Spiritual Battle

Being a good Christian is something that can keep a person up at night.  Needing to feel like life is a stage and the actor\actress in us calls out loudly;

"Perform!".

But a peaceful voice always counters it..(and is many times shut down) that says:

 "Rest in Me, you are already accepted."

The Girl Next Door says:

"Impress"

The Activist declares,

"Impact!"

The Heroine (who feels its her duty to care for all) says,

"Responsibility!"

The Bystander in us whispers:

"Stay invisible!!"

The Judge Demands:

"Follow the Rules!"

The Intellectual Demands,

"I have to be right!"

The Dreamer sighs,

"Someday..."

(This list was compiled from Emily P. Freeman's book Graceful)

In this list there are things that are usually considered good traits, be responsible, impact others, don't make people uncomfortable, perform!  But these traits become our enemy if they challenge your real identity in Christ.  More often than not these voices say:

"We know who you really are, better cover up before someone finds out!"

Satan has constructed a good system of destroying the unique package of "God made you" and replaced it with "You are not enough if you don't do...any or all of the things listed."
Satan really only cares about us becoming useless for God.  But you do actually have the ability and power through Christ to choose to listen to the voices or not.  Christ's love and salvation for us is a free gift, so He's also given us the freedom to decide whether we want to hide behind the good Christian identities or believe the truth of our real identity in Christ.

The spiritual battle that rages around us has a specific target-to destroy anything and everything that glorifies God.  The earth is Satan's domain-temporarily. And realizing the bondage's he places in our lives is crucial!

Lies that we believe about our self include: I'm a failure, I must protect myself or be hurt, I always mess up, I'm not enough, I was a mistake and the list goes on.  The choice to change our real identity in Christ and mask it if it has any little flaw happens to all of us! We try to drown out the realization of our own choice to mar Christ's creation by pulling our self into good works to try and make up for the usefulness that could've been if we hadn't changed His plan and hide His perfect creation!

I recently returned from a conference in Indiana, Indianapolis, and at that conference I met my battle partners and prayer warriors.  They are my sister's in Christ and as this spiritual battle is fiercely real-
its about time I really started treating it like my love one's could die-and they can and are-spiritually dying. Satan can rob them of their true potential if there is an opening left wide enough for him to enter and begin to plant lies.

So what are your voices covering up?  What lies are chaining you to the ground?