Knocked down?

Here we are, 17 days into a new year.  This is the moment where many people who set out goals for the new year start to fall away.  Why?  For some, the reason is a simple one, new habits are hard to form and old habits are even harder to break.  For others, they have started well, and maybe even exceptionally well, but then something knocks them down.  Have you ever felt like you were doing something good in the natural realm only to be knocked down?  What about spiritually?  You felt like you were making progress in your relationship with the Lord and then BAM someone or something knocked you down.  If so, then rejoice! You are in good company!!  Paul talked about this particular topic in 1 Thessalonians 2:18 – “For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us.” (NASB).  The word hindered in this verse is the Greek word egkopto.  This word carries the idea of a runner in a race where another runner comes alongside and literally elbows him out of the race. Although the first runner was running a good race, he is shoved out of the way by the aggression of the other runner.  Because of this, the runner who was elbowed, loses the leading edge they previously held.  Now, you should know by now, I don’t believe that Satan is behind everything that happens in our lives, sometimes we just make bad decisions or just choose incorrectly.  But there are times, and probably more often then what we realize, the kingdom of darkness comes along side and elbows us and  we get knocked down.  Hold on, there’s more to this word.  The primary idea of the word “hindered” is one of an impasse so severe that it prohibits you from going where you need to go or an aggressor who unkindly elbows you off course in your spiritual race.  Did you see that?  Go back and reread that.  As believers in the one true God, we have an adversary that wants to knock us out of the race. If that can’t be done, an obstacle or detour is created in our lives that causes us to want to give up.  One of the best lines in a movie,  is “go to the mattresses”.  This phrase “go to the mattresses” carries the idea of “time to go to war”.  Now, we know, scripturally speaking, our fight, our war, isn’t against flesh and blood, but a spiritual one.  We are also told in 1 Timothy 6:12 to fight the good fight of faith.  Our faith walk will never be a walk in the park.  The kingdom of darkness wants to knock us out or down, and when he tries WE MUST FIGHT BACK.  How?  Are you ready for this deep, mind blowing answer?  PRAISE GOD!  There is nothing more that your enemy hates than when you smile and praise God.  It’s like a football team is down by a lot of points, looks like they are going to be knocked out, BUT, they turn and look at their opponent, smile and start singing.  You want to talk about confusing the author of confusion: start singing, start dancing (even if others think you can’t), start clapping, start shouting praises to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and watch how that will knock your opponent out.  Will he come back?  Probably, but the more you do it, the quicker you will be to do those things, the stronger you will get spiritually and the more victories you will have.  Extraordinary victories come out of extraordinary battles!  Much love, Pastor Michael