Introduction the Warrior Worship Idea Is Simply That a Surrendered Warrior Is a Victorious Warrior

Introduction The Warrior Worship idea is simply that a surrendered warrior is a victorious warrior. A surrendered warrior life is a powerful and power-filled life.

Fully giving our lives over to our amazing King Jesus is the kind of obedience He requires of His followers. It’s what Jesus means when He says “If you love Me, you’ll obey My commands” (John 14:15, GNT). That kind of commitment begins with believing “all Scripture is breathed out by God and is useful to teach us what is true” (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV).

What amazing payoffs in this life and the next for those that serve Jesus above anything else! His promise is “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined the things God has prepared for those that love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NLT).

There is simply no way to live as a warrior for Jesus Christ without reading, memorizing, digesting and living the truths of God’s Word. “The Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword able to expose our innermost thoughts and desires” (Hebrews 4:12, NIV).

That’s why we’re so excited to offer this devotional to go along with the Warrior Worship original worship music project “Stronger” (in partnership with Warrior Leadership Summit 2021).

God’s warriors - you! - have so much potential! “You are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works He prepared in advance for you to do” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT). Loving and living the Bible unlocks the amazing potential and future God has for you!

The guy who wrote these Bible studies, Jesse Colucci, in addition to writing a lot of Warrior Worship music, is one of those warriors who loves and lives God’s Word. I think you’re going to love what he’s prepared out of his love for Jesus and for you.

Our prayer is that as you interact with this devotional, you will experience God’s love and truth more than ever before! So go ahead, be a worshipping warrior…and live in the victory of the Creator’s life-transforming, eternal truth!

Doug Hutchcraft Executive Director, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries/On Eagles' Wings Co-Founder, Warrior Worship

1 Every Tribe Day 1

O great King//You won the victory//Every people, tongue, and tribe is Yours//O great King//Satan is in retreat//Let every nation hear the Lion roar//The captives have been released//The war has ended in the enemy’s defeat//The cross has given us the final word of peace//That’s why we sing//The kingdom is breaking out//The news is echoing with hallelujah shouts//Tell every prisoner the walls are coming down//That’s why we sing//Yours is the kingdom//Yours is the glory//Every tribe is Yours

Colossians 2:14-15 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them in Him. The good news about Jesus starts with some bad news about you. You’ve stolen your life from God and built up a massive debt toward Him, so paralyzingly gigantic that you don’t have the slightest fraction of a fraction of a chance of ever paying Him back. The more you try to fix things, the deeper the hole you’re in gets. So there’s that.

Enter the good news.

Colossians 2:14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.

God erased your debt. He didn’t make you work it off or contribute what you can. He did away with it completely. What happens to people who are nailed to a cross? They die. What happens to debt that is nailed to a cross? It dies too. Your sin-debt is never coming back. God made sure of it. The record that proved you guilty has disappeared. It’s all gone.

This news itself should blow our minds to no end. No guilt? None. But something else is happening at the cross behind the scenes.

Colossians 2:15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them in Him.

Disarmed rulers and authorities? Disgraced them publicly? How does one Man, beaten bloody, stripped naked, and suffocating, disarm anyone? And what does this have to do with us?

Skim through the Old Testament and look at every nation other than Israel. You’ll find they share a common trait: every people group has its own god. These were demonic beings that claimed authority over a nation. People served their god out of terror, hoping not to get on his or her bad side. They could call their god powerful, but they could never call him good.

2 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER Paul, the writer of the letter to the Colossians, describes these so-called gods as “rulers and authorities”. But he doesn’t depict them as fearsome and dreadful. He calls them disarmed and publicly embarrassed, like kittens picking a fight with a Lion (who just so happens to be our God).

Jesus beat them by a landslide. At the cross, Jesus sacrificed Himself to win every tribe back to the One True God. His death crushed the hopes and dreams of these now displaced deities, evicting them from their self-awarded thrones. Christ’s victory over them was final and complete.

And that’s exactly why this matters to us today. Every spiritual power has ultimately been totally defeated. They may push back, but they have no legitimate claim to you, or your people, because Christ, our champion, took away their authority at the cross. All over the world, Jesus is bringing the reality of His victory into hearts, homes, and communities, freeing us to follow Him. It’s happening right now. It will continue happening until He comes back.

After His resurrection, Jesus puts it this way:

Matthew 28:18

Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

“All authority”. Not “most authority” or “a lot of authority”. All. Jesus is really, actually the current and forever King of the world. And He’s using His authority now to bring people out from under the rule of sin and Satan and into His kingdom.

If this is true, then who’s to say He can’t change you, your family, or your reservation? Questions

1. How and when did Jesus defeat the powers of darkness?

2. How does Jesus’ authority change the way you see yourself? Your reservation?

3. What does Jesus’ victory show you about your God?

Read on Ephesians 1:15-23 Hebrews 2:14-15 Revelation 7:9-17 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 3 Follow You There Day 2

You found us hiding in the night//When we were barely breathing//You led us out into the light//And brought us joy from grieving//We’ll leave it all to follow You//We’ll go where You will lead us//Let them be all, we’ll be the few//You’re all we want Lord Jesus//Wherever You may go, ever You may go//I’ll follow You there//I’ll follow You there//We stand in armor fit to fight//We know You go before us//We know Your promise is forever life// You’re all we need Lord Jesus//Lord I’m running the race and I won’t look back//Never giving my heart to another//Giving You all the hurt that has held me back//Breaking free of the spell I was under//We’ll leave it all to follow You (I’ll follow You there)//Let them be all, we’ll be the few (I’ll follow You there)

Mathew 10:37-39 "The one who loves a father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever doesn't take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of Me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of Me will find it.”

