built with courses of stone;
on it hang a thousand shields,
all of them shields of warriors."
-Song of Solomon 4:4
When I first heard this verse last year, it inspired me. I thought I was invincible. I believed that I could stand against anything that came against me, and that nothing could touch me that hadn't first passed through the hands of Christ. I loved the thought of being protected, and being untouchable, when it came to the attacks of the Enemy.
Now, I feel anything but invincible. I've seen the attacks, and I've seen the way I give into them again, and again, and again. I wonder where the shields are, that were meant to defend me. I wonder why I still don't know how to wield them in my life.
We can all try to be invincible. For awhile, we might rest in Him, and fight the attacks in His unfailing strength. But slowly, we become subtly convinced that that strength is somehow our own, and that we can stand in our abilities. We would never admit to it. Growing up in Christian homes and going to church every week, it's easy to convince ourselves that we're living the Christian life as it was meant to be lived. That our lives don't belong to ourselves; that the only thing we live for is Jesus Himself.
But I would challenge you to look deeper into your life. What words or images consume your thought life? What activities take up the bulk of your time? What is the first thing you turn to, when you need help or comfort? How do you spend your free time? What things give you the most peace, or relief, from the chaos that life can so easily become?
And we wonder why we can't fight off the attacks.
So often, we feel helpless in the face of attacks, whether it's depression, insecurity, anxiety, or whatever else it might be. I heard a video sermon recently by Paul Washer, and one line really stood out to me. He said that, when it comes to fighting off attacks, "Your problem isn't that you're too weak; it's that you're too strong."
In our own strength, we are too weak to fight off that which would come against us. But in our own pride and self-sufficiency, we are too strong to admit that we can't do it on our own.
The place of victory is not in what we can bring to the table. It's not the ability to keep our heads up, or convince ourselves that we're good enough. The place of victory is the cross of Jesus Christ, where He would willingly pour out His everything, physically and spiritually, to rescue those so broken that they could not even acknowledge their need for Him. The Enemy had the upper hand, and humanity gave it to him. But He gave up His life not only to forgive us, but to free us. To give us His own strength to fight, with the promise that, no matter what the circumstances, He would go before us to give us the victory.
The secret to victory is as simple as it is beautiful, given by Jesus Himself in John 15:
"Remain in my love."
The One who has defeated death stands with you now, and longs to reveal Himself to you. In Him, we have the shields of a thousand warriors.
When I first heard this verse last year, it inspired me. I thought I was invincible. I believed that I could stand against anything that came against me, and that nothing could touch me that hadn't first passed through the hands of Christ. I loved the thought of being protected, and being untouchable, when it came to the attacks of the Enemy.
Now, I feel anything but invincible. I've seen the attacks, and I've seen the way I give into them again, and again, and again. I wonder where the shields are, that were meant to defend me. I wonder why I still don't know how to wield them in my life.
We can all try to be invincible. For awhile, we might rest in Him, and fight the attacks in His unfailing strength. But slowly, we become subtly convinced that that strength is somehow our own, and that we can stand in our abilities. We would never admit to it. Growing up in Christian homes and going to church every week, it's easy to convince ourselves that we're living the Christian life as it was meant to be lived. That our lives don't belong to ourselves; that the only thing we live for is Jesus Himself.
But I would challenge you to look deeper into your life. What words or images consume your thought life? What activities take up the bulk of your time? What is the first thing you turn to, when you need help or comfort? How do you spend your free time? What things give you the most peace, or relief, from the chaos that life can so easily become?
And we wonder why we can't fight off the attacks.
So often, we feel helpless in the face of attacks, whether it's depression, insecurity, anxiety, or whatever else it might be. I heard a video sermon recently by Paul Washer, and one line really stood out to me. He said that, when it comes to fighting off attacks, "Your problem isn't that you're too weak; it's that you're too strong."
In our own strength, we are too weak to fight off that which would come against us. But in our own pride and self-sufficiency, we are too strong to admit that we can't do it on our own.
The place of victory is not in what we can bring to the table. It's not the ability to keep our heads up, or convince ourselves that we're good enough. The place of victory is the cross of Jesus Christ, where He would willingly pour out His everything, physically and spiritually, to rescue those so broken that they could not even acknowledge their need for Him. The Enemy had the upper hand, and humanity gave it to him. But He gave up His life not only to forgive us, but to free us. To give us His own strength to fight, with the promise that, no matter what the circumstances, He would go before us to give us the victory.
The secret to victory is as simple as it is beautiful, given by Jesus Himself in John 15:
"Remain in my love."
The One who has defeated death stands with you now, and longs to reveal Himself to you. In Him, we have the shields of a thousand warriors.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Worship Song:
"Strong Tower",
by Kutless
"Strong Tower",
by Kutless
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