When you begin talking about spiritual matters, especially knowing and understanding the heart of God, there is an aspect of the equation that we must remember: The enemy of God will work overtime to undermine our relationship with our Heavenly Father. The truth is, any endeavor that seeks to exalt our Father in heaven will be met with spiritual conflict.

While this is a spiritual fact of life, there is nothing to fear. We must respect the adversary’s tactics, yes, but we must never forget that he is a defeated foe, a desperate soul who has fallen out of eternal favor with God and who is fighting a losing battle for his professional life. He is in subjection to Jesus Christ, who reigns in our hearts and lives.

Nothing can touch us unless it comes through our Father and Christ our elder brother. And even if God sees fit to allow this to occur, whatever finds its way to us finds us filled with the Holy Spirit.

Rest in Him—there is nothing to fear.

But this doesn’t mean the enemy won’t try his best to convince us otherwise. He is unscrupulous enough to even put on sheep’s clothing.

In the great passage on spiritual warfare from Ephesians 6, Paul begins his thoughts with this exhortation: “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might” (6:10). Your confidence must not be in the church, your pastor, your spouse, your Bible study group, or the godly person who discipled you.

You are strong in the Lord’s strength. This doesn’t mean you feel God’s strength come over you.

You don’t gain God’s strength. You have it.

His strength is Christ in you. Notice the scripture doesn’t say we are to become strong, it says, “be strong.”

Strong is something you are, not something you become.

Next blog is about who you listen to