In this passage, Jesus is getting ready to send His disciples throughout the towns of Israel to heal the sick, raise the dead, and preach the good news - to carry on the works that He had been doing. At this point in Jesus’ life, He is extremely popular. People travel miles on foot just to hear Him speak. Stories of His healing power are known by all. Some of the most common words spoken about Jesus are, “We’ve never seen anything like this!” Everyone wants a selfie with Jesus.

While Jesus had authentic compassion for the people He met, He wasn’t interested in being popular just to be popular. In fact, sometimes Jesus said things that drove people away. He wanted to make something very clear: following Him isn’t the path to the easy life; it’s the path to life.

So Jesus drops this on His disciples:

Matthew 10:37 The one who loves a father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

Ouch. Not worthy of Jesus? Aren’t we all unworthy? Jesus is not saying that we can earn our way into His good graces by proving our devotion to Him. He is simply telling His disciples, “If you see someone loving parents or children more than Me, they aren’t actually following Me.”

Matthew 10:38 And whoever doesn't take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. 4 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER If Jesus is saying, “Follow Me,” it begs the question, “Follow You where? Where are You going?”

The Jews’ land was occupied by super-power Rome. One way the Romans kept Israel in submission was the swift, brutal punishment of rebellion - or anything that even looked like it. They had a name for this punishment: crucifixion. Citizens who had committed a crime were crucified naked right by the city gate, so everyone coming and going could see what happens when you cross the Romans. Soldiers forced those about to be crucified to carry their own crosses before they were suspended in the air for hours, sometimes days, as they slowly suffocated.

Jesus is saying, “That’s where I’m going. Get your cross if you want to come along.” “Taking up your cross” isn’t a catchphrase. It means death - death to your selfish ambitions, your pride, your sin. He leads, we follow. He goes, we go. He stays, we stay. He is not our tour guide, bringing us to our hopes and dreams. We’re trading our desired destination for His.

And why would anyone want that?

Matthew 10:39 Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of Me will find it.

This is the paradox of following Jesus. We win by losing. We live by dying. We gain everything by giving everything up. Jesus doesn’t command us to give up a few things. He commands us to give up everything. But in turn, He doesn’t just make our lives a little better. He freely gives us real, eternal life! This is far better than anything we could whip up ourselves. This is peace. Joy. Friendship with God. Heaven. Forgiveness. Adoption. Family. Love. Life. All this is wrapped up in Jesus. You findyour life when you lose it

We happily, willingly abandon the notion of our lives going our way because Jesus is actually better. Really. Will you follow Him? Questions

1. What does Jesus mean when He tells you to take up your cross?

2. What does Jesus want you to give up in order to follow Him?

3. Why is it better to give your life away than to hold onto it?

Read on Luke 9:57-62 John 10:24-29 Philippians 3:7-9 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 5 WAKE UP Day 3

Remember who you used to be//Living every day walking in your sleep// Nights without a dream//Opening your mouth but you couldn’t speak// But the night is gone and the morning star is shining on you//It’s the break of dawn, let your hope arise//What’s done is done and the past does not control your future//Open up your eyes//Wake up, wake up, your time has come, you are//Standing in the light of day//You are the light that shines into the world to//Chase the night away//Remember who you’re meant to be//Over what you feel, over what you see//Who will You believe//Who can tell you what is reality//Wake up, open up your eyes

1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 For you are all children of light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness. So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled and put on the armor of faith and love, and a helmet of the hope of salvation.

You know that feeling you get when you oversleep? The bus is coming in 5 minutes. You panic. Fall out of bed. Grab two random socks. Run. Miss the bus anyway. Give up. Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier for tomorrow.

Paul uses waking up as a metaphor for our lives. All who have given themselves to Jesus have, in a sense, woken up. We are awake to reality. We know the truth and we’re living like Jesus is actually in control.

In this letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul addresses some concerns that the church is wrestling with. They believed that Jesus had died, risen back to life, and was coming again to rule the world. They were just a little confused about that last part. Did Jesus already come back? What about our friends who have already died? What about us?

Paul’s answer: Jesus hasn’t come back yet - but He will. And your friends who have died while believing in Him will be the first ones to see Him when He does. Then we will all meet Him together. But Paul doesn’t stop there. He then asks the question, “So now what?” If this is true, how should we live? Paul is ultimately asking, “If Jesus is coming back, how can we be ready?”

1 Thessalonians 5:5 For you are all children of light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness.

Now that “who we are” has changed, “what we do” changes as a result. Because of this, Paul calls us “children of light” and “children of the day”. We’ve left the night behind. The things we used to do? That’s not who we are anymore. When we walked into the light of God’s grace, we changed. Our identity was transformed. We don’t “belong to the night”. Now we actually “belong to the day”. It’s not just our behavior that changed. Who we are at the core changed. 6 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 1 Thessalonians 5:6 So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled.

