The Offensive Weapons

I woke up today feeling stronger than I have in a very long time. I woke up several times last night, but every single time I woke up, I laid back down & began to meditate on the Lord. I would close my eyes and as thoughts would enter, I would push them out & bring to the forefront images and thoughts of Christ. I want my focus to be on Him, and meditating on His Word, and envisioning Him helps retrain the mind. I want my thoughts to be filled with Him. I want my attitude to be like His. Philippians 2:5 tells us "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." How is that to happen if we do not meditate on His Word or retrain our minds to focus on Him?

We have a very important weapon in this battle against the enemy. It is a sword. Not the traditional metal sword that you see used in battle scenes depicting war, but a sword that is much sharper. The bible says In Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." WOW! If it helps to give you a visual, imagine a sword actually forming when you speak God's word. As soon as the Word is spoken, God's power is accessible. Isaiah 55:11 says, "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." There is power in God's word. It is a power like no other. You want to be powerful? You are mighty THROUGH God. He has given us authority. Luke 10:19 (one of my absolute favorite verses, by the way) reminds us, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the powers of the enemy. Nothing will harm you." We can have confidence that if God's Word says it, we can trust it. We need to use His word when we are in the throes of temptation, or if we are angry or afraid. We have to hold fast to it because it is the greatest offensive weapon we have.

It has been said that it takes 21 days to develop a habit. Once a habit is ingrained, it becomes automatic. To develop a habit, you must perform the activity consistently for the 21 days and your brain will automatically convert. Repetition is the key. There is nothing you have learned, whether good or bad, without having repeated it several times first. If you have not ever meditated on God's Word, or you do not read it regularly, it cannot take root. We need to read God's Word over & over again until it is burned into our minds. Once we do that, it will influence our first response to a situation. With God's Word as our sword, we can be victors. We must NEVER let our guard down. We must remain alert. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Colossians 4:2 says, "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; " Proverbs 24:5 says, "A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power." We MUST remain alert. We MUST. What good soldier would let his guard down? As soon as your guard is down the enemy can & WILL pounce. He sits there just waiting for the perfect opportunity. He sets up the circumstances for you to fall & he is pleased when it happens. Without God's Word as your sword, you are sure to fail. Satan's desire is to prove to God that we will stray, that we will fall. Satan has to ask God for permission to tempt & to attack us. God gives Satan this permission because He wants to prove that we will not stray & that we will stand firm. Without God's Word as our sword, it is almost impossible to stand firm. Joshua 1:8 says, ""This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success."

There is another weapon we can use in our fight against the enemy, and that is the weapon of praise. Psalm 150:6 says, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Singing songs of praise, especially in times of trial, breaks down walls that the devil sets up and sends him fleeing.
David says, in Psalm 138:1, "I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods." Psalm 57:7 says, "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!" There are so many scriptures that speak of praising God. The Psalms are filled with songs of praise, and since we were created for praise, we should acquaint ourselves with it! Isaiah 43:21 says, "This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise." God has commanded us to praise Him, but at the same time, He ALONE is worthy of all praise! Hebrews 13:15 says, "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name." There are times when we are under severe attack & the last thing we want to do is praise God in the midst of it. But see, that is exactly the time when we MUST praise God! He is Sovereign, and He knows exactly what He is doing. He knows what that trial will produce in us, and He knows that through the trial we will gain perseverance. We praise Him not just for what He has done, is doing & will do, but for who He is! He is worthy of our praise! Psalm 34:1 says, "I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." When we make praising God a habit, just like meditating on His Word, it will become second nature for us to praise Him in all things. We will find ourselves doing it everywhere, all throughout the day, in all circumstances. There are so many things to praise God for and if we focus on those things, taking the focus off of ourselves and our circumstances, our minds will be transformed & our attitudes will change from complaining to thanksgiving!
We can look at God rather than our circumstances by praising Him for His grace, His mercy, His goodness, His salvation, His sovereignty and His forgiveness. Once you begin to praise Him, you will see that there are endless things to praise Him for. I'm not just talking about things to thank Him for, I'm referring to things He deserves praise for. Praise Him for Who He is! He is worthy of all Glory & Honor & Praise! The Bible teaches us that man is not the only thing that praises God. Psalm 148 encompasses everything that gives the Lord praises, and it is absolutely eye opening & wonderful to see everything that praises the Lord! It is a praise to the Lord from all creation.
Psalm 148: says,
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For He commanded and they were created.
He also established them forever and ever;
He made a decree which shall not pass away.
Praise the LORD from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths;
Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars;
Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and flying fowl;
Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
Both young men and maidens;
Old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.
And He has exalted the horn of His people,
The praise of all His saints—
Of the children of Israel,
A people near to Him.
Praise the LORD!

Matthew 21:16 tells us that even INFANTS praise Him! "From the lips of children and infants, I have ordained praise!"

Amen!!! Today, when you put on your battle gear, be sure to grab your sword & practice the great art of praise! Do this every day for the next 21 days & it will become a habit that will be worth keeping!!

God bless!