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I love the Psalms

~ Connecting daily with God through the Psalms

I love the Psalms

Tag Archives: spiritual battle

God’s Strategy for Spiritual Warfare

23 Tuesday Sep 2025

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 144, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

commander, David, fortress, shield, spiritual battle, spiritual warfare, stronghold, Vimy Ridge, warrior king, World War I

Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 144:1-4
Of David.
Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
LORD, what are human beings that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;
their days are like a fleeting shadow (NIV). *

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Reflection
Many nations have defining battles that cement their stature as a nation. For Canada that defining battle began on April 4th, 1917. Over the next three days Canadian forces captured Vimy Ridge in northern France from the German Army. Previously, French and British forces had attempted to take the Ridge, but they were repelled.

The great battles of World War I were mired in stalemate. On the western front it is no exaggeration to say that millions of young men lost their lives for not a single meter of territory gained. How then did the Canadian troops manage to capture such a significant stronghold while suffering the loss of less than 3,500 men? A good part of the answer lies in training.

General Arthur Currie was a brilliant tactician. He had noted that in the past, battlefield advances ground to a halt when platoon commanders were killed or disabled. To overcome this predictable outcome, Currie insisted on training all his troops to reach their objective. The loss of a leader would not be a crippling blow. Every man carried a map and knew the plan to reach their objective for the day. On the day when the offensive was launched, thorough training from first man to last made all the difference. The Germans were unable to halt the steady, uphill, Canadian advance.

David, the warrior king, begins Psalm 144 with this declaration: Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle (v. 1).

The church of Jesus Christ is in a spiritual battle. This is the great war of the ages. Have you been trained for battle? Do you even know there is a war raging? It’s a war for the eternal souls of men, women and children. The Lord has provided all the armor we need. See Ephesians 6:10-20. Have you been trained in the use of your equipment? Are you knowledgeable in the word of God? Are you familiar with the voice of your commanding officer? Do you have a map to your objective? Vimy Ridge wasn’t won by accident. It required careful planning. Taking territory from the prince of this world will require the same.

Response: LORD God, I need to be trained for battle. Help me to see and achieve the objectives you have set out for me. I want to hear your voice and follow your commands. Lead me to victory, Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Are there strongholds that God is asking you to attack? Do you have a strategy?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

A gripping read from David Kitz.
Is a return-to-Jesus revival possible in our time?
This book points the way forward.
For details click here.

In the Heavenly Realms

27 Wednesday Nov 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 59

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

armor of God, attack, Christ, defender, Prayer, protect, Psalms, spiritual battle, spiritual forces

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 59_9

Reading: Psalm 59:1-10

LORD God,
when I am under attack,
you are my help and defender.
I run to you.
I take my stand on your Word.
Surround me and protect me
by the blood of Christ my Savior.

Amen.

— — —

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.

(Ephesians 6:10-12)*

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, and Ukraine!

New from David Kitz
Winner of the 2024 Word Award of Merit in Biblical Studies
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To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.
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The Great War of the Ages

30 Tuesday Apr 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 144, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

armor, armor of God, devotion, Jesus, military training, Prayer, Psalms, spiritual battle, stronghold, the LORD, victory, Vimy Ridge, word of God

Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 144:1-4
Of David.
Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
LORD, what are human beings that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;
their days are like a fleeting shadow (NIV). *

army burial cemetery cross

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Reflection
Many nations have defining battles that cement their stature as a nation. For Canada that defining battle began on April 4th, 1917. Over the next three days Canadian forces captured Vimy Ridge in northern France from the German Army. Previously, French, and British forces had attempted to take the Ridge, but they were repelled.

The great battles of World War I were mired in stalemate. On the western front it is no exaggeration to say that millions of young men lost their lives for not a single meter of territory gained. How then did the Canadian troops manage to capture such a significant stronghold while suffering the loss of less than 3,500 men? A good part of the answer lies in training.

General Arthur Currie was a brilliant tactician. He had noted that in the past, battlefield advances ground to a halt when platoon commanders were killed or disabled. To overcome this predictable outcome, Currie insisted on training all his troops to reach their objective. The loss of a leader would not be a crippling blow. Every man carried a map and knew the plan to reach their objective for the day. On the day when the offensive was launched, thorough training from first man to last made all the difference. Despite many casualties the Germans were unable to halt the steady, uphill, Canadian advance.