So just never fall asleep? Not actually - “sleeping” is a word picture for our old selves. Don’t go there. Don’t do that. Why? Because that’s not who you are anymore. Can’t I just take a quick nap here and there? Can’t I just go along with my friends every once in a while? No. Why? Because that’s not who you are anymore.

Then what’s the alternative? “Stay awake and be self-controlled.” Don’t fall asleep by drifting back to your old way of living. Keep your eyes open.

1 Thessalonians 5:7-8 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled and put on the armor of faith and love, and a helmet of the hope of salvation.

Practically, how do we do this? Paul envisions faith, hope and love as customized armor for a normal, following-Jesus kind of day. Faith - looking away from myself, trusting that God will help me. Hope - believing deep down that Jesus is coming back for me. Love - feeling how God feels for people and acting accordingly.

Being a “child of the day” means making choices that may not make sense to your friends or family. They may want you to act like you used to, before you got into this whole Jesus thing. The apostle Peter puts it like this:

1 Peter 4:4 They are surprised that you don't join them in the same flood of wild living-- and they slander you.

They may not understand, but Jesus does. He is able to give you everything you need to follow Him.

You are loved. You are valued, forgiven, and known. You are a new person. God is your Father. He sees you. And Jesus is coming back for you. Believe it. Live it. Questions 1. What does it mean to be a “child of light"?

2. What will you face in the coming weeks that may tempt you to “go back to sleep”?

3. Now that you are a “child of the day”, how do you see yourself? What do you believe is true about you? Read on Isaiah 43:19-21 James 2:14-26 1 Peter 2:11-12 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 7 How Much I Love You Day 4

Let rivers flow on barren waters//And springs within the valleys low//And hear the cries of Your sons and daughters//That you may see your God and know//This is how much//This is how much//This is how much I love you//Open your eyes up that have been blinded//Set free your mind from darkest thoughts//All that you can’t stop, the curse is lifted//What’s killing you lets go your heart//Lets go your heart//Just when you think you’ll lose your mind//And the sun is hard to find//My love reveals a new tomorrow// The things they said that kept you in your bed are a distant memory//A cleansing flow of blood and water//Son of Man lifted up//This is how much I love you//Break the bread, drink the cup//This is how much I love you, I love you//Son of God risen up//This is how much I love you//Break the bread, drink the cup//This is how much I love you, I love you

Isaiah 41:18-20 I will open rivers on the barren heights, and springs in the middle of the plains. I will turn the desert into a pool and dry land into springs. I will plant cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees in the wilderness. I will put juniper trees, elms, and cypress trees together in the desert, so that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Have you ever climbed to the top of a mesa? If so, what did you find? Maybe a lizard? A lost sheep? A bunch of rocks? That’s all to be expected, but what if you got to the top and found yourself wading in a rushing, vibrant river, full of fish and shaded by tall trees? You just might forget that you’re supposed to be in the middle of the desert.

That’s the picture that God is painting for His people in these verses. The land of Israel was largely hot and dusty. Sure, there were a few rivers, but if you walked just a ways, you’d find sandy plains and dry hills. That’s why God’s word’s are so surprising:

Isaiah 41:18 I will open rivers on the barren heights, and springs in the middle of the plains. I will turn the desert into a pool and dry land into springs.

God is saying, “You see those hills in the distance? They’re barren now, but one day, there will be rivers rushing down from them. The plains over there? An oasis for weary travelers. The land around you is dry as can be, but I will make pools of water spring up out of nowhere. I’m going to bring this place to life.”

Isaiah 41:19 I will plant cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees in the wilderness. I will put juniper trees, elms, and cypress trees together in the desert.

Trees don’t grow very well without water. God is opening our imagination to a land that is so beautiful and full of life, that every kind of tree you can think of will grow there with no problem. He’s reminding us of Eden, when God made the world good, and when nothing hindered life on earth. 8 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER These verses help us feel what is wrong with the world, and with us. In every area of our lives, there is desert where there should be an oasis. Relationships, health, money, love, friendship, work, family - something is always a bit (or a lot) wrong. But God is always in the process of bringing life from death, water from desert, and trees from dry dirt.

And why is He going to do all this?

Isaiah 41:20 So that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

God wants to bring restoration so that we can know that He did it, that it was His power and His plan that made it so.

How is this all going to happen? Don’t miss this - “I will open rivers, I will turn the desert into a pool, I will turn the dry land into springs, I will plant cedars”. God himself decided to bring this about and nothing is going to stop Him. He is the one who wants to turn wrong into right.

So what does that say about God?

A God who actually wants to do these things must be generous. He must be an over-the-top, giving kind of God. Is that how you picture God? Is He distant to you? Overbearing? Mean? Let the Bible define what God is like for you and you won’t be disappointed. Look at what Jesus’ brother, James, has to say about the character of God:

James 1:5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God -- who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly -- and it will be given to him.

