Be On Guard!

It is sometimes so easy to let down our guard.  What do I mean by this?  Well, when we begin to think, "I can handle it", or "it's no big deal", or "its not THAT bad", concerning something that eventually could lead to our downfall, then we are slowly but surely beginning to give way into letting down our guard or our even tearing down our "wall", so to speak, of defense.

The enemy has many tactics he uses to help us in this process.  He can place doubts in our mind.  He can discourage us and begin to encourage us to become unsure of God and His very promises.  We need to be so careful of this.  That is why we must be on our guard!  All the time!!

I love what Leslie Ludy says, 

"If you find that you are constantly distracted with the cares of life, bogged down with emotional or physical “fog,” or pestered with irrational thoughts and fears, there is a good chance that the enemy of your soul is attempting to create confusion and keep you from building a wall of fortification around your life. Beware of saying, “I’ll press into God once these issues are gone.” That is exactly how the enemy wants you to respond. Like Nehemiah, we must aggressively pray and fight until the enemy realizes that we will not kowtow to his bullying.

“Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night…Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I…said to…the people, ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight…And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. (Neh. 4:9,13-15)

Christ said, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Matt. 26:41). We must live in such a way that we are constantly on guard, always sober and vigilant against the cunning schemes of the enemy (see 1 Peter 5:8). We mustn’t assume the road will be easy, but let us remember that we have available to us the weapons of heaven (see Eph. 6:10-17). And above all, may we remember who fights through us! “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)."

So, continually fortify your wall of defense dear friends!  If you become discouraged and even fearful, quickly go back to the promises of scripture and cling to that!  

It is so easy to bank so much on our emotions and cause them to lead, but we can't let our feelings take over.  They should follow.  So, even if you may "feel" a certain way or are emotional about something, don't let that be your guide.  Let the Word of God be your stronghold!  

It's a daily battle but all we have to do is take one day at a time.

What will you do today?!  Live in fear and discouragement, following your feelings, or will you cling to the promises of scripture and trust in the very words of the Lord?!  BE ON GUARD!! 

Build up your walls of defense! 

~Grow in Grace~

2 Peter 3:18