WEEK 5
DAY 34- LEAD US THROUGH SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Scripture- Matthew 6:13
You may be familiar with the passage on Jesus and His temptations but have possibly missed a very key aspect: Jesus wasn’t there by accident, but rather the Holy Spirit led Him into the desert for the expressed purposed of being tempted by Satan. This may seem at odds with the Lord’s Prayer, “. . . lead us not into temptation . . .” (Matt. 6:13). However, it gives insight into God’s relationship with us. God could shield us from all temptation, but He desires for us to trust Him to deliver us, to equip us to face our enemy head-on. The Lord has given us His authority, His power, and His purpose. All it takes to access those tools and weapons is our faith in Christ.
When Jesus was in the desert, He used Scripture to combat the lies of the devil. He also stood firm in His authority, in His sonship, and in His purpose. Using that example, it is clear that our greatest weapon against the enemy is intimacy with the Father. The closer we draw to the heart of the Father, knowing His Word, the more effective we are against the powers and principalities of this world. When temptation comes, our knowledge of our firm place in the Kingdom of God and our connection to the love of the Father will give us the same strength we see Jesus exercise in Matthew 4 when He said, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
REFLECTION PRAYER
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your presence in our lives. Thank You that You knew us and loved us and chose us long before the creation of the world. We stand righteous and redeemed because of Your sacrifice on the cross and because of Your great love for us.
Because of that, the enemy has no ground on which he can accuse us and no weapon with which he can attack us. Draw us more and more near to Your heart, and forgive us when we doubt.
We ask all this in Your holy name, Jesus. Amen
By Paul Garcia