There is a thief who is on the loose. He is after something that you and I have as Christians. He will do everything he can to steal it from us. That something is our Peace.
The Lord Jesus warned us in John 10:10 about our enemy, the devil - "The thief cometh not, but for to steal..."
Jesus called him "the thief," and so he is. From the moment of salvation, we realize very quickly that we have an enemy and his main objective is to rob us of our spiritual blessings that we have in Christ Jesus. One of those blessings is our Peace.
* The devil can't stand for us to be at Peace with God so he sends forth every temptation to entice or allure us to Sin for he knows that if we give in, we will lose our Peace with God.
* He can't stand for our bodies to be at peace so he sends forth all kinds of viruses, infections, sicknesses, infirmities, and dis-eases to disturb the harmony that is necessary for each member to operate properly.
* He can't stand for us to have peace in our souls so he torments our minds with every kind of thought that is contrary to God's Word and character.
* He can't stand for all brethren to dwell together in unity for He knows that that is where God commands the blessing. What does he do? He sows lies, envies, jealousies, strife, and selfishness between them. He sets up misunderstandings and offences to divide the body and steal the peace that Jesus desires among His church.
2 Corinthians 2:11 - The Scriptures admonish us that we cannot and must not be "ignorant of his devices" - "Lest Satan should get the advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."
The Devil seems to be getting the advantage over the Church in many ways.
One of the ways he seems to be winning is by stealing our Peace each day.
It's time that we as God's Victorious Army rise up and say - "Enough is Enough!"
We are not going to let this thief come into our lives, homes, families, relationships, ministries, churches, jobs, etc. and steal our Peace. It's time that we get fightin' mad and take back what this thief has stolen from us.
There is a message that we want to deliver to the devil immediately and that message is this - We want our Peace back, and we want it NOW!!!
Jesus purchased it on the Cross, and we are entitled to it.
It's ours!
It belongs to us and our children.
It's a part of the Blood Covenant that we have with the Lord Jesus.
It's a part of the Atonement.
And no devil has any right to it!
Psalm 119:98 - The Scriptures give us objectives to follow which cause us to be "wiser than our enemies" - "Thou through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies..."
Let's examine six of these objectives based on the Word of God that will make us "wiser than our enemies" -
1. We Must Be Spiritually Minded
Romans 8:6 - "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
In order to keep our Peace at all times, we must:
...mind the things of the Spirit and not live under the influence of our
flesh and its corrupt passions and propensities
...make the things of the Spirit our major aim, end, and objective
...follow the leadings and inclinations of the Holy Spirit, always
seeking His views and feelings on matters as outlined in the Word of God
...live under His influence and be supremely devoted to fulfilling His
Will for our lives.
2. We Must Know That God Has Called Us To Peace
1 Corinthians 7:15 - "...but God hath called us to peace."
It is imperative that we know from the very start that God has called us to live in peace with all. This should be the general principle from which we act in every relationship and circumstance.
It's God's Will that we enjoy peace.
Therefore, in all relations and circumstances we should be seeing the Peace of God at work. If we are not, then we must take action. We must make sure that we ourselves are not giving cause for any disagreements or divisions to arise. We must strive and fight for peace to be always
present at all times.
3. We Are Given God's Peace Which Cannot Fail
John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
God imparts His Peace to us. It includes every imaginable good thing for our lives - prosperity for our souls and bodies and the enjoyment of every earthly and heavenly good. It is not to be compared to the world's peace which is based on certain conditions and circumstances being just right.
God's Peace is constant - never changing - always the same. It delivers, rids of, wipes away, and drives out all fears caused by the evils of the past, present, or of those to come.
4. Our Peace Is The Effect Of our Faith In God
Romans 15:13 - "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."
Psalm 119:165 - "Great peace have they which love Thy law..."
The amount of peace that fills our lives is totally dependent on our faith in God. If we are walking in Great Faith, then we will be filled with Great Peace. On the other hand, if we are walking in unbelief, doubt, and fear, we will be feeling very disturbed in our spirits and souls.
The God of hope will fill us in proportion to our Faith in Him. It's very important that we feed our spirits day by day with the Word of God so that our Faith will grow. For when our Faith grows, our Peace multiplies as well.
5. Our Peace Is Directly Related To Our Thoughts
Isaiah 26:3 - "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because He trusteth in Thee."
Many Christians do not enjoy God's Peace in their lives, relations, and circumstances because they do not think properly. Their thoughts are negative and contrary to God's Holy Word. Instead of focusing on the Lord and His mighty promises, they focus on the immensity and intensity of the problem and the vicious and hateful works of the devil.
This Scripture informs us that God promises us "perfect peace" - peace, peace - undisturbed, perfect peace - inward peace as well as outward peace.
What more could we ever ask for?
But there is one condition - our minds must be supported and directed by God. Our thoughts, imaginations, and plans must be placed at all times on Him and His Holy Word.. We must always be in submission to His will and under His government and guidance, firmly and faithfully adhering to His commands and dictates.
6. Our Peace Is Dependant On Our Holiness Of Living
Isaiah 32:17 - "And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever." Proverbs 1:33 - "But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil."
Isaiah 32:18 - "And My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places."
Righteousness produces inward peace. Peace of mind and heart is a sign that purity and innocence is prevalent in one's life. The conscience is void of any offence toward God and man. There are no internal conflicts; therefore, there should be no external conflicts - at least not caused by the individual who is living right before God and men. Sin is not present to disturb the peace and tranquility of soul.
Many conflicts in relations arise because one individual is not at peace in his soul - something is amiss in his walk with the Lord - there is some form of disobedience or rebellion present.
Righteousness also produces outward peace. Those who are ruled by the Law of God dwell in safety under the special protection of Almighty God. No one and nothing will do them any hurt or harm (unless allowed by God for a testimony in the end of His Glory). They can live in peace, having no disquieting apprehension of danger or evil ever disturbing their homes or families. Their dwellings are safe and secure from any invasion of evil.
With these objectives in mind, we need to:
...strive to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led in everything that we say and do
...have a determination like never before to enjoy peace in all relations, knowing that it definitely is God's Will and calling
...know that it is God's Mighty, Conquering Peace and not man's or the world's that is working in and through us
...read and study the Bible more than ever to keep our Faith strong
...keep our minds always and in every place and situation on the Word and Works of God
...strive to live holily, justly, and righteously before God and men
After we have done all, we then need to rush into the enemy's camp with all diligence, confidence, and assuredness and take back the Peace that he stole from us and ours.
Our Peace belongs to us. It doesn't belong to the devil. He is a thief, and we demand that he give it back NOW!
May God give all of His people the Grace, Power, Strength, and Anointing to recover all that the devil stole from them this day.
And may this be a Day of Miracles for all
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