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Surviving a Blitzkrieg of EvilBy Jeff Colón
On Sept 1, 1939 the German army attacked Poland with a new concept of warfare known as the blitzkrieg, which means “lightning war”. It was a military tactic designed to create psychological shock and disorganization in enemy forces through the use of surprise, speed, and superiority in firepower.
The Air Force or Luftwaffe, as it was known, would first pound the enemy front lines, rear positions, main roads, airfields and communication centers with a constant barrage of screaming dive bombers. Then, concentrated tank units would break through the main lines of defense, and, with lightning speed, penetrate deep into enemy territory. At the same time, infantry units would attack the entire front line, keeping the confused as to where the main attack was taking place. Infantry and mechanized groups also spear-headed into enemy territory preventing them from establishing defensive positions. Eventually the combined forces would out-flank and surround enemy positions cutting off any hope of supply and help.
How effective was the Blitzkrieg? By Oct 6, 1939—just one month after the hostilities began, Poland was overrun and defeated by the overwhelming Blitzkrieg of the Germans and World War II had begun.
Though the Germans approach was truly innovative from a military standpoint, in reality, this type of warfare was used many centuries before the Germans. From the moment Jesus entered the garden of Gethsemane, until His last breath on the Cross, He withstood the most intense blitzkrieg ever devised.
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| | Tweet This: From the moment Jesus entered the garden of Gethsemane, until His last breath on the Cross, He withstood the most intense blitzkrieg ever devised. |
| Unfortunately, for many of us, our experience has been much like Jesus’ disciples who failed “when the enemy [came] in like a flood.” Isa. 59:19 Although they firmly believed that they would stand, even die for Jesus, they severely underestimated their own ability to handle the blitzkriegs of the enemy. When the onslaught came, they all denied the Savior. Surely we also need to find that place of power, to get us through those times when darkness comes against our souls.
I have good news for you! Our Faithful High priest faced for us what we could not. Because of what He experienced on the Cross, He not only perfectly understands and sympathizes with our weaknesses, but is also able to help us withstand our own personal blitzkriegs of evil.
From the account of Jesus in the garden, the Bible gives us the secret of His success: “Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation.” When the spiritual battle against Jesus was raging, the Bible says that He faced it by entering the place of prayer! And if the captain of our souls fought His battles this way, then surely we should follow His example.
As we look at the life of Jesus, we can draw three important lessons on how we are to pray.
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| | Tweet This: As we look at the life of Jesus, we can draw three important lessons on how we are to pray. |
| First, we must pray with a sight of our own desperate need. The Bible often says that many times Jesus would withdraw into the wilderness, or go up to the mountain and pray all night. Jesus lived with the understanding that He needed to spend time with the Father, and that His relationship with the Father would give Him everything He needed to accomplish His Father’s will in the face of overwhelming resistance from the enemy. If Jesus—who was God in the flesh—needed to pray in this way, why would we think we are exempt from needing much time in prayer? If anything, wouldn’t we need it even more?
The truth of the matter is: When it comes to standing up to the wiles of the enemy, we have no real strength of our own. Peter and the other disciples, who had not yet come to grips with this truth, received a severe lesson in this matter. Despite their sincere intentions, their strength dried up under the withering assaults of the enemy in the garden.
The lesson is clear: A vibrant prayer life is the only hope we have of surviving the onslaught of evil which always wants to come against us. Consider the words of Samuel Chadwick: “Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, or prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”
Secondly, we must believe in His character and that He is able to give us what we need. When Jesus prayed in the Garden, He revealed these two qualities when He said, “Abba Father, I know that all things are possible for You.” His use of the word “Abba,” which is like the English word “Daddy,” shows us that Jesus had a deep affection for His Father, but also that God the Father had deep affection for Jesus—amidst His distress. And when He said, “I know that all things are possible for you,” it shows us the great confidence Jesus had in His Father’s ability to accomplish His purposes.
We sometimes feel as though God has forsaken us in those times, but we must pray in faith and in the truth of His promises to us. If we have truly repented we are His sons and the scriptures tell us, “God has sent the Holy Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba Father!” (Gal. 4:6).
As true followers of Christ will have trials, but God is able to give us what we need through prayer offered in faith, which knows that He is with us in our trials, the knowledge of His good and merciful character, and living out our life with that conviction.
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| | Tweet This: We sometimes feel as though God has forsaken us, but we must pray in faith and in the truth of His promises to us. |
| Lastly, we must pray in a determination to bow our will to His. Jesus prayed this three times when He said, “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” Jesus was in agony of mind and spirit. He had begun to take upon Himself the sin of the world and could begin to feel the hot breath of the enemy and his cohorts waiting to unleash all of hell’s fury against Him. Yet despite all of this, He was determined to do the Father’s will.
We are told to “consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” (Heb 12:3, 4) Jesus faced what we could not, and has paved the way for us to stand amidst the spiritual blitzkriegs of life.
When you are praying in sight of your own weakness and need for God, in faith and trust in His merciful character, and your will surrendered to His, mighty angels will descend to uphold you in the power and grace of God. The man who kneels to God in this way, can stand up to anything.
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| | Jeff Colón is a minister of the Assemblies of God. He held various positions during his 22 years with Pure Life Ministries. Jeff holds an MDiv and BA in Biblical Counseling from Master’s International School of Divinity. He recently branched out on his own, launching Lighthouse Biblical Counseling Center in Dry Ridge, Kentucky.
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| Copyright © 2021 by Pure Life Ministries. Permission is granted to use, copy, distribute, or retransmit information or materials on this page, so long as proper acknowledgment is given to Pure Life Ministries as the source of the materials, and no modifications are made to such material.
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| | | In our recent series for wives, Kathy Gallagher talked about faith, love, and hope and how these can be an anchor in the Lord for a woman facing a broken marriage. But what she has to say can be applied to any circumstance you may be facing. And in light of the trials of 2020, and the uncertainty of the future, we can take courage in the living hope we have to anchor us through any storm. (From Purity for Life Episode #419 – Hold Fast to a Living Hope)
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| | | Cristina grew up in a Christian home and tried her best to serve God. She met a man at her Christian college that seemed to be a good man, and when he proposed to her, she said yes immediately.
3 years later, she found out that her husband was having an affair. Her world came crashing down.
She was devastated, confused, even angry at God for allowing this to happen to her. How could this happen to her, when she had tried to serve God with all of her heart?
Both Cristina and Sherman enrolled for counseling at Pure Life Ministries (www.purelifeministries.org) and their marriage was completely restored. Watch this wonderful true story and be encouraged.
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