Spiritual Battle

Full of It

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Lately

I feel like I’ve had my fill

of the evil all around

 

It seems that the earth

is full of it

 

And I cry out to God!

 

Because in the midst

of all that evil

I long for my pure and spotless

God

 

He reminds me

that He is here

 

and that the earth

is not only full of evil

 

but the earth

IS FULL OF HIS GLORY

 

And I wake from my heavy stupor

of being overwhelmed

with darkness

 

and wake up to glory

 

in me

around me

and in His Christ-changed people

 

And I

hope

 

in the midst of it all

 

knowing

the end

to the story

 

where all that evil

is swallowed

 

by the fierce jaws

of love

and purity

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.

– Isaiah 6:3 (NIV)

 

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

– Romans 8:6 (NLT)

 

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

– Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

 

So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun. For He will come in like a narrow, rushing stream Which the breath of the Lord drives [overwhelming the enemy].

– Isaiah 59:19 (AMP)

 

Do not be overcome and conquered by evil, but overcome evil with good.

– Romans 12:21 (AMP)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Haven

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I desire, Lord,
for our home
to be a haven

For Your sweet love
humor
peace
grace
joy
and forgiveness
to fill its walls

I stand in defiance
with You, Lord,
against enemies
who would seek to destroy
to corrupt
to sever

And I know this is Your desire, God,
for it is Your Spirit
that bonds
the lives within these walls
together

Imperfect humans
clinging to our perfect King

serving
one another
in love

Our home haven
is also
a battleground
and worth fighting for
these precious ones
and
these sacred loves

on my knees

– Susie Stewart

 

And the Spirit makes it possible to submit humbly to one another out of respect for the Anointed.
– Ephesians 5:21 (VOICE)

 

If anyone fails to provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his own family, he has disowned the faith [by failing to accompany it with fruits] and is worse than an unbeliever [who performs his obligation in these matters].
– 1 Timothy 5:8 (AMP)

 

“And I will be for you as a father, and you will be for Me as sons and daughters,” Says the Lord Almighty!
– 2 Corinthians 16:8 (VOICE)

 

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
– Colossians 3:12-16 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Fight!

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

 

What battle are you fighting?

 

There always is one

right?

 

A battle in your mind for purity

A battle in your home for peace

A battle at work for your witness

A battle in your heart for trust

A battle in your family for unity

 

And on and on…

 

And we often forget,

that at the root,

the battle is not with the people

 

The real battle is fought in the spiritual realm

 

 

The weapons we fight with

look like

 

Vigilance of mind

Prayer

Truth-seeking

Readiness

Faith

Steadiness

and

Standing firm

 

And too often

Jesus Followers surrender

 

We give in

when we need to fight!

 

There is an unseen world

swirling all around us

 

The battle is fierce!

 

And we approach it with

niceness

excuses

depression

cowering

apathy

fear

anxiety

defeat

 

The stance is casual and weak

in this intense battle

 

There is a clash of swords unseen

Light and darkness having it out

 

A struggle

between good and evil

 

And in the physical world

it feels like silence,

Deafening silence

 

But KNOW that all is not silent

It is unearthly LOUD

 

Our apathy

our surrender to evil

our cowardice

 

cause us to walk in limbo

or defeat

instead of victory

 

Let us stand up and fight, Warriors!

 

Better yet, let us get down on our knees

and fight

 

Fight for our purity!

Fight for our families!

Fight for our friendships!

Fight for our peace of mind!

Fight for our trust in God!

 

And may we not stand down

in our witness

 

For the battle belongs to the Lord

 

– Susie Stewart

 

He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

– 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NLT)

 

This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.

– Ephesians 6:12 (GW)

 

David answered, “You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I’m about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—He’s handing you to us on a platter!”

– 1 Samuel 17:46-48 (MSG)

 

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

– Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)

 

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

– Exodus 14:13,14 (NIV)

 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

– Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

The Battle

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

The battle is invisible

and it is fierce

 

Unseen

but real

 

This fight

affects you

 

And if your eyes were opened

to the unseen reality

 

You would fall to your knees

before the God of Angel Armies

 

You would know that darkness

wants to take you down

 

You would know that angels

are protectors and fighters

 

strong and valiant

 

And you would know that demons

are liars and destroyers

 

Purveyors of

defeat

stress

division

lies

death

and fear

 

And know this –

 

if you have not surrendered to King Jesus,

you WILL lose this fight

 

You are defenseless without Him

 

If you DO know Him

and believe Him

 

Don’t forget your battle gear

 

Take up your Sword!

the Word of God to combat lies and deception

 

Take up your shield!

which is your faith in Almighty God

 

Put on your helmet!

the salvation of your precious soul

 

Lace up your shoes!

that come with the Peace only He can give

 

Strap on your belt!

of Truth, lies dispelled

 

Hold up that shield!

God’s armor of righteousness for you

 

Don’t underestimate your enemy

or

God’s army

 

Get in that battle

and hold onto the One who holds victory

 

for you

 

– Susie Stewart

 

We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places.

– Ephesians 6:12 (VOICE)

 

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

– James 4:7 (NLT)

 

For though we walk in the world, we do not fight according to this world’s rules of warfare. The weapons of the war we’re fighting are not of this world but are powered by God and effective at tearing down the strongholds erected against His truth.

– 2 Corinthians 10:3,4 (VOICE)

 

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

– 1 Peter 5:8,9 (NLT)

 

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

– Ephesians 6:13-17 (NLT)

 

Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.

– Deuteronomy 3:22 (NIV)

 

Artwork by Arik Stewart from his childhood

 

 

Tug-O-War

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I’m in a tug-o-war,

a fierce competition

 

Only, it’s not a game,

but a battle

 

On the one side,

pulling me one direction,

is my longing for God,

my heaven-ward focus

 

And on the other,

the pull of the world

of distraction

of selfishness

 

And I feel that pull

that tug

that struggle

 

every.  single.  day

 

It’s not a horizontal battle

but a vertical tug o war

 

upward

and downward

 

and I want You, God,

yet….

 

I am pulled

by so much

 

electronics

my own thoughts

busyness

the enemy

 

the list goes on and on

 

But

in the middle

of that taut rope

is a tied piece of ribbon

 

and I see that red cloth

as

my choices

my focus

my will

 

It is me taking my thoughts captive

to make them obedient to Christ

 

or me allowing defeat thoughts

to overtake my hours

 

It is me choosing prayer

over mindless hours of screen time

 

or me letting entertainment

step on creative, full living

 

It is me deliberately serving

and honoring my King

 

or me procrastinating

what He has asked me to do

 

Choices bringing my ribbon

ever upward

or yanking me downward

 

And I see that the anchor

of the heaven-ward side

is God Himself

 

always drawing me in

and looking for my eyes to fix on Him

not on the competition

 

and I decide which side

I want to be pulling on

for my own soul

and because I am called to more

than downward

 

– Susie Stewart

 

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

– 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (MSG)

 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

– Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

 

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

– James 4:7 (NLT)

 

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

– 1 John 4:4 (NLT)

 

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

– 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NLT)

 

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, He does.

– 1 Peter 5:8-11 (MSG)

 

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 10:5 (NIV)

 

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