David, the warrior king, begins Psalm 144 with this declaration: Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

The church of Jesus Christ is in a spiritual battle. This is the great war of the ages. Have you been trained for battle? Do you even know there is a war raging? It’s a war for the eternal souls of men, women, and children. The Lord has provided all the armor we need. See Ephesians 6:10-20. Have you been trained in the use of your equipment? Are you knowledgeable in the Word of God? Are you familiar with the voice of your commanding officer? Do you have a map to your objective? Vimy Ridge wasn’t won by accident. It required careful planning. Taking territory from the prince of this world will require the same.

Response: LORD God, I need to be trained for battle. Help me to see and achieve the objectives you have set out for me. I want to hear your voice and follow your commands. Lead me to victory, Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Are there strongholds that God is asking you to attack? Do you have a strategy?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Like a Roaring Lion

15 Monday Apr 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 140

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

believers, blood of Jesus, commander, devil, enemy, faith, Jesus, Prayer, Psalms, spiritual battle

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 140a -365

Reading: Psalm 140:1-5

Father God,
keep me alert.
A spiritual battle is raging around me.
I want to be a warrior
who knows and hears his Commander.
Jesus, your blood was shed
to secure my victory.
Thank you.

Amen.

Be alert and of sober mind.
Your enemy
the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.

Resist him,
standing firm in the faith,
because you know that the family of believers
throughout the world is undergoing
the same kind of sufferings.

(1 Peter 5:8-9), NIV)*

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

A Spiritual Struggle for Survival and Dominion

15 Monday Apr 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 140

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bronze age, commander, David, Philistines, Prayer, Psalms, spiritual battle, the LORD, victory, warfare

Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 140:1-5
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
Rescue me, LORD, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,
who devise evil plans in their hearts
and stir up war every day.
They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers is on their lips.
Keep me safe, LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path
(NIV). *

photograph of the sculpture of david of michelangelo

Photo by Brian Banford on Pexels.com

Reflection
Psalm 140 is attributed to David. Our reading today is really a prayer for personal safety. David lived during a very violent time in the history of Israel and the entire eastern Mediterranean region. It was a period of technological transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. Historic transitions are never smooth sailing. They are often accompanied by intense warfare, and economic and social collapse. Rival forces vie for power. Out of the ashes new leadership emerges.

That was the world that David, the shepherd boy was born into. The Philistines were the first to adopt the new iron tools, and they used their technological superiority to dominate and subjugate Israel. See 1 Samuel 13:19-22. What followed were several decades of fierce struggle, as Israel under Saul resisted the Philistines and fought back. Eventually, under David’s leadership Israel emerged triumphant. But none of this was a foregone conclusion. It was a massive struggle with much bloodshed.

David not only had foreign enemies; he also had to watch out for sedition within his own ranks. All too often the responsibilities of leadership mean walking around with a giant bullseye painted on your back. If anything goes wrong, you are the first one to be attacked by your own people. In David’s time, being the king was a high-risk occupation. Assassination and revolt were common.

On a personal level, we too are in a struggle—a spiritual struggle for survival and dominion. Will the Spirit of Christ reign in us, or will we succumb to the spirit of this age? Will we take up the full armor of God and fight the good fight of faith, or will we believe the lies of the enemy and fall into a cesspool of sin and deception? Are we vigilant and constant in prayer like David, or do we lack the self-discipline that is essential for victory over the enemy of our soul?

David’s prayer should be our prayer too. Keep me safe, LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the snares that have been set to entangle me.

Response: LORD God, keep me alert. A spiritual battle is raging around me. I want to be a warrior who knows and hears his Commander. Jesus, your blood was shed to secure my victory. Thank you. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you aware of the snares that trip you up? Are you hearing the Commander’s voice?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Self-Denial and Conquering Strongholds

18 Monday Mar 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 132, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

devotion, Jesus, Mount Zion, pilgrims, pray, Prayer, Psalms, self-denial, social media, spiritual battle, spiritual disciplines, Zion

Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 132:1-5
A song of ascents.
LORD, remember David
and all his self-denial.
He swore an oath to the LORD,
he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
“I will not enter my house or go to my bed,
I will allow no sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
till I find a place for the L
ORD,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob”
(NIV). *
Psalm 60_12

Reflection
This is the thirteenth psalm in the Songs of Ascent series. With this psalm, the author returns to a familiar theme—the glory of God’s presence in Zion. It is what has drawn the pilgrims to this holy place. They have come to worship and meet with God.

But this psalm has a different approach. It recounts the history of Zion and how this particular place was chosen as the site for Israel to worship God. It all began with David. At the prompting of the LORD, David chose Mount Zion to set up the Tabernacle of the LORD. But before Mount Zion could become a place of worship the stronghold of Zion had to be conquered. It was in enemy hands. Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David (2 Samuel 5:7).

