Safe in the Father's Hands
Photo image courtesy Josue Michel for Unsplash
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
– 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
Fresh out of college, I took a job with an insurance company as a loss auditor. Between traveling for work and enjoying activities at home, I found myself spending less and less time in God’s Word. The world pulled one way, while God’s Spirit pulled the other.
The time came when I had to decide. Would I follow the world’s view of life, or would I return to the Lord?
One night, on my knees by my bed, I cried out to God, “I give up.” I didn’t fully understand the war for my soul. I simply wanted Him.
I knew God existed. And Jesus, the Son of God, came to bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful mankind. I also knew the Bible was given to us by God to help us know Him.
What I didn’t know was how much God’s enemy doesn’t want us to give ourselves completely to the Holy Creator of the universe. I found myself in a battle I never saw coming.
Scripture tells us our struggle in this life isn’t against other humans. It’s against an unholy spiritual enemy. (Ephesians 6:12) The devil is the leader of this evil alliance and is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44) He hates God and anyone God loves, and he wants to rule in God’s place. (Isaiah 14:12-14)
When the devil can’t keep someone from choosing Jesus, the enemy tries to distract us with lies and deception. If he can’t keep us from eternity with the Father, he hopes to at least keep us from living a life that will honor the Holy One.
For the first time in my existence, fear of evil overwhelmed me. As a child, I knew fear of the dark and fear of storms. But Psalm 23:4 which says, “I will fear no evil; for You are with me,” (NKJV) made no sense to me, because I had never known a fear of evil. When I turned from ignoring God to yielding completely to Him, the enemy dug in his heels, hoping to pull me once again away from the Father. The battle was on.
For weeks I prayed constantly and memorized every Bible verse I could find telling us not to be afraid. I wrote verses on my calendar in the office and quoted them aloud as I walked outside at lunchtime. I fought against the spiritual enemy with weapons God provided: faith, prayer, and His word. (Ephesians 6)
Jesus told us He came to give us life, but the enemy came to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). A spiritual battle rages around us every day. Our Lord wants us to be ready, but He doesn’t want us to be afraid. When fear closes in, remember it’s the enemy lying to us. Our Father holds us in His hands, and we are forever safe with Him.
Questions for Reflection:
1. Have you ever found yourself in a situation you knew was spiritual warfare? If so, what scriptures did God bring to your attention to help you fight against the enemy?
2. Read Ephesians 6:12-18. Name the seven pieces of spiritual armor God provides.
3. In Joshua 1:9, God tells us we don’t need to be afraid. What is His reason? Write the verse to take with you for the day and/or commit it to memory as armor against fear.
