You are who God says you are. Learn to live with that identity. There is none higher for you.
Text for Today – Matthew 11:12 – And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
We’re in the kingdom of God and we have the kingdom of God in us. We are sons and daughters of God. We are heirs of God. We are joint-heirs with Jesus.
At the same time, we have an enemy of our soul, and his name is Satan. He has his own kingdom of darkness, and he is at total odds with us and our Lord. Since Satan cannot get to God or to our Lord Jesus, his best bet is to try to hinder or thwart the work of God by attacking God’s image. That, my friend, is you and me.
But I’ve some great news for you, my fellow joint-heir in Jesus. As a child of God, you are, of course, a man (or woman) of God. But more than that, you are by default, a man of war. Interestingly, in the 17th through the 19th centuries, many ships of the high seas that were designed for fighting were called “men o’ war.” That distinguished them from ships that were used for carrying freight or passengers. Under the leadership of the right captain, they were a powerful force with which to be reckoned, and very dangerous to anyone foolish enough to underestimate them.
Well, dear friend, as a child of God, you certainly are a man of God. And as I’ve already told you, you are a man o’ war, too. On the sea of life, you have been well equipped by your Lord to fight the fight of faith and win. He has made you more than a conqueror; you are an overcomer. You have been chosen by your Lord to carry His banner, and to take by force all the Lord has promised, and especially that which the enemy has stolen. You are likewise charged with the work of being a faithful steward, guarding and keeping that which the Lord has placed in your possession.
As a Man o’ War for the Lord, you have some marvelous assurances. You are an overcomer, more than a conqueror. You can do all things through Christ Who is your strength. Your God meets all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Your enemies come against you to be smitten before your face, coming one way, and fleeing seven. You’re never alone, nor can you be defeated in serving His Majesty, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, meet your day today, soldier, as a Man o’ God and as a Man o’ War!
Manna for Today – 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:3; Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
My Second Miler by Dr. Beechard Moorefield 