The Struggles of Life

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV)

Our struggles come in all shapes and sizes and weights. Yours do not look like mine . . . you know what I’m talking about. Yet, our struggles connect us together somehow. We’ve not met yet, . . . but we identify with one another by the struggles we each face.

The struggles challenge us. They may even try to redefine us. The enemy tries to steal our peace. He will stir the struggles to destroy our faith in God. But the enemy of our soul is a liar and a thief! There is no struggle that is too big for our God. And God has promised, “I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.”

God knows where we are! He knows the inside-and-out of every struggle. He understands them because he has suffered in such a way that he can identify with us and “he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18 NIV).

We all struggle with personal issues that concern us in some way, but they do not identify us. The struggles are simply the circumstances of life through which we travel. A struggle simply identifies a place in time . . . an issue in the drama of our journey. We might think, at the time, it is the worst moment of our lives. Yet, in most cases, later on in life we see it was a crucial turning point for us . . . a catalyst for who we have become in Christ.

Affirm it with me now: “This struggle is not who I am. It is where I am at right now.” An old hymn says, “I am bound for the promised land. O, who will come and go with me? I am bound for the promised land.” We need to affirm this truth regularly, particularly when the enemy stirs the struggle to unbearable levels. And this is no mere issue of affirmation, instead it’s an issue of inviting others to go with us. They have struggles too. They need someone to help them too. It’s amazing what this will do for our attitude about our struggles.

Dear Father, thank you for your strength and power to overcome the spiritual powers of darkness. Empower us an overcoming faith. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN

Be strong and courageous today in the struggles of life,