ARE YOU TIRED OF BEING BULLIED BY THE WORLD?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is
the victory that overcomes the world – our faith. Who is he who
overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son
of God?
(1 John 5:4-5)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever been confronted by a bully? If you have,
then you know how relentless they can be in their efforts
to make your life miserable. You constantly look for ways
to avoid being around them.

If only you had the strength to overcome him or her, then
maybe they would stop pestering you. You may have even
started working out with weights so you could defend
yourself if they decided to get physical in their bullying.

As Christians we have a bully to contend with every day of our
lives. Of course, our bully is Satan, and he creates problems for
us like any human bully, but worse. It should not be a surprise
to us that the devil is a bully, since God’s Word gives us a warning
(this warning reminds us of the importance of reading our bible
for strength and guidance).
    Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls
    around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
    (1 Peter 5:8)

Satan wants to invade our lives and hamper our Christian Walk as
much as possible. We can find ourselves looking for ways to avoid
him and the world itself, but everywhere we go, there they are.

Satan uses the world and its attractions as weapons to make our
lives miserable. We are bombarded with temptations to weaken
our faith and destroy our fellowship with the Lord. Frustrations
and disappointments can rain down on us whenever the ways of
the world influences our lives.

Our lives can be disrupted by the loss of a job, financial stress,
actions of others, sickness, etc. We can become discouraged by
what the world throws at us. If only we had the strength to deal
with the world and how it bullies us with temptations.
Well, guess what, we do have help! When we have been reborn
we are more capable of overcoming the world. Why? Because
we belong to the One who is more powerful than the evil one
and his worldly means of bulling us.
    “I have told you these things, so that in me you may
      have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But
      take heart! I have overcome the world.”
      (John 16:33)

We have a lot of wants and needs, but the greatest need we have
is, ‘victory over the world and its influence’. The scriptures tell 
us our best weapon for being victorious over the world is our faith
(he who believes). The foundation of our faith is our belief in Jesus
as the Son of God. When we believe in Him, we have confidence that
He is able to help us overcome the world (note: there may be times
when He overcomes the world for us).

How exciting is that? The Son of God is in the battle with us!
He is our advocate! when we have a relationship with Jesus
Christ, we can fight back against the biggest bully we have to
face! It is a choice we absolutely must make if we are tired of
being bullied by Satan, and we sincerely want to develop a
fellowship with Jesus out of a desire to spend eternity with
the One who loves us.
    These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me
    you might have peace. In the world you shall have
    tribulation: be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
    (John 16:33)

One of our tactics for dealing with human bullies is avoidance.
This is a good strategy for combatting the world as well. We need
to avoid going to worldly places that reduce our resistance to sin
and entice us into yielding to temptations.

Not only should we avoid them physically, but we should avoid
them with our minds as well. We can’t excuse our sinful actions
by claiming, “God made me this way” and “This is just who I am”.
    When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For
    God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone but
    each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their
    own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived,
    it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth
    to death.
    (James 1:13-15)

ACTION:
Is it possible for us to walk in victory and overcome the world?
Yes, by believing that Jesus is the Son of God. This belief gives
us a new heart and a new confidence that we can have victory
over the trials and temptations of life.

Is the world bullying you every day of your life? If so, don’t get
discouraged by trying to fight it alone. Remember what God’s
Word tells us about how we can have victory because of our
faith. Focus on the Son of God and what He wants for your life.
When you do, the worldly attractions will have a difficult time
trying to get your attention and lure you into sinful actions.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise that
I can overcome the world as Jesus did. Remind me to
increase my faith through prayer, Bible study, and
worshipping You. Help me to focus on You and Your
desires for my life so I will be less distracted by the
things of the world. Thank You Jesus for making it
possible for me to have victory over the world. Teach
me to spread the good news of You, and Your gift of
salvation!”

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