In this psalm we hear of David’s vow. “I will not enter my house or go to my bed, I will allow no sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob”

In David’s case, finding a place for the LORD required self-denial. It involved a physical battle. There is a spiritual battle that we too need to fight so the LORD can occupy His rightful place in our lives. The enemy does not leave the strongholds in our mind without a fight. We must take action to evict him.

We live in a world where self-denial is rare, and often frowned upon. Our society pushes the easy life—the comfortable life—the path of least resistance. Self-denial in pursuit of a relationship with God is a foreign concept. In many churches fasting and prayer is a lost discipline.

Jesus encountered the same problem with his own disciples. While he was praying fervently in the Garden of Gethsemane, his disciples were fast asleep. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?” See Mark 14:32-42.

This inability to pray for an hour is an indicator that at our core we have not surrendered fully to God. Other things are more important. There is no self-denial. That TV show is more important. The game is more important. Social media has seized our attention. Perhaps our Zion is still occupied by the enemy and the LORD is not enthroned there.

Response: LORD God, help me to change. I want to put you first in my life. Come and occupy the throne of my life. I want my thoughts, words, and actions to be governed by you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you find self-denial difficult? Do you practice a variety of spiritual disciplines? What steps toward a lifestyle change can you implement today?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Is There a Devil?

08 Wednesday Feb 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 18, Psalms

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

battle, demons, devil, murder, shield, spiritual battle

Reading: Psalm 18:30-36
As for God, his way is perfect:
The L
ORD’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the L
ORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way
(NIV). *

img_20230121_1104569

Across my path — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
There’s a principle of biblical interpretation that goes something like this: The natural comes first, and then comes the spiritual. We can see this illustrated in Paul’s comparison of the first man, Adam, with the new man, Christ, in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28. Similarly, the natural Kingdom of Israel is replaced in the New Testament by the spiritual Kingdom of God, which has no physical or geographic boundaries.

In David’s time natural Israel had borders, which needed to be defended from attack by flesh and blood enemies only too eager to take advantage of any perceived weakness. In the same way today, the church and every born-again believer must be on guard, because Satan and his demons are lying in wait, ready to attack.

Yes, Virginia, there is a devil. And he has marked you as his target. He has spiritual murder as his top priority—your murder. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

But God did not leave David or natural Israel defenseless. The LORD provided His matchless word and His impenetrable shield of faith against the foes attack. Furthermore, there was strength for the battle. David declares, “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure… He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”

This portion of Psalm 18 has its New Testament spiritual counterpart in Ephesians 6:10-17, where Paul the apostle, calls us as spiritual warriors to put on the armor of God. Like David, we are in a battle.

Response: Heavenly Father, help me to fight the good fight. Today, I put on the armor of God to fight the attacks of the enemy. Give me your strength in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Your Turn: How does Satan try to bring you down? What weapons are you using to counter his attacks?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Hands Trained for War

07 Wednesday Dec 2022

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 144, Psalms

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

battles, objectives, spiritual battle, training, war

Reading: Psalm 144:1-4
Of David.
Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
LORD, what are human beings that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;
their days are like a fleeting shadow (NIV). *

man looking at a rock formation

Photo by Tobias Bju00f8rkli on Pexels.com

Reflection
Many nations have defining battles that cement their stature as a nation. For Canada that defining battle began on April 4th, 1917. Over the next three days Canadian forces captured Vimy Ridge in northern France from the German Army. Previously, French and British forces had attempted to take the Ridge, but they were repelled.

The great battles of World War I were mired in stalemate. On the western front it is no exaggeration to say that millions of young men lost their lives for not a single meter of territory gained. How then did the Canadian troops manage to capture such a significant stronghold while suffering the loss of less than 3,500 men? A good part of the answer lies in training.

General Arthur Currie was a brilliant tactician. He had noted that in the past, battlefield advances ground to a halt when platoon commanders were killed or disabled. To overcome this predictable outcome, Currie insisted on training all his troops to reach their objective. The loss of a leader would not be a crippling blow. Every man carried a map and knew the plan to reach their objective for the day. On the day when the offensive was launched, thorough training from first man to last made all the difference. The Germans were unable to halt the steady, uphill, Canadian advance.

