Whenever we prepare ourselves for the war we are in, it is
vital that we understand the goal of our enemy. Too many have been impacted by
Hollywood and it’s image of the enemy. Believe me, because I have experienced
some pretty frightful things on the mission field, I do believe that our enemy
can do many things that would terrorize most of us. However, making your head
turn around or having you float around the room is not our enemy’s
norm. At the end of the day what he really desires is to have us crash and burn
and become unused by our Lord. With that in mind I wish to approach this last
part from an unexpected view for most of you.
First let’s review our priorities involved in our warfare.
First we need to Know
our Purpose:
Second we need to Know our Enemy:
Third we need to Know our Weapons:
God has equipped us with many weapons, first and foremost,
Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit. We also have Prayer and the Armor of
God from Eph 6:10-18.
I want to bring to light another set of weapons that many do
not consider, and I believe it is one of our enemy’s greatest secrets,
because we miss this part of his strategy.
I have
witnessed for decades how children of God become
discouraged in their walk and
cease being effective for the Lord. What they don’t see is the enemy was using
a weapon they did not recognize…ministry! If the enemy can get you to minister
outside of your giftings, you will be in constant frustration, and exhaustion
which will lead to burn out.
It is
essential that we slow our lives down enough to allow God to show us where our
gifts lie and...how, when exercised in ministry, we become fulfilled and content
in our walk.
Romans 12:3-8 For through the grace given to me I say to
every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think;
but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a
measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the
members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in
Christ, and individually members one of another. And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace
given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the
proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his
teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality;
he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
The So What: Have you asked the Lord to show you your gifts? What
do you do for the Lord that energizes you? How is the family of Christ affected
by what you do for the Lord? Is what you do for God a burden or something that
brings fulfillment?
