Morning by Morning, August 4 - Girded with Strength for the Battle
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart and at the heart of all I am and all I do today. ...
"This God -- His way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? The God who has girded me with strength has opened wide my path. He made my feet like the feet of deer, and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your help has made me great. You have made me stride freely, and my feet do not slip; I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and did not turn back until they were consumed. I consumed them; I struck them down, so that they did not rise; they fell under my feet. For You girded me with strength for the battle; You made my assailants sink under me. You made my enemies turn their backs to me, those who hated me, and I destroyed them. They looked, but there was no one to save them; they cried to the Lord, but He did not answer them. I beat them fine like the dust of the earth; I crushed them and stamped them down like the more of the streets. You delivered me..." (2 Samuel 22:31-44).
David's battles were intense. His enemies were formidable and fierce, determined for his destruction by whatever means necessary. But You girded him with strength for the battle. And You gave him victory in the power of Your might until every enemy was crushed like dust under his feet.
Our battles are no less intense and our enemies no less formidable and fierce, determined for our destruction. But at the core, our battles are not ultimately against the human beings and human institutions being used like pawns on a chess board to steal, kill, and destroy in our lives (John 10:10). Rather, our battles are against the spiritual forces of evil that move on the hearts and minds of men to do the works of darkness. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV).
But just as You girded David with strength for his physical battles, so You gird us with the power of Your might for our spiritual battles. In the power of Your grace, You give us confidence and courage to "be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" as we "take up the whole armor of God" and "stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:10-20). You empower us with divine revelation, heavenly wisdom, and spiritual insight to overcome and conquer the enemy of our souls (Ephesians 1:17). "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
Through weapons of worship and praise, thanksgiving and prayer, humility and faith, You crush our spiritual enemies like dust under our feet. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when (our) obedience is fulfilled" (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).
And even in the midst of the battle, You open the eyes of our hearts with eyes to see the eternal reality that the battle is already won through the victory of the cross and the power of the blood of Jesus (Colossians 2:15; Revelation 12:11). "Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give (our enemies) into our hands" (1 Samuel 17:47).
So we can rejoice today and thank You now, even in the unfolding of the battle of the day, knowing by faith that our enemy will have no victory, that he is already defeated. And we look forward to the day of celebration to come when all is manifested here on earth as it already is in heaven (Ephesians 1:3). We can trust in Your promise with all our hearts that "the God of peace will crush Satan under (our) feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with (us)" (Romans 16:20). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you will know in your heart and experience in your life that the Lord your God has girded you with His strength for every battle, that the victory is won, and that He will crush Satan under your feet shortly, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Friends, please continue to join with me in prayer for a close friend of mine and his family, as he continues to go through his trial for the next several weeks. We pray for clarity, discernment, all things exposed in the light of the truth, that the judge and jury may discern and judge rightly, as well as for the favor and mercy of the Lord for my friend and his family. And may God cause all of this to work together for good. We trust that the battle is won in the Spirit, as we pray for it to be manifested on earth as it is in heaven. God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Please share this word to encourage a friend!
