You have given up your old way of walking in the world. You now live to serve God. However, life can be difficult at times. There are physical battles as well as emotional battles that you face. But most importantly are the spiritual battles you experience such as temptation or sin or against forces of falsehood and evil. In all of life’s battles, are you strong enough to be victorious? No, you are not wise enough or strong enough to win all of life’s battles by yourself. You need God’s help. 1 Peter 5:5b-7 “’God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” God is not going to automatically solve all of your problems. But He wants you to cast all your care upon Him and He will help you.
First of all, you must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Your strength needs to come from the Lord. You must put on the spiritual armor of God. Ephesians 6:10-18 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the readiness of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and prayer are elements of God’s armor that you must put on to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might for spiritual battles.
As a Christian, your main enemy is the evil one. In the model prayer, Jesus prayed for deliverance from the evil one. Matthew 6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” The apostle Paul later wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” It is the Lord who protects you from the evil one.
Are you aware that God uses His angels for you? In speaking of children, Jesus said in Matthew 18:10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” If children have angels, I believe that adult Christians also have angels. In writing about angels, the author of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Just because you do not see or recognize angels around you does not mean that they are not there, serving you. Psalms 91:9-13 “Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.” The Devil used this scripture against Jesus as recorded in Matthew 4:6. But I believe this promise applies to you as well. When you are in the Lord, He sends His angels to guard and keep you.
Depend upon God’s power in your life. At one time, the apostle Paul wanted to depend upon his own strength, but the Lord taught him otherwise. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Just like the apostle Paul, you must learn to trust in God’s grace and in His strength in spite of infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions or distresses. The apostle wrote in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Depend upon the strength from Christ.
Consider the following scriptures. Psalm 121 “I will lift up my eyes to the hills — From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; he shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
My encouragement to you is to seek help from the Lord in your battles of life and depend upon His strength. Jude 24-25 “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.”