Category: Spiritual Warfare

Posted on

The Covenant of Divine Love, Our First Love

Cross and two rings

The Covenant of Divine Love, Our First Love

Cross and two rings
Beula Igiraneza
Beula Igiraneza

Love unites different parties into a relationship of genuine commitment and sincere devotion to each other. Of note, there is a love that is above any other. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). This kind was here before you and I existed, long before the world of what is common to us came into existence. Divine love has always been there for us to enjoy and glory in, even before we could deserve it, not that we ever can. This is further expressed in John 15:13 when Jesus told His disciples that there is no greater love apart from that which is seen when one lays down his life for his own friends. By ‘friends’, Jesus meant you, me, and everyone who would believe in Him to receive His gift of salvation. This is without doubt the greatest kind of love that mankind will ever know. 

With this love that no mind can fathom, we have entered a brand-new covenant with Christ Jesus. “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Corinthians 11:2 NIV). You and I have become the Lord’s priceless and beautiful bride from that very day we confessed our faith in Him. And like a married couple is called to practice faithfulness to each other, so are we called to a life of absolute consecration to our first Love. This is a call to renew our commitment to the truest love we received.

"You and I have become the Lord’s priceless and beautiful bride from that very day we confessed our faith in Him."

Our beloved Groom, Jesus Christ, promised us that He went to prepare a place where we would eternally live with Him (John 14:3). While we wait for His glory to be revealed at His return, our lives should not be used to create ties with the evil one by allowing unrighteousness to multiply within us. We must refuse to indulge ourselves in sexual immorality, pride, anger, hate, and the like because this proves us unfaithful to our Groom. Truth is, we cannot choose to belong to Christ and yet continually give in to the lustful desires of our flesh (Matthew 6:24). On the contrary, let us strive to be like the five wise virgins who made sure that their lamps had enough oil while they waited for the bridegroom to come (Matthew 25:1-11). May we not resemble the foolish virgins who were rejected by the bridegroom because their waiting lacked readiness.

As we wait for our Beloved to return, let us not grow weary and turn our backs on Him for His love and what He endured for us is worth the wait. The nail marks on His feet and hands truly deserve that we remain watchful. Isaiah 40:31 promises us that we won’t faint as we wait upon Him because our strength will be renewed. “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—” (Jude 1:24 NIV). As we eagerly await for our Beloved to appear to us from heaven (Philippians 3:20), we ought to be consistent in our quest for knowing what pleases Him (Ephesians 5:10) through our speech, thoughts, personality, and relationships, to mention a few. Let us therefore be clothed with unceasing prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6), and walking in the Spirit until the day He returns (Galatians 5:16). The life we live until then should be a platform to display our love for Him, who deserves our fullest attention. For we truly do not know when He is to appear, let us stay sober minded and ready (Matthew 25:13)! The groom will not tarry in returning to His pricelessly redeemed bride, behold, He is coming and soon (Hebrews 10:37).

Arise O bride of God,

clothe yourself with His holiness and crown yourself with the power of His Spirit

that your beloved will find you faithful and trustworthy to embrace His glory

for eternity at His glorious return.

"As we wait for our Beloved to return, let us not grow weary and turn our backs on Him for His love and what He endured for us is worth the wait."

This hope of dwelling in the presence and glory of God for eternity is strictly reserved to those who have accepted to die to self and let Christ reign in their lives. I invite you to pray with me if you are convicted that Christ Jesus isn’t the Lord of your life and would like to be counted worthy of reigning with Him when He returns: 

Jesus Christ,  

For a very long time I’ve lived a life of lies, 

A life where I fetched from wells that can never quench my thirst, 

A life that treasures darkness and honors wickedness.

A life that treasures darkness and honors wickedness.

Please forgive me. 

Please come into my life,

Take control of my existence,

Be my personal Lord and Savior. 

From today on, let it be no more of me but of You in all measures. 

In Christ Jesus I pray and believe, Amen. 

Share your thoughts with us!

Related Posts

Window
Window
Posted on
Wrestle
Wrestle
Posted on
Not Customizable
Not Customizable
Posted on
Beyond Sensitivity
Beyond Sensitivity
Posted on
Not Your Strength
Not Your Strength
Posted on
Previous
Next
Posted on

Window

Heart shaped heart through a window

Window

Heart shaped heart through a window
Kevin Shimwa Gakuba
Kevin Shimwa Gakuba

Evil actions are a mirror of an evil heart (Mark 7:21-23). The heart is deceitful above all things, exceedingly corrupt (Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, we should guard the heart above all else (Proverbs 4:23) through praying and intentional submission to the Holy Spirit. An important aspect the Holy Spirit trains us regarding guarding the heart from the physical world, is to protect the physical senses of the body: what we see, hear, engage ourselves in. That is because the senses feed the heart. Taking an analogy of the heart as a room, then the senses are a window that connects it to the outside. The outside supplies either the light of the Lord or darkness of the world.

