DEJA VU - ALL OVER AGAIN!

Hello, my friends!

I've got to be honest with you.  This week has been unreal.  "The Hub" and I have worked like crazy to help my son and his wife move.  It brought back memories of our move to the mountains three years ago.

With a lot less stuff.

And not so far to travel.

And a lot less stuff…

But, it was time-consuming and exhausting!!

So, needless to say, there wasn't a lot of time to write a new blog post for this week.  And frankly, my little brain cells (and trust me, they're quite little these days!) were too tired to fire!

That's why I've decided to cheat, cave in to laziness, be creative and re-print a post from August, 2011 – (with a little 2015 revamping).  

I think the words are still timely…

So, in the words of Yogi Berra – It’s déjà vu all over again!



SOMEONE'S BEEN MISBEHAVING


If you talk to anyone, read a newspaper, watch TV, connect with social media – it doesn't take much to realize that there's a lot going on in the world these days.

And a lot of it isn't so good…

The world is a hard-scrabble place.  

And everyone has a story to tell lately – a story of struggle, suffering, trial, and hardship.

What's going on?

In my opinion, the enemy is on the loose.

He loves creating mayhem.  He loves being the master of nefarious activity – (don't you love that word?  Evil, wicked, sinful, unlawful...).  He loves being mean.


I was talking about this with my mom the other day.  There's been a lot going on in our family lately – both my immediate family, and my extended family.  I was sharing with her how overwhelmed I was feeling.  She's feeling overwhelmed, too.

But then she said this to me…

"Remember when you were a little girl – how you pictured Jesus and Satan in a boxing ring?"

Yeah, I do remember that.

"And how you used to say that Jesus was bigger than Satan and He could just 'POW' Satan and win?"

I remember that, too.

However, right at that moment, I wasn't feeling too victorious.  Nor was I feeling much like that confident young girl who was so sure of her Jesus' mighty power.

I looked at her in dismay…

And she said, in her adorable "Trust me I'm a mother" voice…

"I know, he's gotten out of hand."

I paused – and then I started laughing.  Downright guffawing…

"What?" she said.

I told her how her response had made the enemy sound like an errant child. How she made him sound like a scoundrel, a cad, a ne'er-do-well.  

She might as well have said, "Tsk, tsk.  Bad boy…"

She started laughing too.


Now I'm not one to spit in the devil's face, so to speak.

I'm not taunting or challenging him.

But my mother helped me do something very important – she helped me cut him down to size.

You see, I think there are two crucial mistakes that believers can make when thinking about our enemy.

One, we can ignore him, and open ourselves up to unexpected and unrecognized attacks from him.  We can make him something less than he is. 

Or we can empower him, and open ourselves up to being constantly afraid and intimidated by him.  We can make him something more than he is.

We need to have a sober, but correct, view of him and his power.


He is not a god.

He is not good.

He is not omniscient or omnipotent.

He does not have control over our lives. 


All he can do is take his anger out on us –

And yes, the enemy of our souls is an angry enemy.  He hates God, and because we are so very dearly loved by God, he hates us too. 

But here's the truly wonderful thing – he really cannot win.


He can influence us, but he cannot overpower us.

He can tempt us, but he cannot overcome us.

He can threaten us, but he can never have our souls.


Satan might stomp his feet, and aim his arrows, and do his best to steal and kill and destroy.  But he will NEVER own us, for we are securely wrapped in salvation, with confident hope in our future – we belong to God.

He can rant and rave – and he can be a scary guy – but, he isn't going to win.

And I think he knows that deep down inside.  

He knows that Christians are being awakened in their hearts to pursue God in a new way.  He knows that we are being called to become warriors.  He knows that the Holy Spirit is moving…and we're listening, and responding, and arming ourselves for battle.

I think he's running scared right now…

Good.


So, I am thankful for my mom and her words of wisdom – and for how she helped me regain my perspective on things.  Yes, with all that's been going on, Satan "took” over my thoughts for a while – but he will never take me.

I am redeemed, rescued, ransomed – forever.


I think I really had it right when I was a little girl.

Jesus is bigger than Satan, and I think He just scored another knock-out in my heart…

POW!!

A crown of thorns
An offering of blood
bought us
secured us
and we will rise
victorious.

"'But you belong to God, my dear children.  You have already won a victory...because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.'" (1 John 4:4, NLT)

"For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith." (1 John 5:4, NLT)

"What then shall we say to [all] this?  If God is for us, who [can be] against us?  [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]" (Romans 8:31, AMP)

"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?  Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?" (Romans 8:35, NLT)

"...in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37, NASB)

"'I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.'" (Matthew 16:18, NLT)

"'I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.'" (John 16:33, NIV)

"Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, 'Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.'  And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb..."(Revelation 12:10-11, ESV)

"...thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57, ESV)

How is God giving you victory in your life?

Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAYS, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, GRATEFUL HEART MONDAY, REFLECT LINKUP, WORDS WITH WINTER, MOM 2 MOM MONDAY, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING, WORDS OF COMFORT MONDAY, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, UNITE, SOLI DEO GLORIA, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, RA RA LINKUP, WOMEN HELPING WOMEN, INTENTIONAL TUESDAY, TELL HIS STORY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WAITING ON WEDNESDAY, JOYHOPELIVE LINKUP, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, THE (NOT JUST) HOMEMAKING PARTY, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, BELOVED BREWS, EVERYDAY JESUS, GRACE AT HOME, SHINE, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, HEARTS FOR HOME, LOOKING UP LINKUP, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, EVERYDAY TESTIMONY, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, FAITH & FELLOWSHIP, GRACE & TRUTH, DANCE WITH JESUS, THEOCENTRIC THURSDAYS, TGI SATURDAYS, SATURDAY SOIREE, STILL SATURDAY, WEEKEND WHISPERS, SMALL VICTORIES SUNDAY, SUNDAY STILLNESS, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"