5-29-18 The First 15

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The Weekly Overview It’s vital to the Christian life that we as sons and daughters of the most high God allow our affections to be stirred by the loving, powerful nature of our heavenly Father. Too often we feel that God is distant or separated from us. Too often we allow misconceptions or lies to place a rift between us and experiencing God. It’s in reminding ourselves of God’s character that lies are broken and a pathway is laid for us to encounter his tangible love. Open your heart and mind and receive fresh revelation of the goodness of God this week. Allow your affections to be stirred and your heart to be filled with desire to seek the face of your heavenly Father. The Scripture "But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:3 The Worship Experience Artist: Rita Springer Song: Every Battle The Devotional I used to be scared to death any time I heard someone talking about the devil. He always seemed so cunning, too cunning, for me to handle. I saw Christian after Christian enveloped in temptation fall away from what seemed to be God’s will for their life. I heard about the ways in which the world was so tricked by his schemes. And I thought I would never be able to fully defeat this strong and cunning foe. Do you feel that way? Does your enemy seem too strong to defeat? Does he seem too cunning to outwit? Does it feel like he has so grasped you in his clutches that escape is impossible? The most important fact for you to know about Satan is that he is the father of all lies. John 8:44 says, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Let that truth sink in for a minute. Everything the devil tells you is a lie. He cannot speak full truth. Everything he tells you is in opposition to God, who is the author of all truth. All of the devil’s whispers about his strength and your inability to defeat him are in opposition to the word of God. May we find blissful freedom today in the powerful words of our loving, truthful heavenly Father. May we allow his Spirit to come in and correct the lies of the enemy we have believed so that we might walk in the abundant life available to us through Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” Our heavenly Father is a perfect, capable protector from Satan. He promises to establish us and guard us. He is always with us and always knows exactly what we need in order to withstand the temptations of the evil one. 1 Corinthians 10:13 teaches us, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” The Holy Spirit will always provide us an exit from temptation. Always. There will never be a temptation that comes your way that you cannot escape when you are under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. One of the enemy’s most used weapons is the lie that you cannot defeat him. He reminds us of our past failures, of his great cunning ways, and of his victories over us. He whispers that he is stronger than us and that we will give in eventually. All lies. Past failures do not have to dictate the outcome of future battles. In fact, if we will allow the Holy Spirit to use past failures to reveal to us ways in which he longed to lead us away from temptation, past sins become stepping stones on which we achieve future victories. Titus 2:11-14 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” God’s grace lays the foundation for our victory over the enemy, not our own works. It was in his grace that Jesus died to set us free from this world and restore us to God. His grace leads us away from temptation. And it’s his grace that he offers us every time we confess our sins to him. God’s grace is powerful, freeing, perfect, and full of love. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our frame. But he is also perfectly capable of being strong in our weakness if we allow him to be. You never have to fall into temptation again. God has a perfect plan for every temptation that comes your way. The enemy is not stronger than you. He is not more cunning than you. And he will not have victory over you because you have God, and God has defeated him. Your protector and guard is the very God who defeated the enemy at the cross and will throw him into the lake of fire, resulting in his ultimate destruction. That God lives inside of you, has grace for you, and plans to use your past failures and current weaknesses to powerfully defeat your enemy. Spend time in prayer meditating on the truth of God’s power over the enemy. Reflect on your own life and allow the Spirit to take your past failures and turn them into future victories. And allow Scripture to fill you with truth to combat the future lies of the enemy. The Prayer 1. Meditate on God’s faithful protection over you. “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 2. Reflect on your past failures. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you ways in which he was leading you away from temptation. What did he desire you to do so that you might walk in victory over your enemy? In what ways did he desire to protect you? 3. Allow the Spirit to empower you for future victories. Ask him to make you more aware of his leadership in future temptations and to empower you to follow him. Meditate on the truth of who you are in Christ and the truth of the enemy’s plans for you. May Scripture and the Holy Spirit empower you during this time for every temptation the enemy has planned for you. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Romans 6:1-5 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 It’s critical that we renew our mind to the truth of who we are in Christ on a daily basis. The enemy will never stop tempting us because he will never stop hating us and the God whom we belong to. But you can achieve victory over the enemy every single time because victory is already yours in Christ. You are the enemy’s no longer. You have been given a new nature of righteousness. The most powerful weapon you have is God’s word. Memorize Scripture about your new nature and allow it to redefine the way you see yourself. Walk in light of the incredible grace of God working in and through your life today. Extended Reading: 1 Corinthians 10 CRAIG DENISON is the author and founder of First15, a daily devotional guiding tens of thousands of believers into a fresh experience with God's presence every day. He writes, speaks, and he and his wife, Rachel lead worship to help believers establish a more tangible, meaningful connection with God.