If you have been tracking with us through the “Gotta Stand” blogs, right now you are probably in one of three places:
You might be saying “Oh so that’s what I’m doing wrong! 
Hallelujah! I know what needs to be fixed!”
Maybe you are saying ” God wants me to do…What! I can’t do all that! This is crazy!”
If that’s you let me encourage you to take a deep breath and trust Christ to do the work for you. Bit by bit you will see the change. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a mature Christian. Remember our job in all this is to see what needs to be changed and to ask Jesus to change it. His job is to do the changing!
Finally someone out there might be saying, “I am doing this stuff pastor to the best of my ability and I am still falling down in the midst of this storm.”
It is to you Paul speaks when he says, ”
“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. 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. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6: 10-18 NLT
Sometimes I fall into the trap of believing behavior is the solution. I think “If I just act right everything will be all right. If I am good then life will straighten out.”
Anyone who has tried this approach to life knows it doesn’t work. Sometimes you can keep doing the right things and things just get worse. Why? Because we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies. we are fighting against devils who hate us and who want to ruin us. Being polite and proper does not impress them into being nice.
Christian behavior keeps us clean so that God can move into our lives and bring supernatural answers that push back against the devil’s supernatural attacks. Our behavior won’t fix the storm. Only God can do that. But God will flow through our lives more and more as we begin to live right for Him.
So how do we do that? More tomorrow!
Reinventing the We'll 
Thanks, Pastor J, I really needed this. I need to remind myself to take every thought captive, so when I get into the little battles with the enemy they won’t turn into an even bigger one. Thank you, God, for giving us the tools to fight the enemy. I just need to remember to put every piece of the armor on each morning. It is so nice to have a family that keeps me grounded and encourages me to get my focus back on Christ and off of the battle. Thank you, God, for my brothers and sisters in Christ.
And thank God for you Deb! His light shines through you greatly and the battle is already won! We are just waiting to see the victory manifest!
This makes so much sense and is so encouraging! I love how there are answers in His word for everything we are going through. And I love that He does the changing. 🙂
God bless you for doing this series! I’ll be tuning in tomorrow!
Will see you there Debbie! 🙂
I know that I am powerless to stand these storms of life. However, I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me. As I allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me, then and only then, do I become more than a conqueror through Christ!
God bless you, Pastor J!
So true Paulette. It is when I put myself in the way of the Spirit that He leads me and guides me; This is the mystery I can confess “It is no longer I that liveth but Christ that liveth in me!”