25. Grace to Withstand the Attack

Wow.

When the enemy is intent on attacking, he really knows how to kick you when you are down. He is relentless.

But, he will not succeed. Do not allow him to gain any foothold in your life. You are not his. You are a child of God. Declare it. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD!

How dare he even try? Laugh in the face of his lies. He is a liar and a deceiver who comes to steal, kill and destroy.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10

Be on guard and be alert. Declare who you are and Whose you are.

‘The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe’ Proverbs 18:10

His name is POWERFUL! And I don’t mean that figuratively. I mean it literally. Call His name when you need protection and help, comfort and peace. The enemy and his minions flee at the sound of His name. That is how powerful it is. I have seen it.

‘Therefore God exalted him [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, …’ Philippians 2:9-10

This season is a really challenging season for me. Physically and emotionally, I am running a marathon of endurance. The end is in sight and yet still too distant. I have been at the end of my tether for weeks and am amazed each day that I have been able to press on for another day. All glory be given to God.

Testimonies are powerful. They relay the struggle, the perseverance, and the positive outcome/outpouring of His grace and blessing.

I think it is important to declare the testimony, as you are walking through the struggle. How powerful to declare His victory, before it is fully manifested on earth. To see the victory as you walk the challenging path.

Open your eyes. See His glory. It is there daily and in abundance. For you. In a real and tangible way – despite the circumstances. His grace is poured out in every moment. Recognise it and declare it.

There is a constant tug of war between the ploys of the enemy and the blessings on your life. Focus on the victory. Look to Jesus as the enemy tries to attack.

People ask why God allows bad things to happen. Bad things happen because there is an enemy at work. God is all good – there is no bad in Him. Religion can sometimes twist the truth.

C.S. Lewis had a good analogy in ‘Mere Christianity’:

‘[Christianity] does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel. Enemy-occupied territory – that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage. When you go to church you are really listening in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going. He does this by playing on our conceit and laziness and intellectual snobbery’.

Jesus is actually our help. He is not the enemy. He grieves alongside us for the casualties of this spiritual war, whatever format they appear in.

The joy of the Lord is your strength. When you have nothing else in you, whisper His name. That is your weapon. He is your Saviour.

I continue to endure, solely due to His grace. In my weakest moments, I call on His name. “The joy of the Lord is my strength”. “Jesus, help me”. And every single time, He has drawn me out of deep waters, restored my peace and topped me up with supernatural strength to carry on through the storm.

Surround yourself with people who will support you and lift you up during times of spiritual warfare, as well as times of victory. I am eternally grateful to have ongoing prayer support and steady reminders from Brian and also my family, on Whom to call on, during those times when it is harder to seek His face. It is so important to have ‘your tribe’ of like minded people around you.

My testimony throughout this journey is this:

I have seen His love draw me out of deep waters. I have experienced and am experiencing His supernatural strength – I know I cannot withstand it all on my own strength. I see His grace daily – literally minute by minute, hour by hour, walking me through. I have experienced His perfect peace calm the storm raging within and all around. His perfect, perfect peace. During immense pressure and challenges outside of my control, He is there to hold my hand and lead me onwards with dignity and strength. And He speaks. He speaks and speaks and speaks! And His words are filled with compassion and kindness. They are filled with love – the most gentle, caring, all consuming love. I have heard Him whisper my name to me, “You belong to me. You are a child of God. Your name is Abbie, daughter of the living Most High God. You are my beloved”.

He has prophesied to me and filled me with hope and encouragement. This is only for a time. He has revealed that to me. And what is to come after? Wow. I am ready to experience the glory to come. His words were, “This [future blessing] will be the result of your perseverance in faith”. I declare it and claim it.

By perseverance in faith, I do not mean that I doubt my God. I mean that I am leaning on Him every minute and every hour. I am turning to Him at every step. Because I am not able on my own. His strength is made powerful in my weakness. I am allowing Him to demonstrate that. I am choosing to surrender to Him. Surrender to His way and watch His glory manifest in your life. Trust Him, through the process, even when the road is challenging.

Day by day, I try to soak in the bubble of His grace and love, rather than allowing my circumstances to allow me to sink. Like Peter walking on water, I need to focus on Jesus and not look down or around me. That is the only way forward. It is strict discipline of the mind but it strengthens your armour against the enemy.

‘Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust”. Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.’ Psalm 91:1-4

The enemy is working full time and on overload to destroy my peace, using all sorts of means. Daily, I seek refuge under His wings, and He never fails me. Because I am His. I belong to the Lord. He is my shield and fortress. He protects me. He carries me through unharmed.

He knows my name.

Let me declare it loudly!

I am a child of God. Daughter of the living Most High God. His beloved.

Thank you Abba. I belong to You.

I praise your Holy name for the victories that will manifest here on earth. All glory be given you You, Almighty Father.

Love Abbie

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