“And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:47 NLT)

 

Several years ago, my wife and I rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disneyland. If you’ve never been on it, it’s an elevator that drops very quickly. And that’s a scary sensation for a lot of people. Afterward, you can buy a picture of yourself taken during one of the drops. I usually don’t buy amusement park photos, but I was tempted that time because I loved the reaction of my wife in the photo. She had a look of terror on her face; I, on the other hand, was smiling. It just goes to show that people will pay money to be frightened.

Unfortunately, not all frightening things are funny. The devil knows that. And he uses fear as part of his battlefield strategy. He hits us where and when we’re most vulnerable. He exploits our anxiety. He plays on our fears of failure, something happening to a loved one, financial troubles, and anything else that might rattle us. His aim is to isolate us in our fears, to separate us from the spiritual protection of our heavenly Father.

The apostle Paul wrote, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39 NLT). Add anything else you want to the list. It won’t change the reality. You’ll notice that “angels,” “demons,” and “the powers of hell” are conspicuously mentioned. Paul’s point is clear: The devil is unable to separate us from God. So, we must not allow him to convince us otherwise. We must not give in to fear.

Fear can blind us temporarily to the truth. If it gets a toehold in our thoughts, we might start to imagine ourselves as being distant from God and perhaps even beyond His reach. That’s why it’s important to remind ourselves that every spiritual battle—including the battle against fear—is God’s, and not ours.

Before David loaded the stone into his sling, he warned Goliath, “This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:47 NLT). David was calm where other warriors had panicked because he knew who was really doing the fighting.

In Ephesians 6, Paul discusses spiritual warfare. But before he mentions the helmet of salvation or the breastplate of righteousness or the sword of the Spirit, he says this: “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” (verse 10 NLT).

We cannot win spiritual battles if we rely on our own strength. And we cannot lose spiritual battles if we rely on the power of God.

 

Reflection question: What fears or anxieties might the devil try to exploit in his battles with you? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord&rsquo;s battle, and he will give you to us!&rdquo; (1 Samuel 17:47 NLT)
&nbsp;
Several years ago, my wife and I rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disneyland. If you&rsquo;ve never been on it, it&rsquo;s an elevator that drops very quickly. And that&rsquo;s a scary sensation for a lot of people. Afterward, you can buy a picture of yourself taken during one of the drops. I usually don&rsquo;t buy amusement park photos, but I was tempted that time because I loved the reaction of my wife in the photo. She had a look of terror on her face; I, on the other hand, was smiling. It just goes to show that people will pay money to be frightened.
Unfortunately, not all frightening things are funny. The devil knows that. And he uses fear as part of his battlefield strategy. He hits us where and when we&rsquo;re most vulnerable. He exploits our anxiety. He plays on our fears of failure, something happening to a loved one, financial troubles, and anything else that might rattle us. His aim is to isolate us in our fears, to separate us from the spiritual protection of our heavenly Father.
The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God&rsquo;s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow&mdash;not even the powers of hell can separate us from God&rsquo;s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below&mdash;indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord&rdquo; (Romans 8:38&ndash;39 NLT). Add anything else you want to the list. It won&rsquo;t change the reality. You&rsquo;ll notice that &ldquo;angels,&rdquo; &ldquo;demons,&rdquo; and &ldquo;the powers of hell&rdquo; are conspicuously mentioned. Paul&rsquo;s point is clear: The devil is unable to separate us from God. So, we must not allow him to convince us otherwise. We must not give in to fear.
Fear can blind us temporarily to the truth. If it gets a toehold in our thoughts, we might start to imagine ourselves as being distant from God and perhaps even beyond His reach. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s important to remind ourselves that every spiritual battle&mdash;including the battle against fear&mdash;is God&rsquo;s, and not ours.
Before David loaded the stone into his sling, he warned Goliath, &ldquo;This is the Lord&rsquo;s battle, and he will give you to us!&rdquo; (1 Samuel 17:47 NLT). David was calm where other warriors had panicked because he knew who was really doing the fighting.
In Ephesians 6, Paul discusses spiritual warfare. But before he mentions the helmet of salvation or the breastplate of righteousness or the sword of the Spirit, he says this: &ldquo;Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power&rdquo; (verse 10 NLT).
We cannot win spiritual battles if we rely on our own strength. And we cannot lose spiritual battles if we rely on the power of God.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What fears or anxieties might the devil try to exploit in his battles with you?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

Nothing can separate you from God’s love and protection.

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