VICTORY Behind Enemy Lines!

You certainly sent me to an unexpected place today, Lord — the U.S. Army website, to learn about Special Forces Soldiers.

I learned they are the specialized ‘minutemen’ of the Army — highly trained and ready to go anywhere at a moment’s notice. Their missions are sensitive in nature and often classified, ranging from Counter-Terrorism to Humanitarian Efforts to Unconventional Warfare.  Their training includes:  land navigation, small unit tactics, weapons handling, live fire training, and survival.

Not unlike Christians… right, Lord?

Except the battlefield we fight on is the battlefield of the mind… which informs the heart, which spills out into words spoken and actions taken.200-125 dumps

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”  (Luke 6:43-45)  So…

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (Romans 12:2)

The enemy of our souls is good at what he does.  His various names fit him well:  Liar.  Deceiver.  Thief.  Murderer.  He wants us to believe he’s invincible.  But he isn’t.  He wants to be seen as You, Lord — to be worshiped as if he were You.  But he isn’t You.  He isn’t anything like You.  His “good” is not — and never will be — “good enough.”

You know all this, Lord… and You want us to know it, too.

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”  (1 John 4:4)

“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Messiah.  For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.  They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…”  (Revelation 12:10-11)

Why did you lead me here today, Abba?  Maybe because of the various women I have had the privilege of serving lately?  So many secrets.  So much pain suffered for so long.  The fruit of wounds inflicted long ago by this enemy who has tried to live up to his reputation in their lives.  Yet I have so much confidence in You, Lord… in the healing, hope-filled, life-changing, bondage-breaking transformations You are orchestrating in these dear women’s lives!

And today, I saw an ever bigger picture.  As if You had given me Your eyes for just a moment, to see what You are doing, right now, all over the world.

We, your sons and daughters, are all Your “Special Forces”… aren’t we, Lord?  We, too, must be “highly trained” and ready to go, at a moment’s notice, anywhere You wish to “deploy” us.  Even this very moment, You have each of us strategically placed all over the world, so that we may each carry out the unique work You have made us for in the lives of those You have entrusted to our influence.

At times, our missions are Counter-Terrorism — to counter the enemy’s “terror” with Your TRUTH, which always yields COURAGE, PEACE and HOPE!

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified: do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9)

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!… The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:6-7)

“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath… God did this so that… we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”  (Hebrews 6:17-19a)

At times, our missions are Humanitarian.

“I was hungry and you gave me something eat…352-001 pdf thirsty and you gave me something to drink… a stranger and you invited Me in… I needed clothes and you clothed Me.  I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me… whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.”  (Matthew 25:35-39)

And our warfare is certainly anything but “conventional”!

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with… have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

“‘No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from Me,’ declares the Lord.”  (Isaiah 54:17)

Oh, Lord… so much pain inflicted by the enemy.  Yet thankfully, by Your ALL-SUFFICIENT GRACE, so much more HEALING and WHOLENESS and FREEDOM and VICTORY!!!  Help us each be aware and alert, Lord, to the truth about Your call on our lives —  that we may operate effectively as Your Special Forces, walking in the fullness of Who You are and who You created us to be!

“… strong in the Lord and in His mighty power… [wearing] the full armor of God… [taking] our stand against the devil’s schemes… able to stand [our] ground… [standing] firm… fearlessly [making] known the mystery of the gospel for which [we] are ambassadors… [declaring] it fearlessly, as [we] should.”   (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Grateful to be on active duty,

Abba’s Girl

1 Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *