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February 17, 2009
Know Thy Enemy
The Devil of Discouragement |
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Greetings!
Today's devotion concludes the series "Know Thy Enemy". To live in victory we must know the tactics, strategy and plan of our enemy. To know thy enemy is to understand he has "snares" set for our discouragement (1 Timothy 3:7, 2 Timothy 2:26).
Discouragement is a tactic of the enemy to rob your confidence, steal your courage and kill your joy. To know thy enemy is to know that he is the Devil of Discouragement. We defeat the Devil of Discouragement through application of God's encouragement in our life.
It is easy to be discouraged. There are so many issues, tasks, roles, and relationships in the complex world we call "home". Each day, we wake to new opportunities and choices. Each day the enemy of our souls attempts to knock us off balance through discouragement. The plan of the enemy is to use your emotions and imagination to involve you in his "discouraging" snare. These are the familiar sounds of self-defeat and we must recognize the attack and defend our heart.
While the enemy brings the attack of discouragement, God is attempting to keep us encouraged through the power of the Holy Spirit. There are two ministries battling for our attention. One is the Devil of Discouragemnet and the other is the God of Encouragement! To defend our heart against discouragement we must recognize that our choice ushers in encouragement or discouragement. We chose the encouragement of the Lord or fall prey to the discouragement offered by the enemy of our soul.
On good days it is easy to be encouraged. The difficulty is keeping our courage after being knocked down or knocked out! The remedy is simple trust in the Lord and His process. One of the facts of this "life" is that you will fail and other people will let you down. The great news is God will never fail and He will never let you down. You are called to encouragement. Know thy enemy and know he is attempting to steal your courage, joy and faith through discouragement. |
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Receive encouragement from Jesus
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
~ Hebrews 12:1-3 ~ |
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| Defeating the Devil of Discouragement
The author of Hebrews begins Chapter 12 with encouraging words to help followers of Christ live abundantly. His instruction is to lay aside the discouragement that holds us back, to lay aside sin, and to run with strength and courage the race of life. We accomplish this great goal by keeping our eyes upon Jesus and by following His example. When Jesus faced discouragement He didn't quit. In the face of great opposition and hostility, Jesus was encouraged and completed His sacrificial mission to save our souls.
When I think of the life of Jesus I always end up at the cross. The cross was gruesome and deadly! Still, despite the shame, pain and grief of His life with us, Jesus gladly went to the cross. In fact, He did it for the "joy that was set before Him". This joy, a joy that does not depend upon emotions and imagination, is the encouragement that kept Jesus moving to the cross. This joy is evidence of the encouragement only God can bring!
When the enemy unfolds his plan to discourage your heart it will involve stealing your joy. The joy that Jesus purchased on the cross is the joy that the enemy attempts to steal through discouragement. It may be a discouraging word, thought, action or attitude. Whatever it is, it is the plot of the enemy to steal your joy by discouraging you. We must never let anyone or anything steal our joy! We defend our heart from the Devil of Discouragement by protecting our joy!
To defeat the Devil of Discouragement we need to first defend our joy and then wage a counter-attack. Our attack is from the strength provided in and through Jesus. To wage a counter-attack against discouragement you must realize that strength is not in accomplishments, deeds, winning, ability or relationships ... strength is from the Lord. As such, our encouragement is not based upon what we have done or what happens to us. Our encouragement is solely dependent upon amazing facts ... We are kids of the King! We are Sons and Daughters of the Most High God! We are friends of Jesus! In this is joy! In this is strength!
Nehemiah understood something about the joy of the Lord and strength. When Nehemiah was sent to build the wall around Jerusalem, many discouraging voices and actions were sent by the enemy to dissuade him from building the wall but Nehemiah stayed on course and completed his mission. When the wall was finished he spoke to the people of Israel in Nehemiah 8:10:
"Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Let us heed the word of Nehemiah and live life based upon the fact that the "joy of the Lord is our strength". Today, realize and live in the fact that joy is your weapon against discouragment.
To know thy enemy is to know he is out to discourage you. To know God is to know that the "joy of the LORD is your strength". Defeat the Devil of Discouragement by submitting to the God of Joy! Live joyfully! |
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For King and Kingdom,
Randy Martin |
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