Man was created in the image of God. Because your identity is so closely linked to God’s identity, when you can’t see yourself clearly for who you are in Jesus Christ, you cannot see God clearly for Who He really is. Also, when you cannot see God clearly for Who He is, you cannot see yourself clearly for who you are in Jesus Christ.

Because satan opposes you and your growth as a Christian, his desire is to disarm you and separate you from Jesus Christ by enticing you into sin. He is definitely your adversary.

Adversary = a person or force that opposes or attacks; enemy; foe

The first lie of the enemy we will refute today, using God’s Word, is this one:

“You must earn love”

Sometimes this lie is presented as: “You are not worth loving”

When you believe that lie you are believing this lie about God:

God’s love has conditions

But our God, Who is all-knowing (omniscient) already provided the tools you need to refute that lie. Jeremiah 33:³The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

Paul asked and answered the question: What shall separate us from the love of God? Romans 8:³¹ What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

³² He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

³³ Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

³⁴ Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So put God’s Word in your arsenal, by memorizing it; writing it on an index card and prominently display it. Trust Him, He never fails and will not fail you!

Remember God’s promise in Isaiah 55:⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰ For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Use His Word to refute your enemy’s lie!

The words to this song have been playing in my head so I share them with you.

Army of the Lord

All around us a war’s going on between the wrong and the right
We’ve gotta choose which side we’re on-the darkness or the light
Some of the soldiers of the Lord just don’t realize
that the captain of the army of darkness has come to blind their eyes

Can’t you see that we’re in a battle and there’s no place to hide?
The shields of faith are full of darts and their shooting from every side
Just shake out the darts and run right at em’ and remember who you’re fighting for
Don’t fall asleep cuz’ if they catch ya’ they’ll take you prisoner of war

Chorus:
Are we walking into the enemy’s camp, laying our weapons down
shedding our armor as we go, leaving it on the ground?
We’ve gotta be strong in the power of His might and prove to the enemy
We are the army of the Lord and we’ve won the victory.

Hebrews 12:¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti