SoLo Lives! Ministry

We all experience daily battles in life. To win, remember the 3 R’s:

1. wRong Battle; people are not your enemy. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is NOT against flesh and blood.”

CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES. Distinguish between the right and wrong battles to fight. Many challenges that come into your life are simply distractions, trying to lure you away from your God-given destiny and God-given life goals. The best way to answer battles is to allow people to see the fruit of your life.

CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES WISELY. Nehemiah encountered two big critics, Sanballat and Tobiah, when God asked him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. But he knew that the fight would not accomplish anything, so he avoided it. (See also Proverbs 20:3.) If you want to honor God, if you want to enjoy your life, then be a peacemaker.

We are warriors, not worriers who fight any fight that comes along. You need to ask yourself, what are the spoils/rewards? The prize for fighting Goliath got David’s attention, and he was thrilled. The battle was worth fighting. But, his elder brother Eliab wanted to embarrass him in front of all the other men (1 Samuel 17:28). David knew which battle to fight. He turned his back on his brother Eliab and walked away.

moses was so focused on bringing the Israelites out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land. While he was doing this, his sister Miriam spoke out against him. She was filled with envy and jealousy because of Moses’s position and leadership (Numbers 12:1-2). Moses did not defend himself; he knew it was not a battle to fight. But the Lord took it upon himself and inflicted leprosy on Miriam as a punishment for disrespecting his anointed servant.

2. Real Battle: Saving souls, saying no to sin. Ephesians 6:12 says that our enemies are the devil, are spiritual forces in this world, in this wicked, vile group of people. This is the spiritual warfare we fight, and it is real.

Jesus Christ came to destroy the stronghold of sin in our lives. He came to redeem, to bring salvation to the lives of the lost, and He was victorious. Live a life to please and honor him; say no to sin daily and bring people to salvation through the power of Jesus Christ. The salvation of souls is an eternal spoil.

If you are disciplined, say no to sin, and do everything you can to save souls, God will bless your relationships. He will bring peace and unity into your homes. And He is going to give you the joy of being used to touch people’s lives with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

But, don’t underestimate the enemy. He is a great deceiver, a skilled liar, and a cunning master of dishonesty, wickedness, and falsehood. Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of the faith.”

3. Right Weapons in Battle: (1) Faith in God’s character and promises (Ephesians 6:10). The very first weapon that you need is this kind of faith. We are weak. We can neither resist sin nor overcome temptation. we need the strength of faith in God.

Faith comes from the character of God. Because God is true to His character, He is who He says He is, and He is faithful to His promises.

Faith in God is knowing God more. Take that first step of faith in believing in God and let Him take you the rest of the way. His strength becomes your strength; His power your power. It’s all about what God has willed for you. That’s the way it is.

Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace.” Yield to God in the area of faith. God will fight our fight.

David yielded to the power of God when he fought Goliath (1 Samuel 17:47). David told his people that God would fight the battle, and not by sword nor by spear. What the people would then witness was a demonstration of God’s power and protection for his servant. David had his eyes on God, not on Goliath.

2 Chronicles 20:15 says, “Do not fear nor be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

(2) The Sword of the Spirit: The Word of God. Spend time with God’s Word – reading it, meditating on it, studying it, memorizing it, and sharing it with others. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus responded by quoting Scriptures. He used the Word of God as His weapon against temptation.

Psalm 119:11 says, “Your Word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against You.”

2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the Word of truth.”

(3) Prayer. Ephesians 6:18-20 says, “With all prayer and petition, pray at all time sin the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance mayb be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Prayer is a weapon that we need to use in the real battle. You and I need to get down on our knees before God. Prayer is our spiritual connection to Him. It brings us into His presence and allows us to work in our lives, to do remarkable things. In unleashes His power; it is our weapon.

Remember, your enemy is not people, but the devil. Don’t try to fight the enemy by yourself – you’re bound to lose. The Lord says to us that it is His battle. It is His fight. Let Him fight on our behalf.

You and I need to stand firm in our faith in God, firm in our trust in His promises and in the truth of His character. We need to hold fast to the Word of God; it is His truth in our lives. And we need to be passionate about prayer.

Joby Soriano, April 5, 2009