“For every child of God defeats this evil world and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the son of God.” 1John 5:4-5

You don’t have victory my friends without a battle. Indeed daily the battle rages on. If you do not face some sort of struggle today or some other day then frankly you are one strange person. Life here on earth is filled with battles because there is a war on for your soul.

And how does this battle rage? It rages through the tools of temptation. You can either do what is right or do what is wrong. Remember that scripture that tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from you? Well resist is a verb my friends, so that means being active in the battle. Our God expects us to resist and he has given to us the power to resist. Thus we can overcome the desire to sin because of Jesus.

Still there is the battle daily or even hourly. Jesus makes a way for us, but he does not simply blind us to temptation. Instead he empowers us to resist. And the more we resist the stronger we become. Think of sin sort of like a rubber band. The more you resist, the more you stretch the rubber band, the less it resists your pull. Thus eventually it either breaks or is flimsy. To break sins hold we are told to resist.

And in each battle we have a leader, the son of the living God. He leads us in battle and brings us to victory. Yes victory over the ways of this world comes through Christ Jesus.

He never said it would be easy, the daily battles. Right now as I write this I struggle with discouragement. I cannot get my hip surgery for the left side because of other serious health matters. Pain keeps me from doing what I want. I dislike having to deal with the oxygen and its related cords. Way too many doctors, family issues because I cannot do, frustration because I hate being alone and not working. Life right now feels like a battlefield and I just want to hide in my bunker. The flesh wants to lash out, to give up, to give in to anger. I bet some of you understand. Still I do have a choice. I can resist or I can give in. Through Christ I can overcome. Victory can be mine as I let Jesus lead me through this.

These morning meditations written by Christian believer and author, Patricia Hawkins, offer them for your personal edification. You may contact Patricia at prayerpartnerpat@gmail.com.