I Am Strengthened by God
Affirmations 2023 | Your Identity in Jesus Christ | Full Armor of God
Dear Fellow Wanderers:
I’m excited about this 2023 encouragement journey into God’s word, and I hope you’ll come along. To join me on this spiritual road trip:
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Select this link for the list of all the affirmations and links to each post.
Lies from the Enemy
Our adversary, the evil one in the unseen realm, often taunts us with these words, or with similar words:
“You are so weak!”
“You are powerless.”
“You think God will help you?”
Why does he do this? He hates you. He despises you. All he wants is to kill you, or steal what’s precious from you. Basically, he wants to destroy you, as we’re told by our Lord Jesus in John 10:10 (ESV):
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
God’s Truth about You
The best way to deal with your enemy’s lies is to contrast his lies with God’s truth; with what God says about you, and about Him and His relationship with you.
God’s strength is available to you always and is sufficient for your life and your needs. The apostle Paul, when he had to endure the thorn in his flesh that the Lord didn’t remove, told the believers in Corinth (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV):
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Despite whatever that thorn was in his life, Paul continued his missionary travels from region to region, relying on Christ’s power to give him the strength he needed.
When you feel at your weakest, it’s okay to simply rest in Jesus and let His strength take over. Your Good Shepherd truly cares about you. When a sheep is wounded, the earthly shepherd will pick it up and lay it across his shoulders and carry it awhile so the sheep can rest.
When the sheep is healed, the shepherd puts it down so it can rejoin the flock and continue on its journey. This analogy applies to you when you feel powerless, weak, and wounded. Don’t listen to your enemy. God will help you in His way and in His time. Let your strong God carry you for awhile. Rest in Him. His perfect power will work through your weakness.
Your Take Away
We all are familiar with many verses in God’s word. The key take away for you and me is:
Live the verses, really live them out in your life.
What God says about Himself and about you in Christ is truth. What He says is what gives you His strength in your daily life. The apostle Paul began his letter to the believers in Ephesus with these words (Ephesians 1:3, ESV):
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
We are blessed:
in Christ
with every spiritual blessing
Keep these verses in mind when the enemy taunts you with his lies to try and make you think you are “less than.”
You’re not.
Whenever you feel weak (and, we all do), God’s power will show up in you, for His glory.
Paul then finished his letter to the Ephesians with even more blessings that God gives us to strengthen us: the wonderful verses about the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-13). The faithful apostle, in his weak times, put on every piece of armor that God provided, and stood firm in the confidence of God’s strength.
Paul did it, and so can you and I.
We are strengthened by our faithful and loving God, our Good Shepherd who carries us on His strong shoulders.
Take time this week to think about these questions:
What lies of the enemy have you bought into and have accepted as “truths” in your life?
Which verses in God’s word can you use to fight back against those lies? (Take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.)
Soli Deo Gloria!
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Just what I needed this morning. Thanks for the encouragement NOC!