Deuteronomy 31:3
“It is the LORD your God who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as the LORD has spoken.”
Due to our humanness, there is much to harm us. Ephesians 2:2,3 speaks of how there are three enemies to our souls, the world, the flesh and the devil. We also have people who may give us grief. The Lord will prepare a way for us. It doesn’t mean we won’t encounter struggles. They’ll be the ones He wants us to encounter for our growth.
How is the world our enemy? It’s not referring to nature, but the cultural system that’s opposed to God. It ridicules those of faith. God says to keep ourselves pure until marriage. The world makes fun of that notion. The “Forty Year Old Virgin” illustrates that. These thoughts embarrass and shame us. We might compromise our faith, because of this. He will prepare us and limit our exposure to what we can handle.
How is our flesh our enemy? It desires things that which is contrary to The Lord. If we are in a disagreement, then we often want our way or possibly revenge. We aren’t to be abused, however, we aren’t to demand our way. We are to love and put ourselves secondary. Our flesh cringes at the thought. The Lord will help us with our flesh. He will teach us how to feed our spirits. Thus weakening it’s power.
How is the devil our enemy? He hates God. Because The Lord loves us, the devil wants to hurt God, by hurting us. He will seek to tempt us. He will thwart our paths. He will put angry people in our way. He puts shaming thoughts in us. God will only allow him to go so far. He also matures us, so we avoid much of the devil’s ways. The Lord goes before us and will only allow the devil to have the influence that God wants him to have.
We often encounter difficult people. All the enemies listed above often work through people. The Lord will help us. He won’t destroy them, as He loves them as well. However, He will only allow them to have the access of His choice. It will be challenging, but not overwhelming.
I’ve referred to God controlling the influence of these enemies. This is only true if we’ve given our lives over to God and want His help. If not, then there is no guarantee.
Lord, thanks for Your help. We would be lost like a cork bouncing on the sea waves. Instead, You’re our guide and our help.