God gives ungrudgingly. He is not stingy. He actually loves to give. It’s in His nature, and His nature never changes. He loves to give you life by giving you His own Son. He loves to give you new life through His own Spirit. He loves to take what’s dry and lifeless in you and transform it into a mini-Eden. And He will love to, one day, bring you into His forever-home. That’s how much He loves you. Questions 1. What do these verses tell you about what God is like?

2. Is this picture of God surprising? What do you naturally expect Him to be like?

3. What area of your life might God want to revive or bring restoration to? Read on Genesis 1:28-31 Psalm 107:33-43 Revelation 22:1-3 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 9 The Day Death Dies Day 5

Do you know, do you know that the King above//He will crush every enemy one by one//What have we to fear, our resurrection’s drawing near//Bringing back our bodies from the dust//Oh we’re alive, we’re alive// Every day we’re waiting for the day death dies//We’ll be dancing in a new sunrise//On the day death dies//Oh we’re alive, we’re alive//Every day we’re waiting for the day death dies//We’ll keep living in the light//Til the day death dies//Do you know, do you know that He must reign//Til the curse is abolished in His name//Death is gonna fall, a funeral to end them all//Death himself among the slain, Death himself is lying in the grave// Never to, never to awake//When a seed is planted in the ground//You can see when harvest comes around//If our bodies fall into the grave//Christ will raise them up on that great day, that great day//Oh we’re alive, we’re alive//Every day we’re waiting for the day death dies//It’s like we’re living for the very first time//On the day death dies//On the day death dies

1 Corinthians 15:24-26 Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be abolished is death.

“Death is just a part of life.” Have you heard that before? When someone dies too young or a loved one loses to cancer, we grasp to make sense of it. If death is inevitable, then why is it so painful when it happens? Why does it feel so wrong?

The Bible presents death, not as a natural part of life, but as an unnatural effect of sin. God made all things good and people are no exception. He created us to live, love, and happily serve Him forever. But we had a better idea: what if we were in charge instead of God? What if we were the ones to decide our own fates, to chart our own destiny? We could be free!

But that’s not how things went down. Our autonomy didn’t bring freedom. It created slavery. Our rebellion against God didn’t fulfill us. It separated us from God and from each other. Life became a shadow of what it was. Sickness came into being. Pain, loss, violence, racism, oppression, and abuse took shape. Death was born.

Death was not content to inflict itself upon our first parents. Like a virus, it dug itself deep down into the core of our reality, and try as we might, we can’t get rid of it. Everyone dies. Death is undefeated.

Well, death was undefeated. About two thousand years ago, a Man named Jesus started telling people that He was going to beat death, even though no one ever had before. He told people that He would, in fact, die, but come back to life again.

This Jesus didn’t sidestep death. He beat death. In the 13th round, He gave death a right hook that he’ll never recover from. Jesus fought against death like people had been doing for thousands of years, but He actually won! He came back to life just like He said He would, never to die again. 10 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER So one guy out of billions beat death. That’s great, but everyone still dies. Does Jesus’ victory over death mean anything for us?

Jesus’ resurrection isn’t the end of the story. It’s the beginning. After He came back to life, He ascended into Heaven, where God promptly put Him in charge of the universe. And He sat down next to God, where He’s been ruling ever since, pushing back his enemies through His people living, loving, and happily serving Him.

Jesus is the only human who took on the grave and won. The Bible says that just like God the Father brought Jesus back to life, so will He one day bring us back to life.

1 Corinthians 6:14 God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

If He was raised, then we will rise. It’s a sure thing. If you, by faith, belong to Jesus, you can expect your grave to be empty at Christ’s return. God promised it and Jesus secured it.

Jesus is ruling the world, yet we all still face death. Why? If Jesus left His grave, why do I need to enter mine?

1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy to be abolished is death.

Did you catch it? Death is the last of Christ’s enemies to be abolished - done away with completely. Every other enemy will be dealt with first. Then death. And after that, joy forever.

Death has been beaten, but one day death will be destroyed. Questions

1. According to the Bible, why do people die? Where did death come from?

2. How did Jesus beat death?

3. What does Jesus’ resurrection mean for you? How does it change your future? Read on Isaiah 65:17-25 1 Corinthians 15 Revelation 22:1-5 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 11 My Righteousness Day 6

Nothing can compare to this//Jesus is my righteousness//Nothing can I add to this//Jesus is my righteousness//My anxious soul will find its rest// Upon Another’s life and death//Vain attempts to hide my scars//Have left me blind and hard of heart//Have I begun to lean upon//Plans I’ve made, works I’ve done//The judge of man is my defense//Who can stand to stand against?//And how can I so prone to sin//Approach His throne and enter in//His righteous wrath, the bitter cup//His judgment passed upon His Son//Remember how the God of peace//Left His fold to find His sheep//His life of love, His death He died//His throne above to me applied//No fear, no guilt can keep me from His love//He wrapped me in the perfect life of His Son//Not once has He regretted choosing me//He can’t be changed and He’s committed to me

Philippians 3:7-9 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ -- the righteousness from God based on faith.

If anyone ever qualified as super-religious, it was the apostle Paul. Imagine the nicest, most spiritual person you know and multiply that by 100. Paul had lived and breathed his religion for his whole life. He was born into a religious family. He studied and memorized God’s law. He was passionate about serving God and obeying His commands.

