USE YOUR WEAPONS!
USE YOUR WEAPONS!
About a week ago, I was meditating on the truth that God has given us so much. (An armory, if you ask me!) It is written that : “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence.” 2 Peter 1:3 NLT
God loves us so much and He does not want us to waste away. He has given us all that we need to survive here on earth. Even at times like these. Yet it is written that: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:” Hosea 4:6a
It is certainly not the will of God for His people to perish. But apparently, God’s people are being destroyed all the time. How can we, the people of God, not be destroyed? We need knowledge, and we must have wisdom in order to apply this knowledge. The Bible says : “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5 NIV
And it is by asking God that we will be able to use effectively, all that He has given us.
We must not short change ourselves.
Let us see below some of the things that God has given to us:
His Word. The Word of God is so powerful and this is sometimes so understated. So did you know that the Word of God has a voice? See this: “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” Psalm 103:20 KJV Every time we pray God’s word from scripture, angels are attentive and they move to obey.
Angels. Angels work closely with the word of God as seen above. Where ever scripture is being spoken angels are not to far off. The Bible tell us this about angels. “Therefore, angels are only servants – spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” Hebrews 1:14 NLT God’s angels are at our service we must always remember this and pray more using the words of scripture.
Prayer. Of course prayer is a must for us all. Even Jesus emphasised this when he told his disciples in Luke 18:1, that men should always pray and not faint. Prayer is an affirmation that we believe in God. After all would we pray if we did not believe? Also rather than faint, complain or grumble in the face of unpleasant situations, prayer is what we should do.
Gratitude/Thanksgiving. Though both are similar, Gratitude is an attitude of appreciation under any circumstance; a very powerful thing. And even God commands us to be thankful always. It is difficult to be in a place of gratitude and be unhappy or depressed. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV Get out of any foul mood by getting in to a place of gratitude.
Praise. This is actually another word for strength. And it is not surprising because praise is so strong it breaks through obstacles. JUDAH (which means praise) one of the sons of Israel gave birth to PEREZ (which means break through). There is no insignificant detail in the bible. The more we praise, the more we breakthrough! That is the truth. An Israelite king, Jehoshaphat, once went into battle asking singers to march ahead of their army, singing praises to the LORD. And their enemies were defeated. (2 Chronicles 20:21-22)
Speaking in tongues: This is another serious weapon God designed for our use. This is a gift given to believers who have been baptised in the Holy Spirit. It is usually given by the laying on of hands. The Bible says: “A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.” 1 Corinthians 14:4 NIV
Love. And the greatest of these is love. Love is everything. I once read that Love is the most powerful force on earth. GOD IS LOVE. And it is written that Love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter4:8 Rebellious children can be loved back to life. An erring partner can be loved back to their rightful place. Love can quench anger, bitterness and pain.
Our God is so loving and by extension, extremely generous. And that is why He gave Jesus His only son to die in our place. He was beaten so that we could be healed by his stripes and He bled on the cross so that all our sins could be forgiven.
Dear friends, we have too many weapons to use in our times of need. The world is getting darker. We will survive only if we know how to use the weapons that God has given to us.
And this is not even an exhaustive list.
Do not be held down in the dark. Find your way out using God’s weapons. They are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds!
OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©