David, the warrior king, begins Psalm 144 with this declaration: Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

The church of Jesus Christ is in a spiritual battle. This is the great war of the ages. Have you been trained for battle? Do you even know there is a war raging? It’s a war for the eternal souls of men, women and children. The Lord has provided all the armor we need. See Ephesians 6:10-20. Have you been trained in the use of your equipment? Are you knowledgeable in the word of God? Are you familiar with the voice of your commanding officer? Do you have a map to your objective? Vimy Ridge wasn’t won by accident. It required careful planning. Taking territory from the prince of this world will require the same.

Response: LORD God, I need to be trained for battle. Help me to see and achieve the objectives you have set out for me. I want to hear your voice and follow your commands. Lead me to victory, Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Are there strongholds that God is asking you to attack? Do you have a strategy?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for the people of Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.
RGB300Kitz2AWARD

Safe from Snares

22 Tuesday Nov 2022

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 140

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

commander, spiritual battle, spiritual warfare, victory

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.

Psalm 140a -365
Reading: Psalm 140:1-5

Father God,
keep me alert.
A spiritual battle is raging around me.
I want to be a warrior who knows
and hears his Commander.
Jesus, your blood was shed to secure my victory.
Thank you.

Amen.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for the people of Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild, and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.
RGB300Kitz2AWARD

The Friendly Name of Jesus

02 Sunday Jan 2022

Posted by davidkitz in Psalms

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

friend of God, martyrs, name of Jesus, spiritual battle

Guest Post by Rev. Brian Wilkie

What a Friend we have in Jesus!” 

Joseph Scrivens, of Port Hope, Upper Canada (Ontario) has inspired generations with this truth. Jesus said, (John 15:13–16) “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” His disciples are his friends. He calls Moses his friend (Ex 33:11), he is a friend to Abraham (Is 41:8).

We pray in the name of our friend, Jesus, and when faced with trouble and danger we can often hear people praying in ‘the powerful name of Jesus.’ When was the last time you prayed in ‘the friendly name of Jesus?’
Psalm 38_9

We are in a spiritual battle, so it may seem better to think in terms of power when we face enmity, attack and opposition: yet Jesus takes another path—in the face of sin, opposition, betrayal and death he chooses reconciliation, and that at great cost to himself. Romans 5:8 (NIV84): “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus urges us to pray for our enemies and bless those who persecute us. We are warriors against war, enemies of enmity. Our ‘weapon’ in such a struggle is friendship—which is the greatest threat to war, and the death of enmity.  Therefore when we come against the blasphemy of Goliath in the name of the Lord, it is not even with a sling and stones that we are armed, but with the friendly name of Jesus. We are no longer opposed to our enemies, but to enmity itself, therefore we destroy the war that divides us in the friendly name of Jesus.

Make no mistake—martyrs, fully faithful to their vocation of reconciliation, have suffered and died in the friendly name. In our generation 20 Christians in orange jumpsuits were beheaded on camera by those who opposed them. But one other man was executed in ordinary clothes—one of their persecutors, seeing their steadfast faith and love was, in that instant, reconciled to them and to their Lord and Saviour, and so was martyred with them. The friendly name of Jesus granted him eternal life, when the powerful grip of divine friendship was revealed in their suffering. The twenty in orange suits*, will eternally rejoice to have gained him as a friend, even at such a cost.

It is the friendly name of Jesus that is the most powerful name—above every name. Do not curse in that Name. Do not come against people in that name. Come against spiritual blindness, hatred and bigotry, come against the principalities and powers that hold the lost in thrall to bitterness and resentment, come against fear the drives the dying to strike out against their rescuers.

Coming in the Friendly name of Jesus will change, for you, every dynamic of every conflict. Neither defensive nor aggressive, in humility you will bless, you will listen, you will respond rather than react. God, your friend, will help you and strengthen you so that your love will endure even a cross, as His did.

Simply to remain in love with your enemy is a great victory of holiness, a cause for celebration in the heavens. If that is all that is accomplished—that you remained faithful through conflict, well enough. Yet the friendly name of Jesus has such power that we can truly hope that our opponents will receive the grace we offer and they, even they, will become friends of the Friendly Name.

*In my imagination, I see these 21 entering their eternal joy, fully expecting the white robes in which all the resurrected saints are clothed, but The Lord himself interrupts the angelic tailors and insists that as testimony to their faithfulness, these martyrs shall be eternally clothed in brightest orange.

https://www.rocklandchurch.ca/learning/reflections/thoughts-prayers-brian-wilkie/433-the-friendly-name-of-jesus

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  • davidkitz on Joining the Generation That Seeks God
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