For Paul, following God was not just an outward show. It permeated every area of His life. He really wanted to honor God and He knew that He would one day stand before Him to be judged for his life.

Then Paul had a crisis. He met Jesus. And something fundamentally changed. Suddenly, everything he had worked so hard for seemed empty. The good things he had done for God didn’t seem that impressive. All of Paul’s spirituality, all His zeal for obedience, didn’t seem to count for anything anymore. Why? He was serving and loving God after all! Why did it all seem so pointless?

Paul had been working for something that the Bible calls, “righteousness”. It’s a big word that means big things. It means that when God looks at you, He sees you as innocent, good, right, kind, generous, sinless, and living the way God wants people to live. And that’s what Paul was after with his lifestyle. With all the good things he was doing, it kind of looked like he got it.

But when Paul met Jesus, He offered him a choice between two types of righteousness: righteousness earned by works or righteousness given by faith. One is worked for. The other is a gift.

Paul chose the gift. And he never regretted it. Why? Because the righteousness that comes by faith, as a free gift, is a billion times better than righteousness that is earned.

12 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER Philippians 3:7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.

Everything? Paul, you’ve worked so hard, you’ve given everything you have to please God. Are you sure you want to just throw it all away?

Philippians 3:8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ.

Just so we’re perfectly clear, Paul describes works-righteousness not as merely useless, but as “dung”. In other words, it’s actually offensive to him. He hates it. Why? Because he recognized that it’s either that righteousness or Christ’s. He can’t have both. It’s one or the other. Compared to gaining Christ, his old righteousness is excrement. Jesus is that much better.

Philippians 3:9 And be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ -- the righteousness from God based on faith.

“And be found in Him”. If we choose gift-righteousness, it’s as if God wraps us up in Jesus - His life, His death, His righteousness. We give up on works-righteousness completely and back away from it like it’s roadkill. We forget about patting ourselves on the back for what we’ve earned and happily give the credit where it’s due - Jesus. The righteousness that comes from God as a gift is Christ Jesus Himself.

So now you’re faced with a decision. Which righteousness will you choose?

Questions

1. What kind of person was Paul before he met Jesus?

2. Why did Paul completely abandon the idea of earning his own righteousness?

3. Paul says that righteousness is a free gift, no strings attached. Are you ok with receiving it as a gift and not getting any of the credit?

Read on Acts 15:6-11 Galatians 5:1-6 Hebrews 13:9 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 13 Those Times Day 7

Those times when you feel like you’re on the edge//It’s the end//Those times when you feel like you’re in a web//Everything’s spent//Those times when you feel like you’re on the outside//My my//Those times when you feel like your hands are tied//Too weak to try//You tried, you tried//Those are the times//When You pull me back like it’s ok//When You tell me don’t be afraid//When You’re there holding onto me//Those are the times, those are the times//Those times when you start giving people hope//Helping them cope//Those times when you help them put down the rope//Before they choke//God does the impossible//When you thought that your cup was full//Those are the times, those are the times//Those are the best times, those are the times

2 Corinthians 1:8-9 We don't want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed -- beyond our strength -- so that we even despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

Just in case we think of Paul or other Bible people as super-spiritual or somehow above our everyday struggles, the Bible routinely gives us zoomed-in snapshots of some of its characters. And sometimes what we see is not what we expect. We see them discouraged. Heartbroken. Lonely. Many times their response is raw and unfiltered. David cries out to God like this:

Psalm 13:1-2 How long, LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long will I store up anxious concerns within me, agony in my mind every day? How long will my enemy dominate me?

But David doesn’t stay there. In fact, Psalm 13 ends with David singing to God for His generosity. But that doesn’t change the fact that at one point, David felt like God had forgotten about Him. Paul feels similarly in His second letter to the church in Corinth:

2 Corinthians 1:8 We don't want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed -- beyond our strength -- so that we even despaired of life itself.

As Paul and his team traveled from city to city starting churches, they continually faced opposition. In particular, a guild of idol-makers were rather ticked off that people began following some man named “Jesus of Nazareth” instead of buying their hand-crafted artisan idols. They caused a huge ruckus across their city, and, as usual, Paul’s life was very much in danger. Episodes like this can start to get to you after a while.

“Overwhelmed.” “Beyond our strength.” “Despaired of life.” That doesn’t sound like someone who’s doing very well. That sounds like someone who’s fighting a losing battle. 14 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER The funny thing is that Paul doesn’t try to hide all this from His readers. In fact, He writes it right at the beginning of His letter so they don’t miss it: “I was completely overwhelmed.” He doesn’t start His letter listing his recent victories. He doesn’t brag about how much God has been using him. He is unashamedly open about how his strength had run out. He puts his shortcomings on full display.

So is that it? As a follower of Christ, are you doomed to a weak, frustrated existence?

2 Corinthians 1:9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

No! You do not experience loneliness, tension, and difficulties for nothing. They are doing something. They are teaching you to look away from yourself. Your weakness forces you to depend on Someone else, who can actually handle what you’re going through.

