Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) 

I woke up that night feeling extremely anxious. 

Maybe it was the sudden noise outside which jolted me awake, but there I lay, eyes wide open, thoughts racing. It’s in moments like this I find it hard to hold my peace. Halfway between asleep and awake, I usually start playing out yesterday’s happenings. Thoughts like, Why did I do that? or, What did they mean? paralyze me. 

For years I used to lay there, utterly miserable. Dreading the morning-after experience. My nighttime thoughts kept me over-processing, believing I might think my way out of this.

Nope. It’s not that easy. After years of this happening, I’ve learned the truth about my struggle. 

Have you ever asked the question, If I’m following Christ, why do I still struggle? or, Is it normal to feel like I’m in a battle while following Jesus? 

Whew, me too. I’ve learned to ask, Where is this battle coming from … and is it coming from God, me or the devil? Knowing its origin always gives me a better battle plan. 

Here are two battlegrounds we can find ourselves occupying: 

Internal Battleground

As soon as we receive Jesus, we become entirely new people. The Bible says our spirit suddenly becomes alive for the first time, and the Holy Spirit lives inside us, able to affirm what God says to us through His Word. We are reborn … born again! 

Today’s key verse confirms this,“He is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]” (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

But even with the Holy Spirit residing inside, the Christian life is not always easy. 

Ever felt like life isn’t entirely working for you the way it’s supposed to? Or thought someone else got more God than you did? I know I have — but why? It’s because our minds, thoughts, attitudes and beliefs must also be renewed. Yes! Our spirits want to agree with God, but our old lifestyles and sinful habits can trick us into believing we’re not yet free. They lie. 

The most potent weapon, then, is to agree with truth. It’s that simple. We need to ask ourselves, What does God say about me? If you know what He says, then you’ll know how to do battle with what’s coming out of the old you. It’s no wonder the Word says in John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. 

External Battleground

“He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). 

Sometimes the struggle merely happens because we live in a fallen world. Which means no one is untouchable. Each of our lives is touched by pain, sickness and death. Life happens. Evil persists. The devil is real. The fact that we face hard things doesn’t always mean we’re guilty of a specific crime. Suffering only confirms that an active battle still separates us from God. 

God doesn’t remove our power to choose good or evil. Our choice is vital to God’s supernatural eco-system, because without choice there’s no such thing as real love. We each have an authentic opportunity to choose Him or choose evil. And sometimes this means other people choose evil. We can’t control other people’s choices. Many battles are the results of people’s wrong decisions, as they give themselves over to Satan’s darkness. Their decisions have consequences that affect us no matter how much we rely on God’s guidance. 

So whether we struggle internally or externally, what are we to do? Let’s remember we make a conscious choice to partner with truth. We can ask the Holy Spirit, What are You saying to me? and What do I need to know in the darkness? Then, the truth will set us free. 

Lord, thank You that I’m stronger than anything I face today because You are helping me! Help me partner with Your truth and what You say about me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

I was so blessed by this devotion today. I pray it touches your heart and hits home in some way. I know it did for me. We all have our struggles but at the end of it all, even in the darkness, He is stronger than anything we face. He is the light and the hope I need to keep on keeping on. Thank You Lord for this reminder. 

Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord! 

Today’s Reading is Psalm 46:1