How I Fight

Lately I have had the song Surrounded playing through my head. The lyrics talk about how we fight our battles. I love this song because it challenges me to review my battle strategy. I will be honest sometimes in this cancer battle days can blur together and time can get away from you. This is the one thing you don’t want to happen because each day is a precious gift. It can also wear you down and attempt to rob your joy. It is almost as if a wave has swamped you and continues to churn you around under the water and just as your head breaks the surface you are plunged back down. I think most life challenges can probably seem this way. It’s important in the midst of them to cling to God’s way of warring. So, I am doing what we are instructed to do in Romans 12:2. I am not conforming to how this world views cancer. Instead I am renewing my mind and setting my expectations on Jesus.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So what does it mean to renew?  There are several meanings and each shines a unique light to what I believe God calls us to do when we fight our battles. The first is to resume activity after an interruption. Sometimes events can arise that seem to knock us off our feet a bit. The Bible tells us in this world we will have trouble so it shouldn’t shock us when it actually happens but it can sometimes stop our forward momentum in life and shake our faith, emotions etc. It is then that we need to resume our walk of faith with Jesus and renew our minds.

The second meaning is to extend for a further period the validity of (a license, subscription, or contract). As co-heirs with Christ we are called to extend His kingdom authority in the earth. So once we dust ourselves off and resume our faith walk we are called to get back to the work of extending kingdom authority. It takes us choosing to renew our mind and refocusing on the reason we are here on this earth. We are not here just to live this life but rather we are on an eternal journey. Sometimes challenges we face here and now can seem so insurmountable but we must renew our minds and remember that there is so much more than the brief time we travel through this world. What we face now is nothing compared to His glory and purpose for our lives. He will watch over His word for our lives and see that it is completed!

The next meaning is to replace something that is broken or worn out. When I find myself battling discouragement, weariness etc. and my emotions are a battlefield I replace the lies the enemy is trying to get me to believe with God's truth.  I see this as speaking and decreeing the authority that He has given us in His Scriptures. It is applying the Word of truth over our circumstances. In my case that God is the author of my days and that He decides the number of them not cancer. I fight my battles by extending His Word over my circumstances and decreeing that they line up with His purposes. I replace the emotional churning with the truth of who He is and the love that He has for me.

Re-establish and repeat are the next two meanings I want to mention. Such powerful words and truly valuable tools! When we are faced with challenges it is so vital to re-establish God as the author and finisher of our faith. He is the One who is the name above all names, including cancer or whatever you may be facing. He has overcome all the trials this world can ever throw at us. He already has the victory. He is our strong tower, the rock on which we stand.  Nothing is impossible for Him. These are the weapons of our warfare! When we re-establish Him as the absolute authority over our lives the enemy’s attempts to discourage and destroy us will always falter.

The last meaning is to repeat. The enemy will never stop trying to make us doubt, or lose faith in God’s love for us. He will never stop warring against you because he hates that as a child of God you are dearly loved and set forever as a co-heir with Christ. Therefore it is essential that we repeat this process of renewing our minds so that we are always standing on the truth of what God has done for us.

If you find yourself being assaulted by trials in this season remember this is how we fight our battles!