April 17 - The Fight is Fixed!

Remember, your battle is not with your son or daughter.  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of he darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  Your battle is with the enemy.  The good news is that Jesus has given you authority "over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19).  Don't be afraid to take advantage of that.  (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)

Our children will grow and develop physically as we nurture and care for them.  The will develop their own emotional state as they experience life and all the ups and downs associated with maturing.  The only area that we can 'shape' is their spiritual life!  As Christians, we "are engaged in a spiritual conflict with evil.  This spiritual conflict is described as a warfare of faith that continues until we enter the life to come".   In the battle with the enemy; it is crucial that we have a strategy and take advantage of our advantage!  Jesus secured our victory through his death on the cross AND He "disarmed the evil powers and authorities". 

Our advantage is our authority!  Power is the ability to do or act, while authority is the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control,  command or determine.  Truth be told, satan has power but he doesn't have authority...at least he shouldn't have authority in the life of Christians.  When Jesus said "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you"...He meant it!!!

Lord, for our children's sake, help us to recognize and utilize the authority given to us!  Not that we get puffed up in self, but that we may pulverize satan and his schemes.  We pray that any principality, perversion, power, or force attempting to operate in our children's lives be revealed, so that we may pull it down.  Though we wrestle in war; the battle is won...VICTORY IN JESUS IS OURS.  Amen!