the victorious Christian life

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

I was reading in Psalms 44. Not only reading, but trying to memorize some verses that the Lord had emphasized to me as critical to stand upon in faith this year. Psalm 44:4-5 (NLT) “You are my King and my God. You command victories for your people. Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes.”

As I was committing them to memory, I had the thought: Most people in America couldn’t relate to these scriptures. Israelis are surrounded by their enemies—enemies who plot and work toward their destruction daily. In this country, we’ve been so protected on the home-front from military attacks, people seldom ever worry about a foreign enemy attacking us on our soil. Pearl Harbor was devastating, yet because it happened in Hawaii, away from the mainland, it was not the same as happening here. The Cuban Missile Crisis was probably one of the greatest recent threats and that was way back in 1961. For many it wasn’t until 9/11 in 2001 when the United States experienced a horrific terrorist attack that enemies and foes became more real to the non-military, everyday civilian in this country. Even than, it wasn’t like the 6-day war Israel faced in 1967. Israel to this day still lives under daily threat of foes and enemies. So unless people in this nation have experienced military encounters through their service in the military or loss of a loved one in action, “pushing back enemies and trampling foes” can be difficult to relate to.

As Christians we shouldn’t be unfamiliar with these ideas! If you’ve had very little exposure to the Bible, then imaging battles between God’s angels and Satan’s demons sounds like something better left to the sci-fi channel.

This is far too large a subject to tackle in a devotion, but I will say this; the demonic world is real and demons work behind the scenes to destroy and undermine everything that is good and of God. Satan is behind all the evil in this world. God will one day destroy all evil but He hasn’t done so yet. To do so He would have to also judge all those participating in any kind of evil whatsoever, including all of mankind today. He sent Jesus to save mankind, not destroy it. His plan to save man while pushing back evil continues on today!

Trampling our enemies is and should be very real to us. We are to trample upon the demonic spirits that come against the church, our family, our children, our lives, our nation, and anything you see that bears the constant presence or attack of evil. ISIS may seem like the extreme of evil but it goes all the way down to the perverts, drug pushers, and world of evil people that are at work in our society today—including those coming against you for no apparent reason! Any attack against your life is something you should resist!

How do we trample our enemies? We do so in prayer. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said in Luke 10:19-20 (NIV) “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” When Jesus said “snakes and scorpions,” by reading further you see He was referring to evil spirits. Again, Jesus said, “I give you authority to trample….” This is called spiritual authority and as a believer you have it to use in prayer using Jesus name!

The Apostle Paul brought more insight saying, Ephesians 6:11-12 (NLT) “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.”

The thought of praying and taking authority over the enemy trying to steal your job or livelihood may be unfamiliar to you. You may not be facing soldiers and foreign enemies literally invading your home like in some countries. But, there is an invasion of the enemy trying to steal your faith and confidence that God loves you and wants to bless you. Demonic forces are at work trying to steal the blessing of God from every area of your life. We trample them by taking authority over them in prayer. You’ve been given authority. Rebuke every attack of the enemy coming against you, your home, your loved ones, and your nation in Jesus name today!

Psalm 44:4-5 “You are my King and my God. You command victories for your people. Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes.”

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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