Finding your Footing
Posted by Rebecca | | Posted On Monday, March 8, 2010 at 5:53 PM
Since the beginning of the year, we have seen a rippling of shifts and shaking across the planet. It has been the same in my own life. To be honest, I was caught off guard by the tsunamis of my own life situation. The shaking came without warning. The more it seemed that I tried to make sense of the upheavals that surrounded me, the cracks and crevices of life-struggles grew. I felt I had lost my footing. I went before the Lord grappling for answers. His response was the aftershock of what had been gripping me... and it was the Pangaea that brought the pieces of my heart back together.
God said that I was being attacked by situations of the flesh. I agreed. The problem wasn’t the circumstances, but how I was handling the fight. I was fighting against "flesh and blood". Suddenly, I discovered what it was going to take to get my footing. It is clear from scripture what our struggle is against.
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 6:12
To know where to go and how to respond when the disasters of life hit, requires a new way of thinking and approaching the difficulties that surround us. When I try to fight against flesh and blood, I get the wind knocked out of me. I find myself back in worldly struggles and situations that allow the enemy to always have the victory. My only place of victory is in the spirit realm. This becomes the landscape for radical change in my everyday life. Once my paradigm began to shift, I was able to take a stand and get back on solid ground. Here are a few lessons I learned:
• Always fight a good fight.
We can only win the fights, which are battled in the right context. To be an “overcomer” means we must put on the only armor that will protect us from the turbulence of life.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:11-12
• When the battle is fierce, retreat.
Hiding in the refuge of the Lord while seeking His hand to win the battles of life, is a safe place from the enemy. Abiding in the Lord teaches us how to be “anxious for nothing” and gives “peace that passes understanding.” Can you imagine? Only in this place can we find rest from the storms of life.
If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. Psalm 91:9-10
• Keep in Step with the Spirit.
We cannot operate out of our old nature and win anything. We must keep within the new law that inhabits our battlefield, the law of the Spirit.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4
The next time you begin to feel the earth move under your feet, remember, the way to find your footing is by lifting your eyes to the heavens.
I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
Psalm 121:1-3
Cheers,
Rebecca
God said that I was being attacked by situations of the flesh. I agreed. The problem wasn’t the circumstances, but how I was handling the fight. I was fighting against "flesh and blood". Suddenly, I discovered what it was going to take to get my footing. It is clear from scripture what our struggle is against.
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 6:12
To know where to go and how to respond when the disasters of life hit, requires a new way of thinking and approaching the difficulties that surround us. When I try to fight against flesh and blood, I get the wind knocked out of me. I find myself back in worldly struggles and situations that allow the enemy to always have the victory. My only place of victory is in the spirit realm. This becomes the landscape for radical change in my everyday life. Once my paradigm began to shift, I was able to take a stand and get back on solid ground. Here are a few lessons I learned:
• Always fight a good fight.
We can only win the fights, which are battled in the right context. To be an “overcomer” means we must put on the only armor that will protect us from the turbulence of life.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:11-12
• When the battle is fierce, retreat.
Hiding in the refuge of the Lord while seeking His hand to win the battles of life, is a safe place from the enemy. Abiding in the Lord teaches us how to be “anxious for nothing” and gives “peace that passes understanding.” Can you imagine? Only in this place can we find rest from the storms of life.
If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. Psalm 91:9-10
• Keep in Step with the Spirit.
We cannot operate out of our old nature and win anything. We must keep within the new law that inhabits our battlefield, the law of the Spirit.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4
The next time you begin to feel the earth move under your feet, remember, the way to find your footing is by lifting your eyes to the heavens.
I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
Psalm 121:1-3
Cheers,
Rebecca
WoW! I can really relate to this! God is definitely teaching me some new skills to handle the new battles. and you are so right that we have to get God's perspective on the strategy!
Thank you, Rebecca. I so needed to hear this.
Thanks for the word. Ps. 27 comes to mind. I have really felt compelled to marinate in and memorize as much scripture as possible over the last 4-5 months so that He can dwell richly in me and I can call upon His weapons for the battles.
Rebecca:
Amen! God has been using my situation and circumstances to drive my dependency on Him even deeper, and to let me understand fully the reality of the hidden kingdom's present power and His eternal and infinite love! I cannot stand unde my own power, only His power will do. And I'm to love all others as He loves me! ...think I'm still very much working that part out, but He is with me in all of it.
This is a great post!
I find my struggle in finding my footing in regards to the world we live in vs. my spiritual life. "Keeping in step with the spirit" really hit home with me. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the world around us. The crazier the world gets I find myself wanting to draw closer to God.
This really helps, thanks!