I want you to take a close look at this picture. Some of you may see a cute little boy at a wrestling tournament. A mother sees a son participating in a sport. A father sees a boy becoming a man. A coach sees a competitor. But what does God see? Perhaps He sees the same thing he sees in each of us...a potential warrior readying himself for battle.
One thing is for sure...this little guy is ready to go...ready to face his opponent! In the wrestling community this is known as "Toeing the Line" (You notice that his foot is firmly planted on a line in the mat). "Toeing the Line" means that you have prepared and are ready to take your place in the struggle.
That brings me to our message from the Sermon on the Mount this past Sunday. Every day we should pray that God delivers us from evil. Let's make sure we are clear...God never promised He would not "lead us into evil" (in fact He promises that He WILL do so (John 16:33) and not only that...our attitude should be one that is filled with joy (James 1:2)). When we face the enemy we must not succumb to the temptation of fear that can lead to disobedience (in accordance with the Model Prayer, we DO ask that He not lead us into temptation and can rest in the promise that He will never tempt us (James 1:13).
That brings me to our message from the Sermon on the Mount this past Sunday. Every day we should pray that God delivers us from evil. Let's make sure we are clear...God never promised He would not "lead us into evil" (in fact He promises that He WILL do so (John 16:33) and not only that...our attitude should be one that is filled with joy (James 1:2)). When we face the enemy we must not succumb to the temptation of fear that can lead to disobedience (in accordance with the Model Prayer, we DO ask that He not lead us into temptation and can rest in the promise that He will never tempt us (James 1:13).
So we stand firm in the presence of our enemies and fight the good fight of faith. All the while delighting in the truth that God has considered us worthy to go into combat and represent our King. But we must never forget that our Victory is in the Lord!!