Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Stubbornness is not an excellent quality. Does anyone love trying to deal with a stubborn person? I think not. But there are times when being resolutely determined is essential! Especially when dealing with the enemy of your soul, the devil.

In case you haven’t spent much time thinking about this, let me tell you that there is never a time in life when the devil isn’t trying to discourage you with accusations and condemnation over every mistake and wrong choice you’ve made. It’s who he is. Getting you to doubt and second-guess your decisions is one of the devil’s favorite playgrounds.  They are more profound and noticeable when we are going through difficult times because he uses those times to take potshots at us! Jesus called him the father of all lies. But we are also told in Revelation 12 that he is the accuser of the brethren—that’s you and me.

Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone makes some bad choices. We are always learning.  We all need to mature and improve.  We learn and mature with the help of God’s Word, but also from getting wise counsel from those who have been where we are headed and learning from their mistakes and wisdom. Sometimes we blow it and make not-so-bright decisions that bring painful consequences, but that is simply a part of the learning curve of life. It’s hard enough when we suffer from our wrong choices and decisions without Satan lying and raging against our minds to make us feel stupid and incompetent! And so, this is the time to be stubborn. Don’t fall to the devil’s accusations. Don’t give him victory by beating yourself up or by quitting and giving up. Do that, and you let him win. If you blow it, take it to God! Immediately! Acknowledge your mistakes and repent, knowing He’ll forgive with a sincere heart and help you navigate through the errors and possible pain that has come. He will help you! He will teach you through those times and bring them good and even blessings from them. His grace will be there to help you!

As far as the enemy of your soul, be stubborn! When his accusation comes, get in his face and declare that you are God’s child and the benefactor of God’s mercy and grace and will not be afraid because you have faith that God will help you through any mistakes and fix what was broken. Be stubborn about that! Then, recite Chapter 2 to him. Remind the devil that you are forgiven, that God loves you, that Jesus died for your sins, and don’t budge! He’ll try to give you a hundred reasons why that isn’t true for you. He’ll tell you that you’ve crossed the line too many times. He’ll let you know that God is tired of you and has abandoned you, and on and on! When that happens, be stubborn and don’t budge! Psalms 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so…” You say so! You say out loud, God loves me! God forgives me. God will never leave me. And then do your best to follow the counsel of His Word!

If sickness and disease come against you and try to steal your health or life, fight the battle! Get in the enemy’s face, and despite any circumstances confronting you, say what David said in Psalm 103:1-5. “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits– who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

There is a godly stubbornness. It’s called being tenacious. It’s called “fighting the good fight of faith.” 1 Timothy 6:12 (NLT) says, “Fight the good fight for what we believe…” And then it says to be even more tenacious. Ephesians 6:13 (NLT) says, “Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.”   

As a young Christian, my Pastor gave me one of the best pieces of godly counsel I ever received. He said, Don’t yield anything good that God gave you back to the devil. He may try to steal it, but in your heart and spirit, don’t let him have it. No matter what happens, fight for it. Take authority over him and declare Him caught. Pray that the angels of God help you get it back. NEVER yield your blessings to the devil. NEVER! The devil has no right to what God has redeemed you from and blessed you with! That was life-changing counsel and has helped me more than I could ever say! That advice had become a core value that has made me strong in the Lord and the power of His might. It has made me tenacious against the devil.

It’s appropriate to listen to the wise counsel of others and learn what you can from your mistakes. But when it comes to the devil, do not be his doormat for condemnation and guilt. Stop devil-abuse! Be unmovable and stand on God’s word for His love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and promised help. Declare what God has declared over you to his face! And continue to stand in faith until you have His blessing on your life and in your hand. Blessing belongs to you! Jesus died and left you this precious inheritance. Honor Jesus by standing strong as He did for you and me!

1 Thessalonians 5:17-21 (NLT): “Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit…. but test everything that is said. HOLD ON TO WHAT IS GOOD!”  

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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