TODAY’S DEVOTION (Friday 21st August 2020)
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:10-12 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 232nd DAY OF OUR YEAR OF REJOICING
We bless the LORD our God, creator of Heaven and Earth for bringing us safely to another day. This month has been our month of great schooling by riding on THE WINGS OF THE SPIRIT, for 20 days now. I have learnt a lot this month already, even if we are the ones being used of the LORD to share these things.
The LORD made me to understand things I could not even state down about during all those sessions.
Now, to the devotionals, to me what was more profound is the understanding that God is not in absolute control of my life. It is the mismanagement of portions He has graciously handed over to me to control that the enemy usually use in attacking me.
I learnt that if I put those aspects of my life under His control by using His wisdom to rule and manage them, my life will be full of peace. God designed the aspects of my life under my control to be managed by His wisdom, not my wisdom. And since there are three basic kinds of wisdom, I must make sure that I do not apply the wrong kind to my life else, there will be no words to describe what my life will become.
To be strong in the LORD, among other things, is to be strong in applying only His wisdom to our lives and not any other.
WE ARE A CITY SET ON A HILL THAT CANNOT BE HIDDEN.
As God’s Cities on the hill, the book of Revelation made it clear that only the wisdom of God should shine forth in the City (our lives). Any other wisdom will fill our lives with darkness. This is where reading the Bible and sitting under men, who have sat under Jesus Christ to be taught, becomes necessary.
God use such men to teach us what we may never learn on our own. Divine wisdom indeed comes from the Holy Ghost, but He uses different Kingdom advance channels to impart it into our lives.
These kingdom advance channels includes, the Bible, countless hours with God, a Church that is rooted in truth, interface with men of God who have not lost touch with God, anointed books written by such men, and related ministry materials.
Mankind is fought by forces that operate outside the human plane. These forces cannot be handled by human wisdom. Though they are demonic and satanic, but you cannot defeat them using either demonic or satanic wisdom. You must operate the wisdom of God to defeat any circumstances created by these unseen forces.
And most circumstances of life are created by these forces. The wisdom of God therefore becomes the only agency of victory in this life.
A major highlight in our devotional text today made it clear that,
“we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Because of the presence of these unseen forces everywhere, I want to admonish that you keep your ears remarkably close to divine wisdom.
You see, sometimes we underestimate Satan and fall into his snare. I have heard Christians make all kinds of statements about this fallen angel – statements like foolish Satan and all that. I really understand what they are trying to say, but I want to submit to you that Satan is not foolish.
The underestimation of our arch enemy (the devil) is the first reason for the casualties we have in Church today. Satan is not foolish. Stop underestimating him, by learning about his works and spirits. Bury yourself in God and defeat him out of your life.
THE BIBLE MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WAS THE PERFECTION OF BEAUTY.
He has been here before man was created so he knows what men do not know. He was in Heaven before he fell, so he has been to places we are yet to even gaze.
A generation that do not know how to bury itself in the wisdom of God and limit their lives to it, will be beaten blue-black by Satan in every fronts. Even Jesus in the flesh knew these things. That was why He depended on the wisdom of God in all things He did as man.
He said He could of His own self do nothing. As He heard from God, so He did. If we do not therefore look unto Him and live likewise, these are no words to describe what our lives will become. I pray for us today, that the LORD God take away our independence on self and help us to put our entire life on Jesus Christ.
Make this prayer of Apostle Paul for the Church, your personal prayer, today and forever!
IT CAN ALSO BE AN ADDITIONAL SOURCE OF MEDITATION FOR THE DAY
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints (the people of God), I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.”
“[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,”
“By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),” Ephesians 1:15-18