The Bible tells us that in the last days difficult times will arise. Difficult because darkness will take over the affairs of people and it will be difficult to walk in holiness and righteousness: “For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud…” (2Timothy 3:2a). Jesus Christ came to turn people away from this darkness by showing them the light but: “…People loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed” (John 3:19b-20). As a foreshadow of what was to come, the Bible warned us in Isaiah 60:2 – “For look, darkness covers the earth, and total darkness covers the peoples…” Praise God! We were not told to sit down and accept it but to stand up and shine the light of God: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you…but the Lord will shine over you and His glory will appear over you” (Isaiah 60:1, 2b). And in John 1:5, we were assured of victory: “That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it”. This means we are not to accept the darkness that is prevailing over the earth or pushing at our lives as a norm, but we must stand up against it and push back by shining the light of God! To do this effectively, our inner man must be strong.
Apostle Paul understanding this, prayed for the Ephesians, a prayer that we must equally pray for ourselves if we desire to overcome the darkness: “I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man…and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16, 19). Our inner man (heart/mind) controls who we are and the outcomes of our lives, and the enemy seeks to control it. The Bible warned us to guard our hearts with all diligence and renew our minds, meaning we must be alert to take out anything that seeks to poison our hearts and minds against the will of God. A person that fails to do this may pretend for a while, but his true nature will be revealed once the conditions are right. Beloved don’t be deceived, the only way to resist the allures of this world and the emotional imbalance the enemy is throwing at us is we must purpose in our hearts to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit in our inner man, carrying the fullness of God. This means feeding daily on God’s word and not forsaking the fellowship of the brethren! You cannot isolate yourself, and think by reading the Bible occasionally, watching online services or listening to a wonderful servant of God once in a while, your inner man will be fine. It may be for a while, but it will not sustain you on the long run.
God did not make a mistake by declaring: “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Being born again does not stop the enemy from attempting to cover you or that which concerns you with darkness. If he could come to try to make Jesus bow to him, then he will do same to you! This enemy does not fear anointing or your influence! We cannot be like king Saul that felt since he was anointed of God and a king, he could withstand the onslaught of darkness. Because his inner man was weak, he could not resist the enemy. Consequently, he failed woefully and was disqualified by God! The desire of our Lord Jesus Christ is that we would be strengthened with might through the Holy Spirit in our inner man; growing daily into His stature. It is only when we are strong in this area are we able to withstand the physical, emotional and spiritual turmoil that the enemy throws at us. Beloved, may the Lord strengthen you in your inner man and grant you the grace to continually grow in Him, in Jesus Christ name. God bless you!
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