For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:12-13) You must prepare yourself spiritually to face hard times before they come! The reality is that when hard times come, they come with a vengeance. You have no time then to say, “I had better get ready for this.” No, you are either ready, or not. Here, God is saying to you that hard times will come to you sooner or later. There are forces of evil in this world and they are opposed to God’s plan of making you more like Jesus Christ. They want to leave you in despair, depression and discouragement. And so they instigate suffering in your life. God’s reminding you that these tough times aren’t just something to be endured. Rather, they are attacks on your spiritual life. God wants to use them to build you up; Satan wants to use them to destroy your walk with God. Get ready for these attacks by cultivating your daily spiritual walk with God, soaking up His Word, renewing your mind with Truth, and developing a ministry mindset toward those around you.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 13:54:00 +0000