The Battle Rages

 THE BATTLE RAGES

     The ugly picture above is a version of Satan on display at the St. Catherine Church in Brussels, Belgium.  The statue depicts Satan under the foot of the angel Michael, but I prefer to think he is under the foot of Jesus Christ.  I see this as being a picture of the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15, when God cursed Satan in the Garden of Eden and said to him, "He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."

     This version of Satan's appearance also gives us a better glimpse of his true nature which is evil and ugly, beastly and vicious.  The sharp teeth are used for tearing apart his hapless victims.  While he sometimes disguises himself as angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), his true nature is the epitomy of evil and he is the father of lies (John 8:44).  

     Sadly, too many people fail to see Satan for what he really is and they fall for his honey-laced lies over and over again.  He's actually not very creative, because he's using the same lie that he's been using for thousands of years -- the same lie he used with Eve in the garden when he said, "Has God indeed said..." (Genesis 3:1).

     In her book, "Praying God's Word," Beth Moore wrote, "Tragically, Satan has successfully duped the vast majority of our churches into imbalance regarding all things concerning or threatening him.  We tend to give the devil either far too much credit or not nearly enough.  A war of unprecedented proportions is raging against the church and the people of God.  We must put on our armor, learn how to use our weapons, and fight with the confidence of those who know they are destined to win."

      I love the way she ended that quote -- we are indeed destined to win in the battle against our enemy Satan.  He will not win and he knows it.  Therefore, he fights tooth and nail to keep sinners from being saved and to keep Christians off their knees and distracted by the world.  We need those weapons described in Ephesians 6:10-20, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places," verse 12.

      Suit up for battle, sisters and brothers!  We are definitely on the winning side, but we don't want the enemy gaining any ground in the meantime.  Stay true to our commander, Jesus Christ, and He will give us victories that will thrill our hearts and set the enemy running for cover.  I love the verse in 1 John 4:4 that tells us of the awesome power who resides in us as children of God:  "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

     

Like a Phoenix Rising

 

LIKE A PHOENIX RISING

    This piece of artwork in my daughter's home reminds me of a bird in motion, which makes me think of the story of the Phoenix rising from the ashes.

     In Greek mythology, there is a bird called the Phoenix.  At some point in its life, it burst into flames and burns up.  The Phoenix then rises from the ashes of its burning death and is reborn more beautiful than before.

      While the story of the Phoenix is only a myth, the work God does in the lifes of His children is very real.  By the power of God, you can rise from the ashes of your burning sorrow.  You can come out of it stronger and more beautiful than ever before and be a light in a dark world with your story of God's miraculous work in your life.

     One of my many favorite verses offers us God's variation of that myth with His real life promise.  In this verse, God is saying that He will "give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified," Isaiah 61:3.

     This verse tells us that when something bad happens in our lives, God will turn the bad into good.  He will lift something beautiful from those gray ashes and lift your heart from mourning and change your sad garment for one of praise.  The outcome of that miracle is that you will be planted by the Lord to stand firm in His righteousness, and all of this wonder and grace will result in God being glorified.  And - in the process, you will experience joy that is beautiful!

     To experience this wonder and grace and joy, we need to be open to God's work in our lives.  Sometimes people hang onto their grief, bitterness, and/or pain as if it was a life-ring keeping them afloat when all the time, there is a lifeboat floating right beside them, just waiting to pick them out of the tumultuous sea and bring them to safety.  That lifeboat is God's loving grace and plan to give them "beauty for ashes..."  

     There's an old song we used to sing that goes like this, "Let go and let God have His wonderful way.  Let go and let God have His way.  Your sorrows will vanish, your night turn to day; let go and let God have His way."

     God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness," Jeremiah 31:3.