We cannot look at what is sinful or temptation-filled to no effect on our hearts’ godliness. In the psalmists’ desire for purity of heart, they considered wisdom the fact of setting their eyes away from worthless, shameful, sinful things (Psalm 101:2-3; Psalm 119:37). When one immerses their eyes in looking at what is sin-stained, the heart inevitably gets darkened by that sight. Our Lord stated that, for example, one must avoid lustfully looking at a woman because that is equivalent to polluting the heart with adultery (Matthew 5:27-28). The purity of the heart greatly depends on our discipline to intentionally not look at and watch things that will be detrimental to our relationship with God (Job 31:1).

"When one immerses their eyes in looking at what is sin-stained, the heart inevitably gets darkened by that sight."

Equally important, faith comes from hearing (Romans 10:17). Whatever or whoever has your ear has your faith. Everyone has faith in something. What or who someone listens to determines the fabric of their heart’s faith. It is impossible to be led by the voice of the Holy Spirit if our ears listen to sinful or temptation-filled worldly sources rather than God’s Word. The themes conveyed by the thoughts, songs, conversations, discussions we listen to become the stones that form the altars of our hearts.

This calls us believers to not expose ourselves to sins. It may not be an actual sin, but any path that leads to sin or lust that opens room for more evil in our hearts. Apostle Paul says that what is sin-stained should not even once be named among us (Ephesians 5:3). It is a call to discipline our body and direct our physical senses away from sinful impulses.

"The themes conveyed by the thoughts, songs, conversations, discussions we listen to become the stones that form the altars of our hearts."

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, I realize Your call to purify myself for Your glory through protecting my physical senses. I obtain Your grace to look at what glorifies You inside my heart, listen to what obeys and affirms Your Word, and flee from lust and evil desires. In Your Mighty Name, I pray. Amen. 

Share your thoughts with us!

Related Posts

The Covenant of Divine Love, Our First Love
The Covenant of Divine Love, Our First Love
Posted on
Wrestle
Wrestle
Posted on
Not Your Strength
Not Your Strength
Posted on
The Enemy of Ages
The Enemy of Ages
Posted on
Previous
Next
Posted on

Wrestle

Young boy being trained to box

Wrestle

Young boy being trained to box
Annie Prisca Cyuzuzo Bizimungu
Annie Prisca Cyuzuzo Bizimungu

When a man is attacked and instead of fighting back, he sits and witnesses his belongings being taken without any attempt to resist, he is often labelled a “coward.” This term implies a lack of courage or the failure to defend oneself or one’s possessions when confronted with a threat.

Have you ever stepped on a worm and noticed how it wriggles and squirms despite how vulnerable it looks? This reaction is an inherent part of nature, where every creature fights back when attacked. An antelope runs from a lion, and a hedgehog uses its quills for defense.  Simply put, nature reveals how God created everything with an ability to wrestle when attacked. However, despite the hedgehog’s amazing spiny defense, badgers can still have it as prey. This is because all those natural defenses do fail, especially when the enemy is far too strong. 

Every prey has been given a way of wrestling against its predator. But for man, God through Paul said, “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). In other words, draw your strength from the Lord and be empowered by your union with Him. He added “11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). The schemes of the devil can be described as our predator’s attacks.  

 

"Every prey has been given a way of wrestling against its predator. But for man, God through Paul said, “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” "

For mankind, our wrestling is not against an easy opponent. It is beyond the physical, it extends to the invisible rulers, invisible powers, invisible forces of darkness and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). It would be easier to fight against something you can see and touch, at least you can analyze its moves and defend yourself. But for the invisible, not just any kind of weapon is adequate; you need the one prepared and made by God Himself, and you need it complete without leaving anything behind (Ephesians 6:13). David being a mighty man in battle, he said in Psalm 18:29 “With Your help I can go against many soldiers. With my God I can jump over a wall.” (NLV). He knew what he could do in the strength of the Lord. This confidence is probably why even while all men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep when the Amalekites had taken their families captive (1 Samuel 30), David did not just weep but he recalled his ever-present Help. He asked if he was to pursue and overtake, then God gave him assurance of victory (1 Samuel 30:4) and he was strengthened in the understanding that with the Lord’s help, he could go against a troop and win.

