The Battle Rages On...

There's been a theme in my week so far...
I've seen it in many different lives, of people unrelated to each other, talked to people about it. It's been interesting.
I know that it is CONSTANTLY happening. But seeming as I've seen such very vivid examples and received a very good piece of wisdom from my husband, as I sat thinking this morning about what to write, and I prayed about it, this is the topic that came to mind:

{SPIRITUAL WARFARE... }

For those of you who know me- you know I'm PASSIONATE about this topic, and I could go on and on. I could maybe write an entire BOOK about war in the Heavenlies.

This post will be more narrow (at least I'll try) haha.

{MY OWN EXPERIENCE}
This week what I've seen is what I believe to be a spirit of STRIFE. . .

Strife is simply put: conflict, controversy, disunity, quarrels. . . basically what SPIRITUAL STRIFE really is... is the ENEMY OF YOUR SOUL- LURING YOU INTO A FIGHT ... mostly with someone you love or someone very close to you- at least this week in the people I've seen...

In my own home I will confess, there was really no reason, but I was extremely VULNERABLE to anger. I was easily frustrated, had almost no patience. Even though I was experiencing a wonderful healthy prayer life, in some way I was being lured into taking up my flesh instead of leaving it at the CROSS. . . and it definitely affected my family / home life.

There was nothing that anybody did that warranted the kind of anger or frustration I was experiencing. I knew I had to get rid of it. But before I did, my actions ushered in a spirit of STRIFE in my own home. Once one person gives into sin, flesh, etc... IT BECOMES A GATEWAY for the enemy to STRIKE!

My own selfishness had opened a gateway for STRIFE to come in my home. The atmosphere changed. Even though I may have been outwardly expressing the frustration I felt inside, the SPIRITUAL atmosphere in our home changed dramatically.

James and I began to butt heads constantly over nothing. We both immediately recognized something must be wrong. When you become sensitive to The Holy Spirit and spiritual things you gain more clear discernment and can definitely sense the spiritual atmosphere in your home, good or bad.

Remembering back I remember the very day while I was driving in my car and The Lord spoke to my heart and told me "Be ready. There WILL be resistance when you return home" . . . The Lord even WARNED me of what was coming. Looking back I believe that God was preparing me to go through this small battle so that James and I could encourage others and I could now write about it.

We aren't perfect. And as humans we never will be until we are with Jesus in the afterlife! :)
(But God does have a process of refinement and preparation for that day while here on earth that is never ending!)

Since we aren't perfect, James and I fell right into the TRAP OF THE ENEMY. . . We fought with EACH OTHER...  instead of fighting the spiritual battle

{WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT THE BATTLE}

{ FOR WE WAR NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD (JUST THE PHYSICAL) BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS, (MASTER SPIRITS), RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES (HEAVENLY REALM) } EPH. 6:12

OUR BATTLE ISN'T WITH THE PERSON WE ARE FIGHTING WITH...

EVEN THOUGH WE WALK IN THE FLESH, WE DO NOT WAR AGAINST THE FLESH (IN THE PHYSICAL) . . . FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL (PHYSICAL / HUMAN/ TANGIBLE) , BUT MIGHTY THOUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONG HOLDS. . .  2 COR. 10:3,4

The enemy of our souls HATES us, and wants to use any means necessary to bring us down. He uses spiritual weapons and tricks against us. He uses lies. And GOD IS TRUTH... so we are equipped with THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD (another whole blog) that can CONQUER the enemy and his tactics!

{WHAT I SAW THIS WEEK}

I saw a precious daughter of God with hatred in her heart toward her earthly father, and because of the anger, hatred, and unforgiveness she had, there was a lack of respect for the spiritual laws of his authority as her earthly dad, regardless of his sin against her or others. As tough as it is to hear, as CHRISTIANS--- WE have a larger responsibility to uphold the RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD...  Though in her flesh she could justify being disrespectful or disobedient to her dad, it was HER who allowed the gateway of STRIFE to remain open. SHE is the SPIRITUAL LIGHT in her home in the midst of darkness. But even in the darkness our little light of CHRIST will ALWAYS OVERPOWER THE DARKNESS - WHEN we are OBEDIENT! She was breaking a law of God... to honor your father and mother. Because she was willingly stirring up quarrels, she was getting MORE STRIFE... As the spiritual light in her home, God COULD (and will) reward her for her obedience- despite the other sins/ darkness in her home... SHE HAS THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY..

I was another precious daughter of God who experienced the same type of situation. She is the spiritual light in her home. After experiencing her husband who expressed his anger in a way she didn't approve, she returned his anger with MORE ANGER...

Can you see the PATTERN OF STRIFE??

The devil will take someone who is NOT walking in obedience to God..... who maybe doesn't know Him.... or who is weaker in their flesh- and will USE THEM AGAINST YOU- to STIR UP YOUR FLESH...

We need to understand the BATTLE IS NOT WITH THEM...

{VICTORY IN SURRENDER}

I'm glad to tell you ALL THREE of these very recent stories ended up in VICTORY...

First, James and I came together and agreed NO MORE STRIFE. We repented to GOD and EACH OTHER for allowing it in our home, rebuked it, and forgave each other. Immediately the atmosphere changed in our home... AND IN OUR HEARTS... I no longer felt a quickness to anger / frustration in my own emotions / heart.

The precious daughter of God who had a heart of hatred and rebellion toward her dad, repented of allowing the door of strife to be opened, began to ask God to HELP HER SEE HER DAD THROUGH GOD'S EYES....

(This is what we must do!)

The other precious daughter of God asked God to help her forgive, prayed for her husband, and then told her husband she forgave him- and now healing and peace is happening in all of these homes. Even though these were shortlived experiences, it is definitly an example to show how the enemy works, and as a FOLLOWER OF CHRIST- WE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE ATMOSPHERE IN OUR HOME...

We need to realize the enemy isn't the one standing before you in the flesh... its the enemy of our soul...

{WE RAISE OUR WHITE FLAG}

The song that came to my mind while I was typing this is my current FAVORITE!

WHITE FLAG- CHRIS TOMLIN

This song says it all: THE BATTLE RAGES ON...... WE RAISE OUR WHITE FLAG, WE SURRENDER ALL TO YOU, ALL FOR YOU... THE WAR IS OVER... LOVE HAS COME... YOUR LOVE HAS WON...

THE ONLY WAY WE CAN WIN IS WITH THE LOVE OF GOD- WHEN WE FULLY SURRENDER TO HIM- THEN THE VICTORY IS IN SIGHT!

Fight the GOOD fight of faith Brothers & Sisters!

If you need prayer or are facing your own spiritual battle (who isnt?) please post on here how I can pray for you!!

LET'S PULL TOGETHER AS IRON SHARPENS IRON TO STAND STRONG IN THE VICTORY THAT IS OURS THROUGH GOD!