My Ultimate Weakness

Read: Revelation 12

"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony and they did not love their life even when faced with death." Revelation 12:11

Examine:

There are three keys to winning spiritual battles listed in this verse: 1) The blood of the Lamb. 2) The word of testimony. 3) The absence of self-preservation.

Apply:

The journey of following God is not a walk in the park. I have often heard it said that the safest place to be is in the center of God's will. As I read this chapter from Revelation and compare it to my experiences in life I am more convinced now than ever that being in the center of God's will is far from the safest place to be.

The center of God's will is the center of Satan's bulls-eye. To obey God and be centered in His plan is agreeing to be a weapon of war against the god of this world. Satan hates this and wars against it. The more closely I align my heart with God the more I can expect the forces of hell to rise up against me and unleash themselves on my life. In the day of all hell breaking loose there are only three safe havens; the blood of the lamb, the integrity of my mission, and the abandonment of self.

Pray:

I fight an adversary who is greater than me. He is vicious and relentless. He is strong and intimidating. He is cunning and affective. There is nothing of me that is able to stand against him and succeed. His accusations are true. His timing is impeccable. His tactics always strike weak spots with precision and perfection. My only hope is the blood of the Lamb. Because of the blood there is a force inside of me that is stronger. Because of the blood I am more than a conqueror. Because of the blood greater is He who is alive and at work in me that he who is dying a slow death in the world. Thank You for the cross and the power to overcome.

The word of my testimony is critical. What I believe in the depths of my heart is tested when the first shots of a battle are fired. As the intensity of the war increases the truth of my heart is fully revealed. If what my heart holds is pure truth regarding of You, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and me then I will stand firm and overcome. If the contents of my heart's testimony regarding You, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and me are broken then I will get mowed down. I pray that You overcome the weak places of my testimony and replace them with words that are strong and true.

Self-preservation and obedience to Your will can never be used in the same sentence. If I love my life I will loose it. If I loose my life for Your sake I will find it. Loving my life is the ultimate weakness. Satan can sniff this out from a mile away and he will strike a lethal blow that rarely misses this its mark. I still love my life and fear experiencing death. I do not want to loose anything. I fear for my life, the life of my kids, and the life of my wife. I fear loosing security, familiarity, and stability. I fear loosing comfort, pleasure, and control. I confess this to You this morning as the ultimate weakness in my life that hinders me from being all that You desire. As best I can from where I am I lay my life on the table and release it to You.