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The Good Fight
I was in high school at the time and it was nearing the end of the school year. You could always find me in the gym playing basketball every chance I could get. I was ahead in many of my classes so some teachers would let me go the gym instead of staying in class. All year long there was this kid, we’ll call him Landon to protect his identity in the off chance he ever reads this column, ha. Landon had picked on me all year long. I don’t know why he had a problem with me. I never did anything to him, but he would push me in the hall as he’d walk by or say stuff about me. I always let it go because I didn’t want to get in trouble at school and I avoided confrontation if I possibly could. I was more of the quiet type in school so I didn’t fight back.
One day in the gym, playing basketball of course, I got matched up against Landon. I wasn’t intimidated because I was by far the superior baller. I got the ball and I was dribbling down the sideline and Landon came over and shoved me out of bounds. I let it go thinking it was just an accident and he was just going for the ball or something. All game though he made it his intention to foul me hard or play dirty. Finally I got fed up with it.
I had just went up and made a layup, and when I came down to turn to run back on defense he came over and pushed me so hard that I fell down. I got up and went over to him and pushed him back. We got in each other’s face and somehow he grabbed both my arms. That did it! I pulled away from him and then socked him in the eye. The gym teacher immediately came running across the court to break us up as everyone gathered around expecting a brawl.
I had finally come to the breaking point. I was tired of being pushed around. After that day, Landon never messed with me again. I learned that if you don’t stand up to a bully, he’s going to keep pushing. He’s going to keep messing with you. He’s going to keep making your life miserable. Sometimes you just have to stand up for yourself.
Awhile back I was in another situation in my life where I was being pushed around. I remember crying out to God one day and saying, “God, I’m sick of this. I can’t take it anymore. I need you to intervene.”
The devil had me bound in sin. I had let him push me for a long time and I just tried to ignore it. I had taken a small bite of the apple and didn’t think it would do me any harm. I soon found myself eating the whole apple and craving and lusting after more and more. The enemy was pushing me around and he had me trapped. I let it continue because I didn’t think I was harming anyone. I thought it would pass over time if I just ignored it, but it had a grip on me and those chains were holding me back from fully doing what God had called me to do.
Then one day I got tired of it. I couldn’t keep on living this way. I knew that if I wanted to fully be used by God, I had to get my life right. I had to stand up to this thing that was controlling my life. Just like I had stood up to Landon, I now had to stand up to a greater enemy.
I said, “Devil, my God says that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Satan, my God says that if I resist you, you must flee. Liar, my God says that I have the Victory in Christ Jesus.”
I took a stand that day and started relying on the word of God. I put aside my own self and started focusing on God again. I cried out to God and He heard me. He came down and rescued me. I started to make those changes in my life and allowed God to come back within and restore everything that was broken.
We are in a great fight for our lives. The enemy will try to do everything possible to get you to stumble and fall. He will use every tactic he has to get you to turn away from the calling that God has placed in your life. The Apostle Paul calls it “The Good Fight of Faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).
Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Don’t let that lying devil bully you around. There’s power in the Name of Jesus Christ. Take that stand on the Solid Rock. Set your foot on the Firm Foundation. “The Good Fight” is won when we surrender our lives to God and let Him deliver us from the chains that the enemy entangles us with. You can be free. You can be delivered. With God on your side, you will win “The Good Fight.”
w/muchluv,
geno
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