Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12

We can’t see them. We can’t feel them. We aren’t existing in the same places. What hope do we have of fighting against these things? None. WE have none. But in Jesus, through Ruach HaKodesh, there is NOTHING that can stand against us. It’s all about getting onto Adonai’s side and then obeying His instructions. He is the general, not us. He is the fighting force, not us. He is the commando strike team, not us. He is the air strike. The drone strike. The sniper. The SEALs. He is ALL of that. What are we? The transport they rode into town on. That’s it. It is ALL about Jesus. ALL about the Father. ALL about Ruach HaKodesh. The fight is in our MIND. Do we understand the battle? Do we understand who is fighting it? Do we understand our role? Are we aligned with Him? When we are with Adonai, nothing can stand against us.

This isn’t to say we don’t have a role. We do. Take the Word. It’s a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). What do we do with it? Put it into our hearts (Proverbs 3:3). Strap it onto our armour (Ephesians 6:10-18). Stand on it (James 4:7). We are never asked to fight with it. We stand there with it at the ready. When the enemy attacks the WORD does the fighting. Look at Jesus’ temptation in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). At His weakest physical point, the point at which He started to starve to death, Jesus only quoted the Word. He didn’t even make up any new verses (He could have). He spoke what was ALREADY spoken. He spoke what was WRITTEN. Why? It is THE weapon. It does its job. It performs. We hold it. We speak it. It does what it does. The enemy has NO DEFENSE against the Word. None.

How did Jesus stay in the place where He could quote the Word effectively? I mean, He was a smart guy. He had it memorized. Most of the Pharisees and Sadducees did too. They weren’t using it like He was. Ruach HaKodesh was in Jesus and helping Him, for sure. Absolutely. But just because Ruach HaKodesh was inside Jesus doesn’t AUTOMATICALLY mean everything would work as designed. If that was true, it would work for us every day exactly as it is meant to. But it doesn’t. It doesn’t work that way for us and it didn’t work that way for Jesus. Jesus PRAYED. Jesus FASTED. Jesus PRAISED. Jesus was THANKFUL. Jesus spent TIME with His Father. Jesus LOOKED to Adonai and LISTENED to Adonai. When He did (which He did consistently and constantly), He knew exactly what part of the Word to pull out of His scabbard. He knew which written part was to be quoted. He knew which piece was going to be effective. And He showed it to His enemies. They fled. Every. Time. Jesus wasn’t ‘defeated’ until He willingly laid down His life and ALLOWED them to ‘capture’ Him. As it was for Jesus, so can it be for us. IF we do the same.

Ruach HaKodesh is a choirmaster and a whetstone. Praise puts US into HIM. It aligns us with Adonai. It gets us into the place where we should be: humbly submitted (Matthew 11:28-30). It prepares us. It unsheathes our sword in our hearts (the Word). It cleans our ears when we do it in spirit and truth (John 4:24). But you don’t feel like it? Neither do I all the time. Neither does ANYONE. It isn’t about FEELINGS, however. It is about the SPIRIT. It is about our HEART. It is about doing so that the body and mind will catch up and start feeling. Feelings follow behaviour – the single greatest thing that causes so much problems with identity, lifestyle, and the general trend of society throughout the ages. We think, we do, and THEN we fell AND the feelings with be in line with the behaviour. It works in ALL arenas of the human experience. We might not FEEL like praising Adonai, but if we DO IT and put our minds on Him, we WILL feel like it. It will elevate us because HE elevates what praises Him (Deuteronomy 26:19). Praise is a weapon that changes our mentalscape, our lives, and the world around us. Let Ruach HaKodesh guide you into it ALL the time, not just when you FEEL like it. If you do, your feelings will change and you’ll start to see, hear, and feel Adonai like never before. Praise Adonai!

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Psalm 146:1-2

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises unto my God while I have my life.” Our flesh is a forgetful, selfish mess. Only cares about the basics. Feed me, feed me, feed me. Physically, mentally, and with feelings. Doesn’t care WHAT gets fed to it, whether beneficial (vegetables and fruit, for example) or poison (junk food, alcohol, coffee, for example). It just wants feeding. We have a choice as to what to do. We can make the effort and put in what will feed it but also grow it. Or we can feed it what will fill it right now. It still grows, but in that corpulent and unhealthy way – no matter if you feed it immorality wrapped in well-done entertainment or eating unhealthy things. Our minds, though, can be reminded. Ruach HaKodesh is THE reminder, constantly speaking to us about the higher things. But we can take an active part. Adonai created us with WILL and we can USE IT. To remind ourselves to praise Adonai. To remind ourselves WHY we praise Him. Adonai doesn’t have us doing what we are incapable of. He trains us and shows us how we CAN do it. If we take His reminders and add our own, we will keep the flesh in constant renewal. Constant soaking in the hot water of Adonai’s presence. Constant drinking of the cool, refreshing water of Jesus. Praise is the most important daily activity we can do. Isn’t it great that Adonai spends so much time getting us to the place where we can? Where we can remind ourselves of the need of it? Where we can take what He says and really run with it? To do it every day as long as there is breath in our bodies? That we can learn to crave it in ways so much deeper than caffeine and comfort food? That we can lean into the TRUE comfort and ONLY stimulation our souls need? What a GOOD God!

Your Daily Confession of Elohim’s Goodness:

I taste and see that Yahweh is good; I am blessed because I take refuge in Him.

Psalm 34:8