Day 25

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” — Ephesians 6:12-13

Victory and ease should never be confused or made synonymous with each other. To say that God gives victory does not mean we do not fight. To be called to fight does not mean the victory is in doubt or dependent upon our own ability either. The victory is God’s, the battle is ours.

I love the combination of these two factors in Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” There are two contradictory aspects in this statement – a feast and a fight. The feast represents the full and free provision by God of everything we need. But where is the feast? The startling answer is “in the presence of my enemies”. It is in the thick of battle, nose to nose with the enemy that the feast is laid before us. If we are to enjoy the feast, we must engage in the fight. Avoid the fight, and we miss the feast!There was a time when I thought that the more one grew in the Christian life, the easier the fight became. Temptations would dwindle, the old nature would lie down and the devil would give up. Now I have learned that the reverse is more likely to be true. The more we grow in Christ, the more we unsettle the devil and the hotter the battle becomes.

I will never forget visiting the renowned preacher, Dr. Alan Redpath shortly before he died in 1989. He had suffered two strokes, which left him paralyzed down one side and confined to a wheelchair. During our visit, he told us he had never known an intensity of spiritual warfare such as he was experiencing in his condition. I reminded him that perhaps the devil had a few old scores to settle.

After decades of powerful ministry around the world, here was this man, not retreating from battle, but more conscious of its intensity than ever before – and still giving Satan trouble. But I will tell you something else about Alan Redpath. He certainly experienced the battles but few enjoyed the feast as he did!

Prayer: Dear Lord, When faced with hardships and trials, I want to fight in your name. I trust in your power, your victory and am so grateful for the feast you prepare for me in the midst of battle. thank you, Lord, for already seeing me through difficult times where I have enjoyed the feast.

To reflect upon: Do I live my life confident of the power I have in Christ when faced with difficult times or confronted with temptation? Have I experienced a God- given victory and enjoyed the feast? If so, how did that impact my life?