goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Love is a Battlefield

By Linda Tancs

Singer Pat Benatar is famous for her anthem, “Love is a Battlefield.” Love is, indeed, a battlefield. God fights for it, and the devil fights against it. God is love (1 John 4:8). That’s all God does. The devil, on the other hand, hates love. The Bible reminds us that he is the deceiver of the brethren (Revelation 12:9). He deceives by establishing strongholds in the mind of every believer, tempting us with lies, imaginings and thoughts that are contrary to the Word and that trigger misunderstanding and offense. That’s the opposite of love. Submit to God’s love. Then you’ll be able to resist the devil, and he’ll have no choice but to leave the battlefield (James 4:7).

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES, Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Learn more at goforwardinfaith.com. Follow us on Twitter @moveonfaith and join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

 

 

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Slay the Dragon

By Linda Tancs

St. George is legendary, the only saint associated with the slaying of the mythical dragon. In modern times, some turn to video games to achieve the same result. But we can all be dragon slayers. The ultimate dragon is, of course, Satan (see, e.g., Revelation 12:9), who antagonizes us with dragons of our own that undermine our plans and goals. Maybe your dragons are basic things, like making the bed, getting to work on time, cleaning the house and so on. Or maybe you’ve got bigger dragons to slay, like addiction, broken relationships or failing health. Like George, you need to don your armor, particularly the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God (Ephesians 6:14-17). The sword is a powerful weapon. Wield it so that when the dragon seeks to slay you, you’ll neutralize him and successfully pursue your goals with diligence and determination (Hebrews 11:6).