Are You Fit for the Fight?
An 8-day Devotional to Overcoming Fear and Living Courageously.
DEVO DAY 4 | FIGHT WITH FAITH
I asked a friend, who served our country as a green beret,
“When you’ve been dropped into a mission, what happens if a soldier is insecure?”
His response was immediate, “Those guys get people killed.”
Insecurity is a killer, in more ways than one.
Are you habitually…
Intimidated by people?
Afraid of not being liked?
Worried about your future?
Overwhelmed? Frustrated?
Sick? Depressed?
Backing down from God assignments?
Accommodating to other’s fears?
Hiding your faith?
Making excuses for your fears?
Irritated? Judging others?
Assigning motives to people?
Jealous? Comparing yourself to others?
Fearful and insecure people never changed the world.
Here is my question for you: Do you let insecurity get the best of you? Does it stop you from being all that God has called you to be? Has it made you back down from doing something ridiculously amazing?
From the documentary, “100 Foot Wave” the surfer reported (paraphrasing), “We get tossed about. There is panic and fear. But the goal is to move toward fear so it can have its release. This is how we discover parts of us that we didn’t know existed.”
CONSIDER THE CATERPILLAR
I am positive the caterpillar is panicking as it tries to break free from the stubborn chrysalis walls. Those little legs that used to scoot him around on the ground in the last season are now inadequate for this current fight. (I can surely relate.) The only way to break through these walls of resistance is to find a fight, a power, deep inside, something stronger than anything you have ever expressed. Who knew those wings were in there?
Have you ever wondered if the fight that God is allowing you to go through is to stimulate a hidden and deeper power within you that you didn’t even know existed?
I’ve never seen anyone release caterpillars at their wedding. But butterflies, oh yes. The beauty we see in the butterfly came from a FIGHT to be free.
Are you being robbed by fear?
Allowing FEAR in your life is like giving a crack addict the keys to your front door. You wake up one morning and your stuff is gonzo. It may not go missing all at once, but over time you realize that your energy is missing, your joy has waned, your passion and creative edge has dulled, your physical life is sludgy, and your family is oppressed. Fear robs you EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Do not be deceived.
Do you know what is so evil? Believing the lie that insecurity and FEAR will give you the control you need to LIVE. LIVE, spelled backwards, is EVIL. Don’t get backwards on this! Fear never leads to life!
The devil (D-EVIL) wants you to be so afraid of losing your life and losing control that you cling to fear to try to preserve your life. But remember what we are learning here: Fear does just the opposite: it robs you of true life!
Faith is an inside job.
If we are going to fight with faith, we must change what we believe to match the word of God. (Are you seeing a pattern?) If you haven’t yet made your “Belief Cards” and started putting them to work, set aside an hour in your schedule this week to start renewing your mind and breaking free of fear. To truly apprehend the lies that keep us insecure, we must go inside our own heart and mind and take a deeper look at what we think about. No one else has the authority to examine your thoughts this intently. You must decide to fight the good fight of faith! (as stated in 1 Timothy 6:12) No one can do it for you.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR DAY FOUR - 3 Steps to Knock Out Insecurity
These instructions are not for the faint of heart. It’s going to take a dedicated prayer life. Are you willing to do this? You really need to think about this because it’s not convenient and will most likely disrupt your normal routine and habits. It’ll fight you back. You will have to fight for this prayer time every day! But it’s a good fight of faith!
1. Pray Daily.
The incoming lies of propaganda and darts of the enemy are coming at you at an all-time high. Prayer is fighting on offense: Take time daily to open and press your heart towards the heart of the Father! Earnestly seek him! Ask him to fill you with love, power and a sound mind! You will see parts of you manifest during the day that are full of boldness, love, and wisdom. You will find yourself doing things that you would normally back down from. (See 2 Timothy 1:7)
2. Pray in faith and boldness.
How we pray matters! Have a child in rebellion? Boldly pray Psalm 91 through the bedrooms of your home while they’re asleep! (That’ll do more than 100 arguments.) Believe the word has gone to work for you and your child! Don’t like what you see in the country? In your husband? In your enemy? Pray the word in faith and boldness over that situation and watch what happens!
Read these three scriptures closely. Look at the stark contrast to prayer that is done in faith and boldness versus doubt and unbelief.
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. ”
Make up your mind right now that you will come boldly to the throne of grace and believe that you have received help, blessing, and good things from a father who loves you.
