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Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature
And complete, not lacking anything Jm1:4 The weapons of warfare are not arbitrary or selective. God expects us to grow and mature and sometimes He uses trials to do it. When I came into my relationship with God, I did not know how to use my tongue, was not at all righteous, hardly knew any of the word, had just a mustard seed of faith, and was in dire need to let go of the world and enter into this new covenant. As I look at the church today, so much of the lack of victory surrounds the neglect of honing the weapons of God. When a person prays for healing, but his tongue is being used in the wrong way like gossip, defeatism, slander, and quarreling and division, it is no wonder that prayers for healing are not heard. When God expects us to clean up our act and by faith establish righteousness, we choose rather to look at our own shortcomings and dismiss God and permit ourselves to do things contrary to scripture, it is no wonder that we lose our victory over the enemy and stay defeated. When we fail to become a student of God’s word, but chose rather to stay enmeshed in worldly teaching and doctrine, it is no wonder that we have no power over the enemy. When through fear, peer pressure, and human logic, we ignore the leading of the Spirit to act within the obedience of faith, when we chose to stay under law rather than living under grace, it is no wonder the devil has power to afflict us. When we chose to allow ourselves to be distracted by keeping busy and overly active lives, it is no wonder that we lose our connection with God and experience the attacks of the enemy. When God sees us ignore putting the word into practice, we are like people who having looked in the mirror forget what we look like. If you are not living in victory, if the devil has access to your life and the prayer of faith is to no avail, look in the mirror. Take inventory. Examine yourself. See if you have neglected a weapon of God due to unbelief. Not exercising any one of these weapons puts you vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. Trials sometimes are the means to maturity. A change of habits, a commitment to righteousness, knowing the word of God, living by faith, speaking only the truth, and taking more time for God may just be the solution to your predicament. Repentance, turning away from evil and pursuing the good, may be the start to victory and maturity. So much of the Christian life is stripping your self from the old sinful nature and putting on the nature of Christ. Put on the new nature. Live by faith. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, constant in prayer. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the other good things will follow. Take a step in faith! Amen |