Fear ominously jockeys for position. I know from years of experience that his accomplice, Pain, will not miss his appointment with my bedtime. I will come to blows with Fear. Pain will land hard, burning punches on my body. By appearance, the outlook is grim and the enemy taunts. “Sleep is illusive; the mattress is really a rack and you are my prisoner. Morning is hours away and I own the night and its depths.”

But the fight does not belong to Fear as he claims. The battle is the Lord’s. He is able. I may feel ill equipped, wandering the dark house in my p.j.’s, but I am clothed with the armor of God and armed with the sword of the Spirit.

The dark knight has his gnarly knaves, but I am surrounded by warriors from the Kingdom of Light and supplied by God Himself who is love—and “perfect love casts out all fear.”

My body takes the brunt of the battle while my spirit and soul form an ever-tightening alliance with the Lord. I may lose sleep, but I find that God is sufficient. I may take a beating in the fight, but the battle belongs to Him. Fear jousts about, but the joy of the Lord is my strength.

I wouldn’t be so candid, but I know that you too encounter the dark rider and have bouts with Pain. As one who is currently in the arena, I shout encouragement to you with this post.

Fear may not be assaulting the drawbridge of your castle at this time, but that’s only the calm before the storm. He, or one of his allies, will come strutting his stuff.

Don’t even think of trying to “take” him yourself. The battle is the Lord’s and the hand of victory is yours.