Paul felt like He was going to die so He would learn to trust “God who raises the dead.” Maybe you feel lonely, so you can learn to trust the God who never leaves you. Maybe you feel afraid, so you can learn to trust the God who gives you a Spirit of Power. God can turn your weakness into a path to know and trust Him more.

Later in this letter, Paul writes:

2 Corinthians 12:9b I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me.

He brags about His weakness. You may be facing a situation where your weakness is all too apparent. Here’s the good news: you don’t have to hide your weakness. You can look to the One who is always strong. When you do, you’ll be able to look back and see that those were the times when you saw God do what only He can do. Questions

1. Why did Paul brag about His weakness?

2. Are you ever embarrassed to admit when you need help?

3. Do you feel weak? How might God use that to show you His strength?

Read on Exodus 4:10-12 Isaiah 40:29-31 Jeremiah 1:6-9 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 15 Wedding Day Day 8

All day You were waiting for Your bride to come//While she gave up her body for the lowest sum//She sold her dress to an ex-lover’s ex-wife//She doesn’t have an alibi//You ran and You found her in a neighbor’s bed// Black eyes tell the story on a face blood-red//You washed her wounds in the water of Your love//And paid the price for her in blood//And here we are now//Just like a bride on her wedding day//Her heart is waiting for the groom to say//That she’s his only one//The Father’s waiting to walk her down the aisle to His Son//I said You should leave me to my selfish ways//I am an embarrassment to Your great name//You shut my mouth and You stooped to lift my head//You always keep Your covenants//And here You are now//Just like a bridegroom at His Father’s side//His heart is racing for His treasured bride//To open up the door//With heaven watching to see what all of history was for//Come and celebrate the wedding of the Lamb

Hosea 2:14-16 Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her to the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her vineyards back to her and make the Valley of Achor into a gateway of hope. There she will respond as she did in the days of her youth, as in the day she came out of the land of Egypt. In that day -- this is the LORD's declaration -- you will call Me, "My husband," and no longer call me, "My Baal.”

You’ve probably heard the story of Cinderella. Even if you’ve never seen the movie, you most likely know the gist of it. Girl is raised by a wicked stepmother. The local prince holds a royal ball open to all. Cinderella dreams of going but Ms. Stepmother says no, crushing her dreams in the process. Fairy Godmother steps in and poof! A $10,000 dress and a pumpkin stagecoach. She attends the ball. The prince sees her. Instant love. Oh no, Cinderella’s magic is going to expire. She runs. She drops a high heel. The prince vows to find her, using only her shoe and one bumbling spectacled butler. Success! Somehow, no one else has her shoe size due to her either extremely large or extremely tiny feet. Then, boom, wedding day comes and we got ourselves a brand new princess and a happily ever after. Normal fairy tale stuff.

The Bible is a Cinderella story with a twist - where “happily ever after” isn’t always so happy.

Israel spent 400 years in slavery to the ancient nation of Egypt. Abused. Mistreated. Almost to the point of despair. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, God rescued Israel out of slavery and led them toward a land that He had promised them - to happily ever after.

Sort of. God did bring them to the promised land, but things went badly right out of the gate. Almost immediately, the Israelites began worshipping other gods. For centuries, they were plagued with a desire to be like the nations that surrounded them, worshipping their gods and following their ways. Violence. Disregard for the poor. Child sacrifice. Idolatry. Before long, Israel looked just as bad, or worse, than the surrounding peoples.

If this were a love story, this would be the part where the guy tips his hat with a “Ma’am”, and walks out of the picture, determined to find his true love elsewhere. But that’s not how this story goes. 16 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER The Bible tells the story like this: God is the Prince - head over heels in love, willing to do whatever it takes to be with the one He loves. Israel is the bride - ungrateful, unfaithful, inventing new ways to cheat on her husband. But the crazy thing is, no matter how many times she runs out on Him, no matter how many times she drags His name through the mud, the Prince just won’t stop loving her. Why? Because she is so lovable? No. It’s because He has so much love to give, that never gives up.

Nowhere is this clearer in the Bible than in the book of Hosea. Hosea was a prophet who lived in Israel through some of Israel’s roughest times. Here’s what God says to His people through the prophet:

Hosea 2:14 Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her to the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

How did this story begin? By God leading His people out of slavery, into the wilderness. It’s like God is saying, “Let’s go back to the start.”

Hosea 2:15 There I will give her vineyards back to her and make the Valley of Achor into a gateway of hope. There she will respond as she did in the days of her youth, as in the day she came out of the land of Egypt.

The Valley of Achor literally means “Valley of Trouble”. God is promising to take the trouble that she’s in, which is her own fault, and transform it into hope.

Hosea 2:16 In that day -- this is the LORD's declaration -- you will call me, "My husband," and no longer call Me, "My Baal.”

Baal was the name of a false god that Israel turned to many times over. God says that the day is coming when that won’t happen anymore. God is showing us the kind of God He is. And today, He doesn’t go back on His promises to us as His people, even when we turn away from Him. Jesus is the ultimate expression of this kind of never-leave, never-forsake kind of love. If God hasn’t given up on His people for all this time, do you think He will now? Questions 1. Where do you see yourself in this story? Who are you most like?

