By Kenneth Jackson

By Kenneth Jackson

Thursday, April 2, 2015

"A Powerful Weapon"

Recently, I have been impressed to do a series of blogs on our spiritual weapons.  I heard a statement years ago that has remained with me and I believe it to be true.  It is "The Christian army is the only army that does not train its soldiers before sending them into battle."  No army on earth would recruit members and send them out on the battlefield without thoroughly equipping the soldiers with weapons and training them in the use of the weapons and the tactics of the enemy.  We as Christians are in an army---it is called the church----a living, breathing body of believers--you and me.  Our weapons according to scripture are not human weapons  --we cannot use guns or bombs to defeat our enemies.  The Word of God says we have three enemies---the world, our flesh (human nature) and satan.  One of the greatest tactics of any enemy is to convince its opponent that it does not exist---if we don't believe we have an enemy, we will never resist or fight.    If we, the church, do not prepare our soldiers when they become a follow of Jesus, it is like sending a lamb out into a pack of wolves.  Every day we live we are in a battle between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light---evil versus good---hatred and love.  This blog is about a powerful weapon we have been given----a weapon to defeat moaning, groaning, murmuring and complaining---all of which our flesh is really good at doing!!!  I know I am--after all, we have had more experience in being human than anything else.  Paul tells us in Romans that we are in a battle within us--between the flesh (our human nature) and the spirit (our divine nature).  This weapon is GRATITUDE--one of the most important, absolutely essential weapons we must learn.  Over and over in scripture we are told to "give thanks" and the way we become proficient in using our weapons is just like any army----practice, practice and practice!!  However, most of us need reprogramming so instead of griping and being negative, we have the choice to be thankful.  It will require us to purpose in our heart to choose to give thanks. Sometimes old habits die hard.   It is our choice to wake up in the morning and begin to thank the Lord for the gift of another day---no matter how we feel or if we slept well or not or whatever we have to do that day.  We can actually change our mindset and change our day if we determine to thank God----because there is no way we can moan and groan and be thanking God at the same time!!!  Only one thing can come out of our mouths at a time---that is why it is such a powerful weapon, but we must use it not just once a day but all day long---until it is a habit instead of the negative.  Why not start today practicing this powerful weapon in your life and speaking it out?  Let's start now---"Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord for the gift of another day.!!  I will rejoice and be glad in it!!  Thank you that your grace is sufficient for everything that this day brings!!  And that is just the beginning---I encourage you to live a life of gratitude!!  Amen and Amen:)
Blessings!!
Carolyn




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