest. “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease” (Gen 8:22). God delights in his creation; he saw that it was good. As human beings, life starts when a seed is planted and cells begin to multiply; following birth we grow and develop, learn, and mature. God does the same in our salvation, because our new life begins as a Seed of righteousness implanted in our hearts and grows making us into fruit-bearing, gift-using, gospel-proclaiming mature disciples.

Throughout the gospels, Jesus spoke a great deal about the Kingdom and he is referred to as the Seed of the woman (Gen 3:15). Scripture teaches Christ has complete authority over heaven and earth, as well as a plan to redeem it. In the midst of this fallen world, God’s Kingdom was established by the defeat of sin and death when Jesus gave his life to pay for our sin. Now, the growth of the Kingdom is to spread through the proclamation of Christ’s disciples as they model life with God. The Lord invites every believer to use the power stored up in the Kingdom—grace and the work of the Helper. Therefore, we also have the power over sin and can help others find new life and wholeness for their lives. The gospel is truly Good News, and we must enjoy and share it.

In our passage today from the gospel of Mark, Jesus describes the Kingdom of God as being like a mustard seed—it has a very small beginning but ends with an abundant result. Just like all seeds, the Kingdom goes through stages of growth and will end in a ripe crop with a harvest of souls—the angels will one day swing the sickle of God’s judgment. (Rev 14:14-19).

Mark 4:30-34 Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? 31 It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, 32 but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”

33 Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. 34 In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for small beginnings, as well as the promise of fulfillment or maturity. Help us to stay focused on what you are saying and doing as we follow you each day. Give us courage and endurance, as well as vision and direction. Multiply us we pray! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In Scripture,“God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day (Gen 1:5). It is easier to see life around and before us during the light of day, but much harder to see very far ahead during the darkness of night. If I am going to be outside when it is dark, I try to walk near the street lights or take a flashlight with me. I want to see my way clearly rather than stumble in the midst of the darkness. However, there is a darkness that can be experienced when a flashlight is of no help. We need the Light or Wisdom of truth!

Scripture teaches us Light and darkness are also described as unseen spiritual kingdoms. The spirit of Light has to do with Jesus, the Righteous One, and the spiritual knowledge or truth he brings believers who walk in the ways of the Kingdom of God. The spirit of darkness has to do with spiritual ignorance and represents the devil, the evil one and those who walk in the deceptive ways of the kingdom of the world. Human beings serve the spiritual kingdom of the Righteous One or the evil one; we cannot serve both.

If we are not aware of the ongoing clash around us between these two spiritual kingdoms, we may think we are battling people rather than wrong spirits. Although people who live in spiritual ignorance are not aware of what the Word of God has to say, believers should not consider other human beings to be their enemies. The opposition we face simply flows from the spiritual adversary people empower from the unseen kingdom of the world.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds us to be aware of this truth, because believers will wrestle with evil spiritual adversaries. Years ago, one of our sons was on a high school wrestling team. The young men never wrestled at a distance; nope, they were up close, grabbing, pushing, and using whatever leverage necessary to take their opponent down. Well, evil wrestles to drag us into the darkness, but Jesus is the Light and he is the One who makes us more than conquerors (Ro 8:36-37).

The Kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Ro 14:17). Believers are not ignorant of evil’s tactics; satan uses our old fallen nature to drag us away from the Light and into the darkness. So, stand in the righteousness of Christ, let your life be governed by the Prince of peace, use faith to call for Christ’s power, protect your mind against the lies of the devil by believing the Word of God (Eph 6:14-17). Christ knows the moves of evil and he has been made Wisdom for you!

Ephesians 6:10-13 NLT A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we [you] 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.13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for warning believers about the battles that begin in the spiritual realm. Although we do not need to fear the spiritual adversary, we must receive your wisdom for how to overcome every attack. We desire to serve your righteous Kingdom and bow to your rule over our lives. Help us to deny our old nature and empower a new one. In Jesus’ name. Amen.