2. If God keeps loving you even when you mess up, what does that say about God?

3. If God is really like this, what can you trust Him to do today? Read on Isaiah 54:5-8 Zechariah 10:6 Revelation 21:9-14 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 17 Celebration Day 9

This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives//Satan’s hopes have all been shattered//Death has died forever after//Every story told was just an echo//Of the King of all the ages as He triumphed over evil//Every wedding bell was a reminder//Of the promise of Your coming in the glory of Your Father//Lambs and lions laying down together//Serpents heeding every child’s word//Peace will reign and cure the devastation of the curse//This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives//Look down the aisle, here comes the bride//You’re in the story that every story was really about in the end//This is the end of night//This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives//All we heard was just a whisper//You are more than all we hoped for//Every single day our lamps were burning// As our fire was ignited for the day of Your returning//You were worth it all, Your love is better//Than a thousand generations with another at the center//Angels stand in wonder at Your mercy//Lavished on the bride that You redeemed//Let us sing and celebrate the final jubilee//This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives//Sorrow has taken its toll for the very last time (This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives)//Sickness can no longer steal off your children or mine (This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives)//Darkness is swallowed by incomprehensible light (This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives)//Death is defeated, our conquering King is alive (This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives)//Come to the table and feast on the bread and the wine (This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives)//Enter the joy set before you before there was time (This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives)//Look down the aisle, here comes the glorious bride//You’re in the story that every story was really about in the end//This is the end of night//This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives

Revelation 19:6-9 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying, Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns! Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself. She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, "Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb! " He also said to me, "These words of God are true.”

If the Bible is a love story between God and His people, then these verses are the wedding day.

Your life, my life, and all of history is leading up to something big. In fact, we are moving towards the unveiling of the most important event ever - what the Bible calls, “the marriage of the Lamb”.

Weddings are uniquely special. Food, friends, family, laughter, and love are all present. The groom’s eyes inexplicably fill with tears as his bride walks the aisle. They pledge their love to each other. A new story has begun.

But this is all representative. It’s a picture of something greater, of the wedding of all weddings, when the groom, the Son of God, pledges Himself to His bride, His Church, to love and to cherish her for as long as they will live - which is forever. Marriages now end in divorce or death, but then, neither will be possible. He will love us non-stop through eternity. 18 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER This is the thing to look forward to. That day will bring you more happiness than you knew was possible. So why don’t we naturally look forward to this day? Why does it seem kind of ethereal and floaty?

Some of that hinges on our perception of God’s New Creation. What images do those words bring to your mind? Clouds? Harps? Boring but at least peaceful? Nothing could be further from reality.

If you belong to Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives you a desire to serve and love God. But we fail. Badly. In the New Creation, we will not fail to love and serve God like we want. In fact, we will be given a far greater capacity to love Him. Our lives forever will be full of adventure, friendship, and purpose.

Can you imagine? Everything we’ve been waiting for and so much more, there in an instant. Death destroyed. Sadness gone. No more war. No more disease. No more fear. Creation changed. Relationships restored. Joy forever. All things new.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. All these things would mean nothing without the source of our joy - God with us forever. We will see His face. He will be more valuable, more breathtaking, more than we could have hoped for. We will never get to the bottom of just how good He is. We will never exhaust His kindness.

Ephesians 2:6-7 He also raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

God brought us to new life through and with Jesus so that He could unleash a God-sized waterfall of kindness on us forever.

Everything we’ve ever wanted is waiting for us. Even the things we never knew we wanted will be ours. We will never be bored or dissatisfied. We will say, “This is the day we’ve been waiting for all of our lives! This is what we’ve always really wanted. This is what we were made for.” Questions

1. What is “the marriage of the Lamb”?

2. Have you seen or experienced a broken marriage? How will this be any different?

3. What does this wedding show us about God’s heart for us?

Read on Genesis 2:18-25 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 1 Peter 1:13 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 19 Never Lose The Wonder Day 10

The God who made the heavens//Descended to His own//Heaven’s treasure come, hanging naked from//Sin and sorrow’s throne//The people that He purchased//Considered Him accursed//Could the silver spent to secure His death//Match His endless worth?//Come behold the man upon the tree//Let me never lose the wonder//Christ became the curse of sin for me//Let me never lose the wonder//Let me never lose the wonder of the cross//As anguish pierced His body//Affixed to nails and wood//The offense of sin took the form of Him//Who is only good//It was One against a million (fighting from the cross)//Satan’s army closing in (to finish Him off)//But the blood Christ spilled on that battlefield//Drowned the power of all my sin//Come behold the resurrected King//I will never lose the wonder//I will see Him clothed in victory//I will never lose the wonder//We will never stop thanking You for the cross//Thanking You for the cross// We will never stop thanking You for the cross//Thanking You for the cross

Revelation 5:11-12 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. They said with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!

You’ve seen it everywhere. T-shirts. Bumper stickers. Churches. Graffiti. Endorsed by the Pope and your favorite rapper. The cross is everywhere and it doesn’t seem to be going away.

This is odd for a couple of reasons. First of all, a picture of the cross today is referencing an event that occurred 2,000 years ago. Second, in those times, the cross was nothing to be proud of - it was something to be terrified of.

