Our guest blogger today is Kevin Hall, a graduate of Cedarville University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He currently serves as a missionary in Mexico, where he lives with his wife Bethany and two young children. You can find out more about Kevin and his ministry at www.hallfamilymexico.com.
Earlier this year Dr. Lawless posted about how the enemy wants to distract and deceive us by making us mess up, give up, get puffed up, muck up, split up, and shut up (“What the Enemy Wants in Your Life”). Previously, he posted “Ten Ways the Enemy gets the Upper Hand in the Church”.
Here are 10 ways to “up” your game against the enemy as you strive to stand strong against Satan’s schemes.
- Straighten Up. I don’t mean that we should be legalistic. However, we should be becoming more and more like Christ as we are putting off the old man.
- Strengthen Up. We should be daily in the Word and in intimate prayer with God. Our strength and power come from God. We need to be taking up our sword of the Spirit and cladding ourselves with the full armor of God.
- Look Up. Our gaze should be constantly straining upward. We should be focusing on what matters to God and focusing on eternity. When we keep our eyes looking for Christ’s return, our priorities shift.
- Get Worked Up. We should get worked up over lostness. We should weep for non-believers. We should yearn for our friends, neighbors, and coworkers to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
- Stand Up. In a world that continues to push away from a biblical worldview, we ought to be standing up for truth. We cannot sit idle when we have the truth that changes lives.
- Speak Up. Evangelism is never complete without the actual telling of the gospel. We must speak the powerful words of the good news.
- Man Up. Pastors, leaders, and fathers, we must “man up.” God has given us a very real and clear role as men to lead our families and others. Let’s get to work.
- Listen Up. We should be regularly seeking wise counsel. We need to listen to those who are spiritually mature and wise. Our personal libraries should be filled with great resources. It is good practice to listen to sermons from great preachers past and present.
- Get Up. If you feel like life has worn you down, get up. If your sin or idols in your life have kept you down, get up. Repent and reconnect with God. Don’t let Satan keep you “messed up.”
- Meet Up. You should be regularly meeting with others in small groups for discipleship and accountability. No matter your spiritual level, you should seek a mentor and someone you can mentor.
What ways are you “upping” your game to win the battle and glorify God? What helps you to press on toward the goal?