2025: Stand and Fight! This is the theme, the words the Lord gave to me for this new year as I assembled my prayer journal. I was hoping I heard wrong! But, it became clear through the unrelenting circumstances I continue to pray for, that in order to advance, I must engage in the battle. I cannot be frozen in fear, doing nothing, or be wise in my own eyes, trying to control the circumstances. Then I thought, if I have to stand and fight, how does “let go and let God” fit in?
I perceived understanding in my spirit. That infamous slogan can sometimes be used to get people off the hook. Think about the situation and what they want to let go of. It certainly cannot be not letting go of prayer, it cannot be letting go of reading and standing firm on God’s Word, putting it into practice and allowing it to take root in our spirit and build our faith. For, this is how to stand and fight. This is the armor God has given us for cover and protection. Even though the God of Heaven’s Armies promises to fight for us, we still have a part to play.
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16;13-14 NIV)
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
Through my most recent book study, “A Time to Advance”, I realize I must let go of the mindset of fear and pride. I must release my stress and anxiety, and let God calm my storms. His Word reminds me that there is no need for worry. That is a tool of the enemy to cause doubt and bring sickness and disease that weakens us Christians to the point of believing the lies of the devil. It destroys our faith.
Faith is not an easy thing to have. It takes much reassurance through God’s word and promises even to have just a little bit. But, Jesus says faith the size of a mustard seed will move a mountain… a mountain of problems, worry, sickness and disease. Without faith, there is no salvation (the core of the Christian belief). We believe that Jesus died and rose, defeated death and the grave, so that we don’t have to. We receive forgiveness of all our sins that separate us from our heavenly Father. We are changed and called to move forward and live a life of abundance here on earth, advancing the Kingdom of God.
People assume the Kingdom of God is up in heaven, but God’s word tells us that through salvation “we are seated with Christ in heavenly places”. (Ephesians 2:6) Therefore, God’s Kingdom in the spiritual realm is among us here on earth too. The kind of life we live here in the land of the living largely depends on our mindset. Do we have a mindset of fear? If so, we must remember the kind of God we serve… a God of love who is perfect in every way, and that “perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18) Or maybe we have a mindset of pride, constantly striving to be the best we can be, relying on our own understanding rather than trusting only in God. His Word tells us to “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean out on your own understanding”. (Proverbs 3:5) God’s Word says: “You are to to have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3), especially the god of self. “In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.” (Proverbs 3:6)
We are all on a path to find God and experience His peace that surpasses all understanding. (Philippians 4:7) So, what does this have to do with standing and fighting? We must realize that without the battle, there is no need to desire peace. That is why life is such a struggle at times. But, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of darkness and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12) that we were born into. How we choose to get out of the struggle largely depends on our mindset and willingness to “stand and fight”.
Not knowing the specifics of God’s Word firsthand, adding to it, embellishing it or using your own understanding is all it takes to be swayed by those dark forces. It all started back in Eden when God told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that is in the middle of the garden. Adam told Eve. Then, the serpent (Satan) said to Eve, did God really say not to eat from that tree? Eve replied yes, (not knowing God’s Word firsthand) she said we can’t even touch it or we will die. Eve had added to God’s Words.
That little embellishment was the ammunition Satan used to sway her with his lies to think otherwise. For, when she touched the fruit, she did not die, and there it was… doubt! That emboldened her to go a step further and give the forbidden fruit to Adam. As they both handled the fruit, and did not instantly die; the temptation to taste it grew strong and they did not resist. (Genesis 3:3-6) Had they humbled themselves, held fast to God’s Word and resisted that devil, he would have left and the world would be a different place today. (James 4:7) Adam lost dominion over the Earth. He forfeited his birthright to Satan and now we are all born into battles.
We must stand firm with our feet planted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, covered by the Word of God. This is our battle armor: the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the belt of truth, our feet fitted with the gospel of peace, taking hold of the sword of the spirit. (Ephesians 6:13-18) Every piece of this armor and weapon of warfare ties into the Word of God in its many different facets. It is yours for the taking. So take it, put it on. Stand firm and fight!
Fight for the salvation of your families. Fight for the health of your loved ones. Fight for chains to break and people to be set free from addictions. Fight for the bond of marriage and family, fight for good leaders and Godly politicians. Fight against the god of this dark world!
God provides everything needed to fight and win. It’s all in His Word. Read it firsthand; it is how He speaks to us. It’s time to advance in the Kingdom of God! It’s a new year, a new day, a new minute. Welcome 2025! It’s time for a change! But, change is up to you! Make reading God’s Word part of your daily plan to get through the struggles of every day. Let it take root in your heart, soul and mind by doing what it says. Your faith will increase, and you will rise to new heights. You’ll find a new purpose in the kingdom of God. It’s time to get in position to be a leader and lead others to Christ.
Then, what joy there will be in heaven when we actually advance to the other side and see those who have gone before us, and those who are there because of us. What joy we will have in heaven, living the eternal life promised by our savior Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for dying and laying down Your life for us. Thank you for calling us Your friend. Come Lord Jesus and speak to us through Your Word, strengthen us to stand firm and fight, in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
I hope 2025 will be a year of Victory for you all. Thank you again for reading my blog. God bless you!
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