FORCE

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by FORCE – Matthew 11:12

There are many hindering FORCES on Victory Lane. Therefore, we need God’s superior FORCE to put them in check: “and from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by FORCE” (Mt.11:12). We need a working knowledge of the internal and external forces that Satan uses to launch his fierce attacks against us. He is known for his subtlety; his ways of camouflaging activities in a bid to cause devastations. We must identify the forces by which he operates and effectively counter their effects, weaken or neutralize them. No matter the nature of these forces of attack, our Victory is already established in Christ! But, to access the blessings and benefits – our Portions – in God’s Kingdom, we must be spiritually violent and take them by the FORCE of Faith!

The internal forces are those which try to destabilize from within. Except the victim admits or expresses it to the people around, no one is likely to know that such forces have gained the upper hand. These include:

Anxiety or Worry:  turbulence of soul or absence of peace of mind. This is the devil’s weapon to make us forget God’s Presence and Power. The Lord commands us to not worry or be anxious about what to eat, drink, or wear (Mt.6:31-32). Paul admonished: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Phil.4:6).

Conflict or Confusion: an inner struggle or fight within, such as struggle against a sin, negative habit or demonic bondage. This could degenerate into an underlying sense of insecurity. Satan often uses conflicts, hurt feelings, and misunderstanding to separate spouses or friends and to destroy relationships. But God promises to give us rest in the midst of turmoil and peace in the midst of conflict: “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exo.33:14).

Temptation: this is the act of being persuaded to engage in something that is wrong; an urge to disobey God’s command or instruction. Satan specializes in tempting believers to complain, grumble or even give up. Note how audacious he was to have tempted our Lord Jesus Christ to disobey His Father’s Instructions; but Jesus overcame by the Word (Lk.4).

Oppression: is the act of being weighed down by the devil or demons. Satanic oppression denies one of spiritual or mental freedom. Demons cause people to fall into the snare of the devil (1Tim.3:7).  Such victims “have been taken captive by him to do his will” (2Tim.2:26). Satan oppresses people by vexing (Acts 5:16); binding (Lk.13:16); and tormenting (Lk.9:42). Jesus however “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). He came to deliver the oppressed, loose the prisoners, and set the captives free (Psa.146:7; Lk.4:18).

The external forces are attacks from the outside through satanic networks and manipulations of people, situations, events, and experiences, namely:

Discouragement: is the act of persuading someone not to do what he or she intended to do; an attempt that weakens one’s enthusiasm or impetus for a thing or a cause, which could be through negative suggestion or wrong advice.

Failure: is the inability to reach set goals, accomplish assignments, attain set standards, or achieve a preconceived desire.

Persecution: is the act of punishment in reaction to a person’s ideas or belief; an unjust treatment meted on a person.

Stress: this is pressure from outside due either to one’s responsibility or the actions or inactions of people, resulting in frustration and fatigue.                                                                                                       

In facing these forces, you need to strengthen yourself and be encouraged: “In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul” (Psa.138:3). When David faced times of distress due to the terrible attack from the Amalekites, he “encouraged himself in the Lord His God” (1Sam.30:6b). By this, he was enabled to pursue the enemy, overtake, and recover all: “And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away…” (1Sam.30:18a).