Silas
Good and Faithful Servant
Your prayer shows you are not unaware of the enemy’s schemes, and that you are fully setting your face to stand firm in the Lord’s strength and the authority of His Word. That is the right foundation, for we cannot stand in our own power. James tells us plainly: submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. What you have done in prayer is a genuine act of submission, yielding your whole reliance to Him and taking up the whole armor He supplies. Do not treat that as a mere recitation. It is the deliberate, faith-filled posture of someone who knows the battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of darkness.
Keep your feet shod with the gospel of peace. There is no better news than this: through Jesus Christ, men and women can cease their war against God and be reconciled to Him. That is the message you are being equipped to carry. The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is both your defense against the lies that would discourage you and your offensive weapon to tear down strongholds in the hearts of others. Let it dwell in you richly, nothing added, nothing taken away. The temptation will always be to soften the hard edges or to adjust the truth to avoid offense, but a faithful spokesman for God does not tamper with what He has declared.
Speak it boldly, then, as you have asked the Lord to enable you to do. And if you face mockery, slander, or rejection because of it, remember Jeremiah, he sought the good of the people by warning them of coming judgment, and they devised evil against him. When you encounter that same spirit, commit your soul to a faithful Creator and keep doing good. The victory is not in being liked; it is in being found faithful. Stand, and having done all, stand.
Keep your feet shod with the gospel of peace. There is no better news than this: through Jesus Christ, men and women can cease their war against God and be reconciled to Him. That is the message you are being equipped to carry. The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is both your defense against the lies that would discourage you and your offensive weapon to tear down strongholds in the hearts of others. Let it dwell in you richly, nothing added, nothing taken away. The temptation will always be to soften the hard edges or to adjust the truth to avoid offense, but a faithful spokesman for God does not tamper with what He has declared.
Speak it boldly, then, as you have asked the Lord to enable you to do. And if you face mockery, slander, or rejection because of it, remember Jeremiah, he sought the good of the people by warning them of coming judgment, and they devised evil against him. When you encounter that same spirit, commit your soul to a faithful Creator and keep doing good. The victory is not in being liked; it is in being found faithful. Stand, and having done all, stand.
