A lot of Christians whisper, murmur, grumble, complain, cry, weep and wail about their situation because their lives are centered on how they are doing, how they are feeling, how they are treated.
The first step to being strong is to realise that life is not an encounter group. Life is not a bonding meeting. Life is not a playground. Life is a battleground. The reason so many in the church are weak is because they are not armed for battle. If we are not armed for battle, we would not be able to listen to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit. If we are not armed for battle, we would fight the wrong battle.
Ephesians 6:12 – “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.”
Any time you are wrestling against flesh and blood, any time you are striving against people – you are fighting the wrong battle. We are not to get sidetracked, fighting against mere flesh and blood. We are to battle the spiritual entities that cause tension in our marriages, problems with our children, struggles with our parents. If we fail to see that there are powers that cause people to be bowed down in bondage, we are going to fight the wrong battle.
Never forget, you can stand against the wiles of the devil – the cunning, the clever attacks of satan – to the degree that you are protected with the whole armour of God.