While the hedgehog releases arrows when attacked and yet sometimes fails when the enemy is far too powerful, for us, being strengthened in the Lord’s mighty strength is the only way to wrestle to victory. It enables us to stand firmly when the day of evil comes (Ephesians 6:13). As we draw our strength from the Lord, even the predators who are far too mighty for us can’t take us down (Psalm 18:17). Don’t cowardly let the devil fill your life with darkness, wrestle in the secret place of prayer and draw your confidence from your union with God until you are strengthened in Him. Don’t give in to the flesh, refuse to be enslaved by un–forgiveness, disobedience, unfruitfulness or immorality. The devil will always look for an opportunity to oppress you, therefore wrestle in the strength of the Lord to claim the victory found in Jesus Christ. As you present every battle to Him, He will teach your hands to shoot arrows. 

"...for us, being strengthened in the Lord’s mighty strength is the only way to wrestle to victory."

“10 Beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say,
“I am strong!”

16 The Lord will roar from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem;
the earth and the heavens will tremble.
But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,
a stronghold for the people of Israel.”

Joel 3:10,16 (NIV)

Let us pray:

Father God, thank You for saving me and making me victorious through Jesus Christ. You declared, “It is finished” on the cross; help me to daily understand more the depth of what You accomplished there. Teach me to live a life worthy of the stripes that brought my healing and the punishment that secured my pardon. Strengthen my faith, help my unbelief, and train my heart to magnify You. May I forever walk in the victory and grace made freely available through Jesus Christ. May I forever be conscious of my ever-present help. Amen! 

Share your thoughts with us!

Related Posts

The Covenant of Divine Love, Our First Love
The Covenant of Divine Love, Our First Love
Posted on
Window
Window
Posted on
Not Your Strength
Not Your Strength
Posted on
The Enemy of Ages
The Enemy of Ages
Posted on
Previous
Next
Posted on

Not Your Strength

Not Your Strength

Kevin Shimwa Gakuba
Kevin Shimwa Gakuba

Take a minute to ask yourself why you are reading this article. How are you able to find this gospel? Putting in a lot of effort to stay with God? But how many times did you wish for communion with the Lord, prayed for fellowship, and still found it hard to dwell in His presence? Fellowshipping with God happens after our spirit is stirred up for Him. The stirring up is purely by the Holy Spirit working in us to obey God’s call [Philippians 2:13]. Our will and strength cannot suffice to make us desire His sweet presence. God Himself puts us in a position to access the gospel even on days we are not seeking Him [Isaiah 65:1]. Sometimes it’s a friend praying over you, a scripture you read, a testimony about Jesus, all which can open rivers of living waters in a barren heart.  

"Our will and strength cannot suffice to make us desire His sweet presence. God Himself puts us in a position to access the gospel even on days we are not seeking Him "

His grace brought us to Him. Only it can keep us there. Grace implies the great favor of God which our works would not deserve and is solely based on Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. The sacrifice makes us worthy of God’s blessings which our works can never merit [Galatians 3:10]. Our relationship with God is in the first place secured by the blood of Christ on the cross [Ephesians 2:8], where God reconciled us to Himself in the person of Christ [2 Corinthians 5:18]. The transformation to have a mind like Christ and stay with God as we navigate the day-to-day challenges of life can in no way be handled by our own strength. Apostle Paul is a perfect example of a transformed life, steadfast amidst tribulation, and full of God’s power. Yet he pointed out that all he did was to display his weaknesses to God and call relentlessly upon God’s grace of power and wisdom to win his life’s battles [2 Corinthians 12:9; Zechariah 4:6 ]. At times we can find ourselves in a serious trial or temptation, a depression that feels insurmountable, bondage of sin or any other snare from the devil and the only way that we can overcome and stand firm is to lean on His grace [2 Corinthians 4:8-11].  

"Grace implies the great favor of God which our works would not deserve and is solely based on Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf."

Does dependence upon God’s grace imply being careless, uninvolved Christians in the battles? No, but the contrary which is to surrender to God’s guidance and will. God has always chosen to involve man in His plans by giving him wisdom and strength so that he can walk in His ways [Psalm 32:8]. We must fall on our faces and ask for the grace to let God take the wheel of our lives through obedience. Through obedience our heart posture changes and allows the Spirit of God to position us as He wills. This can be a position of prayer, a position to acquire knowledge and wisdom of God, or any other that works for the glory of God. And we will come to realize that choosing surrender means choosing victory. We will stand in awe of how God will fight our battles for His glory [2 Chronicles 20:15].

