Silas
Beloved of All
God sees the weight you and your household have been carrying this week, and he hears your cry to be set free. It is right to bring this to him honestly, and he does not turn away from a heart that asks for his help.
Part of what makes these seasons so stressful is that the struggle is not only what we can see. Scripture is clear that there is a spiritual conflict behind what we experience, and often our first reaction is to respond only in the flesh, with worry, anger, or exhaustion. One of the most important steps is to recognize that the enemy does attack, and he often does it in subtle and cunning ways. He aims especially at the family, because the family is a foundation God established. When you can name what is happening as a spiritual attack, you can then deal with it in a spiritual way instead of being worn down by it.
The Bible also shows that evil spirits are real, but they are limited and under God's authority. There is a place of confinement for them, and they cannot go beyond what God permits. In the visions given to John, those demonic powers were not allowed to touch all people, but only those who did not have the seal of God. That seal speaks of belonging to him. If you are in Christ, you are marked as his, and you are not left exposed. The promise that runs through Scripture is that greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. The power of Christ in you is greater than any power that comes against you. You cannot hide from spiritual attack by shutting a door or hiding in a room, but you can stand in the protection Christ gives.
God's way of building protection around a household can be seen in the picture of rebuilding a wall. Half worked while half kept watch, with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other, ready at the sound of the trumpet to stand together. In the same way, you are called to keep building your home in practical love and faithfulness while also keeping watch in prayer. Husbands are called to love as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, wives to honor and support, and each member to care for one another in love. When a household seeks the Lord together, that unity itself is part of God's protection, even though Jesus warned that faith can also bring division when some in a house do not believe.
Your freedom does not come from focusing on the enemy, but from looking to Christ and using what he has given. The word of God is the means by which strongholds are confronted. Jesus himself drove out evil spirits with a word, and those spirits left with a cry. You can attack what the enemy has tried to build in your home by bringing Scripture into your home, praying it aloud, speaking truth over your family, and refusing to give the enemy ground through sin or fear. Scripture also says to watch and keep your garments clean, to walk in a way that is ready for the Lord's return, not entangled in what would bring shame. That watching is daily obedience, confession, forgiveness, and trust.
The Lord told Jacob to return to the place of his family and promised, I will be with you. When you step out on his word and his promise, he goes with you. He is with you and your household now as you ask him to lead and to deal well with you. Complete obedience and simple trust open the door for his peace, while holding back parts of your life can leave an opening for trouble.
I am praying for you and your household now, that the Lord will make his presence known, quiet the stress and fear, break every hold of the enemy, and fill your home with his peace. May he teach you to recognize the attack for what it is, to stand in the victory Christ has already won, to use his word with confidence, and to watch over one another in love. May he seal you as his own, guard your minds and hearts, and set you free to walk in freedom and rest. In the name of Jesus, who alone saves and who alone has authority over every spiritual power, amen.
Part of what makes these seasons so stressful is that the struggle is not only what we can see. Scripture is clear that there is a spiritual conflict behind what we experience, and often our first reaction is to respond only in the flesh, with worry, anger, or exhaustion. One of the most important steps is to recognize that the enemy does attack, and he often does it in subtle and cunning ways. He aims especially at the family, because the family is a foundation God established. When you can name what is happening as a spiritual attack, you can then deal with it in a spiritual way instead of being worn down by it.
The Bible also shows that evil spirits are real, but they are limited and under God's authority. There is a place of confinement for them, and they cannot go beyond what God permits. In the visions given to John, those demonic powers were not allowed to touch all people, but only those who did not have the seal of God. That seal speaks of belonging to him. If you are in Christ, you are marked as his, and you are not left exposed. The promise that runs through Scripture is that greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. The power of Christ in you is greater than any power that comes against you. You cannot hide from spiritual attack by shutting a door or hiding in a room, but you can stand in the protection Christ gives.
God's way of building protection around a household can be seen in the picture of rebuilding a wall. Half worked while half kept watch, with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other, ready at the sound of the trumpet to stand together. In the same way, you are called to keep building your home in practical love and faithfulness while also keeping watch in prayer. Husbands are called to love as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, wives to honor and support, and each member to care for one another in love. When a household seeks the Lord together, that unity itself is part of God's protection, even though Jesus warned that faith can also bring division when some in a house do not believe.
Your freedom does not come from focusing on the enemy, but from looking to Christ and using what he has given. The word of God is the means by which strongholds are confronted. Jesus himself drove out evil spirits with a word, and those spirits left with a cry. You can attack what the enemy has tried to build in your home by bringing Scripture into your home, praying it aloud, speaking truth over your family, and refusing to give the enemy ground through sin or fear. Scripture also says to watch and keep your garments clean, to walk in a way that is ready for the Lord's return, not entangled in what would bring shame. That watching is daily obedience, confession, forgiveness, and trust.
The Lord told Jacob to return to the place of his family and promised, I will be with you. When you step out on his word and his promise, he goes with you. He is with you and your household now as you ask him to lead and to deal well with you. Complete obedience and simple trust open the door for his peace, while holding back parts of your life can leave an opening for trouble.
I am praying for you and your household now, that the Lord will make his presence known, quiet the stress and fear, break every hold of the enemy, and fill your home with his peace. May he teach you to recognize the attack for what it is, to stand in the victory Christ has already won, to use his word with confidence, and to watch over one another in love. May he seal you as his own, guard your minds and hearts, and set you free to walk in freedom and rest. In the name of Jesus, who alone saves and who alone has authority over every spiritual power, amen.
