I
Will Not Be Shaken!
Psalm
16:8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will
not be shaken.
1
Peter 5:8-9 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy
the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of
believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Ephesians
6:10-11 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your
stand against the devil’s schemes.
2 Corinthians
10:4-5 The weapons we fight with are not
the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up
against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it
obedient to Christ.
I've
talked to Christians that have felt so defeated by the negative thoughts that
take hold in their minds. I've been frustrated by them sometimes, too. Those
mental strongholds are tough to defeat, but we most certainly have the power to
do so within our grasp. We must depend
on God's strength, using the mighty weapons he's given us—like prayer, faith,
hope, love, His Word and the Holy Spirit.
When we “put on the full armor of God” we can “take our stand against
the devil's schemes.” And scheme he
does...he “prowls” around, watching and waiting for a vulnerable moment to
attack.
I'm
most vulnerable when I'm tired and/or have a lot on my plate. In those moments, I let my guard down and
take my eyes off of God. Before I know
it, I've let the Enemy fill my head with his lies—those all too familiar,
negative, self-defeating thoughts. Soon,
my doubts, fears and anxiety begin to take over. When I finally discern what's
happening, I immediately speak the name of Jesus and ask for His help to
redirect my thoughts. I also ask for forgiveness and command the Enemy to “get
lost!”
During
a recent attack, I defiantly quoted, “I will NOT be shaken!” He left me alone for a bit. But I knew he'd
be back, so I looked up the rest of Psalm 16:8 and announced loudly: “I keep my
eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken!” I had to speak it several times, because sure
enough, like the relentless bully he is, he came back to try and pull me away
from God again and again. Eventually, I spoke it enough times, and so
confidently, that the Enemy fled (see James 4:7).
I
continue to speak Psalm 16:8 each morning, along with a few other verses I like
to call my “power verses”. I've found
they get my day off to a good start. I
figure filling my head with His Truth leaves little room for the Enemy's lies. I have much work to do in filling my head
with God's Word—and making sure that it's properly understood and applied. However, my progress has given me a
confidence I can't explain. I encourage
you also, when you're under attack, to “take a stand” and confidently exclaim, “I will not be shaken!”
Prayer:
Almighty God, forgive us for taking our eyes off of you and believing the lies
the Enemy fills our head with. Please give us the discernment to recognize his
lies and the courage to “take a stand”.
And thank you for the mighty weapons you give us to fight this constant
battle. Amen.
Sharon
Irvin
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