By Billy Holland

Living on Purpose

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I know that life sometimes can be difficult. It seems I’m always writing about the struggles of spiritual warfare, but we cannot deny the Christian life is filled with battles. However, there is good news! The Lord is with us and is waiting to help us if we will only allow Him to be in control of our life.

I had a long conversation with a precious elderly lady this afternoon and she is struggling with negative emotions. She lives alone and is discouraged which is not all that unusual, but there is a way to learn how to rise above our feelings of negativity. I reminded her that we must make an investment if we want to enjoy the peace and joy of God’s presence.

What does this mean? Simply that Christians must take the initiative to pray and read our Bibles, and allow Him to be a part of our lives. A beautiful passage to remember is found in James 4:8, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” This spiritual principle is at the center of submitting our will and implies that we invite God to take control. I realize we all want a “quick fix” that will make us happy, but our mission as a representative of His kingdom is accepting the responsibility to know Him.

Sometimes we forget what God has called us to do. This is clearly understandable with so much of our time being given to all the things we love and enjoy. Nonetheless, the Bible does not try to hide the fact that when we sincerely gave our life to God and was adopted into His family, we also agreed to become a soldier who willingly fights the good fight of faith.

Ephesians chapter 6 not only describes our spiritual armor but also explains the type of positive attitude we will need to be victorious. Our personal relationship with Christ has everything to do with incorporating His instructions within our mind and having a passion to obey His voice. It’s easy to become so concerned with our own thoughts and desires, that we neglect God and those around us.

When we start praying and helping others, we will be less consumed about our own desires, anxieties, and disappointments. The mirror can reveal many things about us that need to be changed, but if we are constantly infatuated with our selfishness, we will not be able to see the great need that is all around us. In fact, Jesus said in Matthew chapter 25 that whatever we do or fail to do for those around us, is exactly the way we are treating Him.

Jesus passionately loves you and reminds us in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. The Lord goes before you, He watches behind you and His angels are all around you. Psalm 91:1-2 promises, “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; in Him will I trust.”

Is the devil attacking and trying to discourage us? No doubt about it! However, an important key to succeeding in spiritual warfare is to confess in faith what you want to see happen. Announce out-loud to the enemy, “The joy of the Lord is my strength” over and over. But, for how long? Until the devil gives up and runs away! God’s Word declares in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and will flee from you.”

As long as we keep agreeing with the dark side about our fears, the devil will keep shooting his arrows as we continue living in a cycle of defeat. It’s time to make the investment of faith in order to break free from our misery. The Holy Spirit wants to comfort you and bring contentment to your soul, but until we truly believe that, “Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world” we are unable to take that first step toward spiritual peace.

Embrace God’s truth and call upon Him today, He is waiting for you to make the first move. He is all knowing and His power and authority are infinite! His promises cannot fail as boldly declare, “Victory in Jesus, our Savior forever.”

Learn more about Billy’s new book and how to receive a free CD at billyhollandministries.com