As we walk this life aspiring to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ [2 Thessalonians 2:14], the Spirit of God reminds us that we have been adopted as children of our glorious Father through faith in Jesus. We now have access to His throne of grace so that we may find mercy and grace in times of need. His grace is what makes us stand today and always will. Amen.  

"We must fall on our faces and ask for the grace to let God take the wheel of our lives through obedience. Through obedience our heart posture changes and allows the Spirit of God to position us as He wills...And we will come to realize that choosing surrender means choosing victory."

Share your thoughts with us!

Related Posts

The Covenant of Divine Love, Our First Love
The Covenant of Divine Love, Our First Love
Posted on
Window
Window
Posted on
Wrestle
Wrestle
Posted on
The Enemy of Ages
The Enemy of Ages
Posted on
Previous
Next
Posted on

The Enemy of Ages

The Enemy of Ages

Annie Prisca Cyuzuzo Bizimungu
Annie Prisca Cyuzuzo Bizimungu

During the creation, God was pleased with everything he created. He created both man and woman in His image. He gave them authority over everything on earth. He breathed His spirit on them and they lived. The relationship of Adam and Eve with God was intense. He loved them not only as His creation but also as His most favored ones and His masterpiece. While God and man were enjoying and pleased by how things were like, there was someone who wasn’t pleased. The devil didn’t like what was happening. Seeing God being pleased by his creation, the devil was unable to take it anymore. The Bible tells us that he is the father of lies for a reason. He is the one who invented lies. He started with the angels who followed him when he was sent away from heaven and made them turn against their Creator (Revelation 12:7-9). Although they had witnessed God’s glory and mighty as it is, the devil’s lies made them forget all the truth about God and they admitted leaving a mighty God for a defeated Lucifer. He did the same with Eve, where he made her question God’s truth with his lies (Genesis 3:13). He brought her something new that she had never experienced before. Lies were something new to Eve. Before encountering the devil, a man knew nothing about lies. They were living with the God of truth and all his words were true and just. Hearing the word of truth from God made them live fully with satisfaction and peace but the devil’s word of lies made them unsatisfied with what was given to them. Eve started to question her Creator’s intention and felt unsatisfied with being a creation that glorifies her Creator. She wanted to be like the Creator and have the same wisdom as Him, just as Lucifer did. The lies blinded her eyes and she started to think that she knew better, and that the devil cared about her more than God. When the man first sinned, the devil achieved his greatest achievement as far as humankind is concerned. The relationship between man and God was no longer the same, their authority over creation was no more. The devil couldn’t be any happier. Thank God that He never gave up on us. His love was overflowing, and He still wanted to save the unfaithful man (Hosea 11:8). He still wanted to restore the relationship and the authority the man had lost. His love for His people made Him send His son who also was willing to save a man for God’s glory and for the happiness placed before Him which was to give the world hope and righteousness.

"Hearing the word of truth from God made them live fully with satisfaction and peace but the devil’s word of lies made them unsatisfied with what was given to them."

However, the enemy of ages is still in action though he knows that the battle of salvation has been won, he knows that humans still have a choice. They are left with a battle of choice. 1 Peter 5:8, tell us to be sober-minded and watchful for our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. The devil is still willing to destroy mankind. This is his hunger that will never be satisfied. When he destroys one, he feels the hunger to destroy more. Us being sober-minded and watchful is an effective way of reacting to a devil who prowls like a roaring lion and to avoid being the one he devours. Only the truth of God which is in His word will keep you sober and watchful because it has the use of reminding and teaching you the truth to set you free from the devil’s lies. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, point your sword at the true enemy. Your enemy is not that friend that betrayed you, not even that spouse that cheated on you. Your enemy is the one who uses the non-sober-minded souls for his will to destroy more. Many have fallen for his lies and forgotten the truth of eternity. Being lost and into the lies, they think that God’s existence is a lie though they have seen His amazing creation. They think the devil cares more. Some of them are called by his name, they live for him and glorify him. It’s not like he will repay them. He just wants more to be destroyed along with him. Many have left the mighty God for the defeated Lucifer. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun! 

"Your enemy is the one who uses the non-sober-minded souls for his will to destroy more."

Share your thoughts with us!

Related Posts

The Covenant of Divine Love, Our First Love
The Covenant of Divine Love, Our First Love
Posted on
Window
Window
Posted on
Wrestle
Wrestle
Posted on
Not Your Strength
Not Your Strength
Posted on
Previous
Next
Envelope

diveinthetruth@gmail.com

Get in touch with us!

Envelope

diveinthetruth@gmail.com

Get in touch with us!

Envelope