Most of us know the experience of battling thoughts, fears and challenges that seem to keep us in a wrangle. We may find we are having a daily battle with the same fears, thoughts or temptations. We may find that our every effort seems powerless against the onslaught of accusation, doubt, condemnation, or the like. Wonderfully God has promised us victory, so why do we get caught in long term battles that we never seem to win?
Firstly, let’s remind ourselves of some of God’s promises about victory.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you - James 4:7
Thanks be to God who gives to us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ - 1Corinthians 15:57
You will not need to fight in this battle, stand still and see the salvation of God - 2Chronicles 20:17
I have overcome the world - John 16:33
God will crush satan under your feet shortly - Romans 16:20
No temptation has taken you but the common ones, and God will give you a way of escape - 1Corinthians 10:13
The snare is broken and we are escaped - Psalm 124:7
No weapon formed against you will prosper - Isaiah 54:17
With those and many other wonderful promises we might wonder why we get trapped in long term wrangles. Why do we end up grappling in tiresome battles?
In my experience I have found that I allow myself at times to get drawn into wrangles with the enemy, or with an issue, without stopping to take a decisive stand.
Consider a parent who challenges a child about something. The child may respond by arguing, drawing the parent into a wrangle about the issue and about what might be fair or consistent, or whatever. A parent can be disempowered in such a wrangle and forget that they are the parent, with authority to insist on their own will and authority.
When the parent steps back and withdraws from the wrangle they can take decisive action and end the matter.
“Whatever your concerns may be and no matter how unfair you think it is, I have decided that you must do what I have said. That’s the end of the matter.”
In family relations that might seem to lack grace or the niceties of domestic happiness, but in dealing with the devil we don’t have to care about niceties.
If the enemy draws you into a wrangle realise that you don’t have to grapple. You can stand back and declare your choice to stand on God’s Word and, with God’s help, walk away from all the devil’s tactics.
He doesn’t have authority over you, like a child doesn’t have authority over a parent, so he tries to engage you in a wrangle. If you buy in to the wrangle he can tie you up and keep you from exercising your rightful authority.
You are a ‘royal priest’ (1Peter 2:9), so you have royal authority when you line up with God’s Word and God’s will. You can use that authority to overthrow the devil and extricate yourself from the entanglements he has drawn you into.
You could say …
“Devil, Christ has won the victory for me, and so, despite the apparent evidence and the prognostications of the supposed experts, and despite all the accusations you can throw at me about my inconsistency, faults and unworthiness, I choose to stand on God’s Word and resist you and your plans. I bind you and rebuke you and put an end to this wrangling. I declare that Christ has triumphed over you and I don’t even have to fight you. I rebuke you in Jesus’ name. I declare your words to be lies, because you are a liar and the father of lies. I declare that God’s Word is true and I choose to stand firm on what God has promised and explained in His Word. I will not enter into any correspondence with you. Get out of here and take your fears and your accusations with you. Jesus Christ is Lord and He is my salvation in this situation for His glory. Amen.”
And with such stands against the enemy may the Lord free you from grappling and lead to you Triumphing.
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