Relentless

I thank God for mountain top experiences when God reveals more of Himself and draws us closer to Him and reveals more of His presence. Those are special seasons. In my memory are special times at camps and revivals where God poured out His Spirit in fresh and exciting ways.

That does not mean that the enemy ever quits his relentless assault. He never stops opposing the work of God in us and in the world. The attacks are relentless. Eventually he can wear us down until those mountain top experiences are distant memories. Like hyenas surrounding a prey the attacks of the enemy come from every side. The attacks are persistent. Night and day those attacks are continual. Like I wrote earlier Satan is relentless.

The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. [Jn 10:10] His schemes are devious and just because we win a victory or have high experiences with the Lord does not mean he WILL EVER STOP! He is constantly on the prowl seeking whom he may devour. [I Pet 5:8] We are in  a war but far to few of us live with a war time mentality. We are told in [Ephesians 6:10-18] to put on our spiritual armor. You do not wear armor to the church picnic. You wear armor when you are heading into battle. Like it or not we are in a fight.

We have two weapons to fight back. The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. We must saturate our minds with His word. Our other weapon is prayer. If you want to get stronger you lift weights. If you want to gain more endurance you run. If you want to have a stronger prayer life you pray.

When Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on the mountain and was transfigured before them, if he had wanted them to remain on that mountain top they could have stayed. Jesus led them up to that mountain and He also led them back down where they immediately encountered a demon possessed boy. The enemy is always at work constantly nipping, growling, attacking from our blind sides and wearing us down.

I thank God for mountain top experiences with God but I know that we are not going to live there perpetually. God continues to meet with us. He feeds our soul with His presence and strengthens us with His word from day to day. There are real needs in the real world. God fills us up so that we can pour ourselves out in ministry to others.

Yesterday morning at church the altar was covered with broken people crying out to God for help. I spent the whole invitation praying for one person after another. There are casualties in war. There are those wounded and worn down by the enemy. The rest of us must come to their defense in prayer, love, and support.

It is a sobering fact that Satan will never relent and surrender. He will fight even though his future is doomed and determined by God. He may win a few skirmishes and battles but in the end he loses. It is predetermined. The future is set. Until that day the battle rages on. We might as well get our minds wrapped around that fact. Satan is relentless. He will never quit. So each day we wake up and should get ready for war. When we poke our heads out of the fox hole each day we need to expect we will face opposition. We are in a fight. Greater is the God in us than the Satan who relentlessly opposes God and His work in us.

Satan is relentless but so is the Holy Spirit at work in us. Satan never stops attacking and the Spirit of God never stops interceding. Which will we submit to? May God give us the spirit to endure and relentless desire to stand firm against the wicked schemes of the devil.