What would you say is the greatest obstacle standing in the way of your happiness right now? Just about every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ would probably answer this question the same way. Jesus tells us in John 10:10(NKJV), “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” From the Words of our Lord and Savior, we know that he came to the earth to make a more than abundant life available to us. Jesus also tells us that the devil is in the earth to steal, kill, and destroy us and everything we hold precious. The Good News is that Jesus Christ did not come in vain. We can have the prosperous existence that he sacrificed his life to give us. The question we must ask ourselves is what more can we do to reach out and grab what our Redeemer has so freely given, because many of us feel as though we’re losing the battle of an abundant life.
God’s Word tells us in Ephesians 6:11-13(NLT), “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.” Truth is our greatest armor, and our Heavenly Father never leaves His children without the knowledge and wisdom they need to conquer any obstacle or adversity in the earth. Romans 8:37 declares that we are more than conquerors through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. From this, we can be confident that God has supplied all we need to resist the devil and stand firm according to His Word.
Not by your might
If this season has taught us nothing else, it has revealed the spiritual wickedness and satanism in the world and all its systems. We cannot win a spiritual battle using physical weapons, and we cannot walk in the victory Jesus Christ has won over satan using our own strength. It just will not do. We must be strengthened in the Lord and in the power of HIS might. The whole armor of God must be put on to stand against the methodologies of the devil. The enemies around us today are demonic spirits, and they are working through people and the situations they cause. It would be a waste of time to take up the practice of warring against a person. God has commanded us to put on His WHOLE armor and stand against satan. We don’t have to fight because the battle has been won by our Lord and Savior. We must, however, stand on the solid foundation of God’s Word.
A Prayer Plan
God doesn’t want us ignorant of the devil’s devices. Heavenly Father wants us to be aware that the enemy has methods; he has spiritual darts, and missiles too. God has called upon us to have a dart-and-missile-proof system. That’s the system He’s provided through Jesus Christ. If a life of peace, fulfillment, and abundance in the Spirit feels to be slipping away, it almost certainly can be linked to not spending enough time with God. His armor is fail-proof. He tells us to put on the belt of truth, the body armor of righteousness, the shoes of peace, and to hold up the shield of faith. He tells us that our heads must be guarded by the helmet of salvation. This means we ought to think like Christ as we put on his mind and thoughts continually. Then, in Ephesians 6:18, God tells us to pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. This is the glue that binds everything together beautifully.
One of our downfalls as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ is to underestimate the potency and necessity of a solid prayer life. Because we do not have a plan in which we’re disciplined to pray daily, the devil seeks to destroy our prayer lives even before they begin. Many seasoned believers refer to themselves as Warriors in the faith, but it takes more than a label to wear this responsibility. It requires the discipline of consistent, earnest, and quality time in prayer. Typically, we define a warrior as a soldier that doesn’t give up easily. This is the mental and emotional resolve of a quality prayer life. We’re prayer warriors when we are relentless to a consistent prayer life, and we won’t give it up no matter how enticing the temptation.
It’s not a Chore, It’s A Privilege
Human beings are creatures of habit. We only do habitually those things from which we believe we derive some benefit. And we only focus our time and energy on those things we deem worthy of our attention. Given these truths, we can easily see how the devil has stolen one of our greatest treasures. This treasure is effective prayer, and it happens to be the thing that strikes a mighty blow against him. Understand that whatever you and I place before prayer will then relegate prayer to a place beneath it—to third or fourth place if that; and the enemy relishes this because he succeeds at getting us to abandon our post. We are then in disobedience, because God has commanded us to stay on guard.
In many cases, it’s not things like putting our needs first, being selfish, or indulging meaningless entertainment that the enemy uses; he knows spiritually mature believers won’t fall for those as easily. It’s stuff like chores, family, work, responsibilities, and other meaningful stuff that pulls at our time and resources. These are the things the devil uses to divert our attention away from prayer. We have to change this because forfeiting our time with the Lord is depleting our reservoirs. It’s causing us to feel as though we’re losing the battle because we are refusing a vital piece of God’s armor.
God has given us prayer because of His unfathomable grace and mercy. We can talk to Him and share our hearts with Him. We cannot, as responsible believers, put our communication and communion with God in second place; not ever. He must always hold the number one spot, and prayer is the privilege of access He’s provided to His children. How is it that we ask Him for His treasures in our times of dire need, but not use the very instrument that prevents much of our complaints? Prayer to God in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, allows our tanks to remain full. We, as sinners, cannot place a perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing God in a place of ‘get to you when I can’. We might do this with other folk, but it cannot be done with Heavenly Father. We cannot live the abundant life that Jesus Christ made available without acknowledging that prayer is the ultimate privilege. It’s not a chore. It is the most important practice of life, and a gift of joy and fellowship with God. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“When It Seems to be Slipping Away” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! Sundie Morning Sistas is dedicated to spiritual inspiration and encouragement through the Word of God.