Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

Satan tries to set up strongholds based on lies in our lives in order for us to bow down to them as gods. Our enemy is ever distracting us away from worshiping the Lord. Our enemy wants people, places, or things to lord themselves over us. This prevents us from keeping Jesus as Lord in our hearts, minds, and lives.  But if we persevere in doing as Christ wills us to do, we will eventually triumph. Make no mistake, it is a battle! Why? Because once we are secure in God’s love through worship of Him, there will be nothing we cannot do in His power and love! The enemy knows this. So exactly how does the enemy set up strongholds in us? Usually, they start small, like a foothold first. This is where we need to be aware of what is happening and nip it in the bud immediately. If we don’t, it will grow and become a stronghold. For example, let’s say you’ve been offended by someone. It doesn’t matter if it is a friend, foe, or stranger. The enemy wants to use that offense in your life to get yo

In the natural, when wars are fought, each battle has a duration of time that it takes before it is over.   As Christians, we go into each spiritual battle knowing the outcome!  We are in Christ.  Christ is the Victor. Ergo, we are victorious in Christ! However (clear throat), some battles are "bloodier" than others.  Some battles take longer than others.  And if we are going to live the Christian life, we must be aware of these facts. We are called by God to be strong and courageous.  We see these commands all throughout Scripture.  Fear not!  Be very strong and courageous for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go! The Lord knew we would need courage, and lots of it.  He knew the battles each of us would face and the weapons we would need in order to fight them. I won't go into detail here about how we wage war in the heavenlies, or about the armor of God - you can find plenty of teachings on these online, articles and YouTube. What I am here to say is this:  Don