John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The enemy is that despised thief in the night that robs and steals from us. He tries to mess with us and take everything good and wonderful that Jesus painstakingly suffered and died for us to have.
Did you know you have complete authority over the enemy? Through the blood of Jesus at His crucifixion, we have power through Him which defeats all of satan's plans at the onset. No matter what the enemy tries to do to us, we will always win! The Bible says that Jesus died for us to have a rich, full, long and happy life. The enemy has no place in our lives, he is below us, he is under our feet. When we feel ourselves getting down, depressed, frustrated or fearful, we must be armed and ready for battle we must know the Word so we are constantly equipped with the necessary defense!
Philippians 2:9-11 God exalted him 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, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This scripture clearly states that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow even those from under the earth. The enemy must bow down to Jesus.. At the name of Jesus the enemy flees! The Bible says that God will make our enemies a footstool under our feet!
There are so many amazing scriptures telling us how to combat evil and rebuke any and all firey darts the enemy tries to launch our way. No evil formed against us will ever prosper and we are much greater with HE who's in us than he who's in the world!
So how do we set about getting back those things the enemy steals from us? How do we restore and maintain our joy?
The good news is God is in the restoration business! He will give us back double for our trouble and beauty for ashes! We can pray for God to lead us and guide us on His path, the road that leads straight to Christ is where we will find complete healing, restoration, and unspeakable joy just waiting for us.
We can read story after story in the Bible about how God restored people that remained faithful through adversity, the story of Job for instance is an amazing example of God's pure loving kindness and faithfulness. The enemy took everything from Job, his family, his home, his wealth and even his health. All through this trial, Job praised God and never gave up. Because of his faith, God restored everything back to Job. God did not stop there, He gave Job so much more than he ever lost for the trouble and anguish he had to endure. Job let his faith be bigger than his fear and he got his joy back and was completely restored in every way!
When you feel yourself slipping into a pathway of despair, you must put on the full armor of God and prepare to do battle!
Be careful what you speak! Speak only your desired outcome!! The power of life and death are in the tongue. If you are constantly saying you are depressed or are walking around with a defeatist attitude, that is where you will remain!
You must speak and declare what God says about you and your situation. Put a guard on your heart and your mind! Let no evil take root, let no negativity in! Stay focused on the Kingdom of Heaven from where all good things come! Learn to think like God thinks!!
God says where there is pain in the night, joy comes in the morning. He says you are the head and not the tail, you will lend and not borrow , you are above only and not beneath. He says we are to have the mind of Christ and be completely transformed in His image. God says He will fight your battles for you and you need only stand still, you will not even have to lift a finger in your own defense!! The great I AM is never to busy or on a God hiatus. He's always ready to fight for us!! Call on Jesus!! ... Jesus!!!!! He will never leave you or forsake you. He rescues you in times of trouble. He will honor you and deliver you from all evil. He will always cause you to triumph and you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! With God you are always more than a conqueror!
When you are feeling down and feel your Joy and peace slipping away. Get in the presence God and boldly confess that The Joy of The Lord is your strength. Pray continuously and trust that God can and will perfect all that concerns you! He will fight for you!!! Always.... All ways!!!
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Heavenly Father, I praise you today for restoring Joy unto me. Thank you for loving me and always taking care of me. Help me to stay strong, faithful and joyous always!