The Romans were the premiere world power during Jesus’ time on earth, and they had perfected the art of execution by a method called crucifixion. It was, perhaps, the most gruesome death ever invented. After being mercilessly beaten, you would be fastened to a crude wooden structure. Enormous dull nails were driven through your hands and feet. The cross was then raised vertically in order to hang you up by the nails, suspended above the ground.

That’s when the real agony began. Through your pain, you would attempt to hold your body weight up in order to breathe. If you let your body go limp, you would be unable to get a breath. You would continue between trying to rest and trying to breathe, sometimes for many hours. Finally, there would be no strength left to hold yourself up, and suffocation would occur. All this happened in a public place so everyone could see your anguish and hear your screams.

Why would we want that on a t-shirt?

Well, we don’t talk about “the cross” in a general sense. We’re not interested in telling the world about an ancient torturous form of execution. When we talk about the cross, we are talking about “the cross”, a very specific cross. Jesus’ cross. And while Jesus endured just as much physical and emotional pain as every other person who was crucified, Jesus’ cross was in a category of its own.

20 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER Jesus’ cross was the central focal point of sin in all of human history. While Jesus willingly hung from His cross, people’s sin from throughout history all fell on Jesus - Adam and Eve’s rebellion, Abraham’s idolatry, Jacob’s lies, David’s rape and murder, Paul’s persecution of the church, your sin and mine. God’s anger is aimed at every wrong thing we’ve ever done, and now all that sin would be carried by the only One who had never done anything wrong.

This is why, centuries later, we still talk about “the cross”. This is why we sing about “the cross”. This is why we lay down our lives, why we can live in freedom, why we have hope for the future. It’s all because of the cross.

And we’re not the only ones still talking about the cross. In the book of Revelation, Jesus’ friend John has a dream of heaven:

Revelation 5:11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands.

John sees innumerable beings around God’s throne, joining together in one voice.

Revelation 5:12 They said with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!

Who are they worshipping? The Lamb who was slaughtered. Jesus is currently the King of the world, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Beginning and the End. And He will be worshipped as such. But in this scene, Jesus is being worshipped because He was killed. Because He was sacrificed for our sins. Because of the cross.

In other words, on earth or in heaven, in our lifetime or in eternity, Jesus will always be praised for the cross. After a million years of walking with Him in heaven, we will still be amazed at the cross He took for us - for me. But until we see Him face to face, let our prayer be, “God, let me never lose the wonder of the cross!” Questions

1. In Revelation 5, why is Jesus being worshipped?

2. At Jesus’ cross, what happened to Him beyond His physical death?

3. What is one thing about the cross that amazes you?

Read on Isaiah 53 John 19:17-42 Hebrews 9:11-14 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 21 Heaven Day 11

It’s been five years today//That you left too soon//It was much too soon// Sometimes memories can fade//But I still think of you//I always think of you//I remember the way you looked at me//The first time that I asked you about Heaven//You said the moment this body fails to breathe//The very next breath will be in His presence//No eye has seen//No ear has heard//No mind conceived//What God has in store for those who love Him//What God has in store for those who love Him//As I look at my own life//With children of my own//I think I see you in their eyes//When they ask me where you’ve gone//I remember the words friends said to me//When tears turned into joy the morning after//She’d always take the call in the middle of the night and say//In Jesus there is life so please remember// You showed me Jesus’ followers shine bright//And in the darkest times you’ll ever face His Word will be your light//A mistake is not your master, it’s not the book it’s just a chapter//If you walk in faith one day you’ll walk by sight//At your graduation, I know you heard well done//Though I really do still miss you, my good friend//But I know you walk with Jesus, and I’ll see you again//Together in that perfect place called Heaven

2 Corinthians 5:6-9 So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him.

Everyone likes heaven as an idea. It’s easy to like the thought of someone going to a “better place” or being “at rest”. But those kinds of descriptions can produce more questions than answers. If I follow Jesus in this life, what happens to me when I die? Where do I actually go? As a follower of Jesus, we believe that one day Jesus will come back and make every wrong right. But until then, where will I be?

The Bible doesn’t give us a lot of details, but what it does give us is absolutely crucial for us to face death without fear. The apostle Paul shares his feelings on the subject in his second letter to the Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 5:6-7 So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight.

First of all, Heaven is real. It is not a distant, half-awake, dreamy kind of reality. We will actually be alive with the actual One True God. For now, while our bodies are still up and moving, we are “away from the Lord.” That’s not to say He’s not with us - He is. But we don’t see Him with our physical eyes. That’s where faith comes in. For now, we believe though we don’t see. When we die, we will no longer need faith because we will actually see Him.

2 Corinthians 5:8 In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

22 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER Secondly, Heaven is good. Paul says that He would much rather be in Heaven with God than not. We were created by God and for God. And God is the best thing that’s ever happened to us. So naturally, it’s very very good to be with Him, to see Him, and to enjoy Him.

That is not to say that this life has no value. Paul was passionate about living every day that God gave him serving the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him.

The life you have is a gift from God. And the life to come is a gift from God. Paul says that both exist for the same purpose: to please God. So thirdly, Heaven has purpose. We will not be sitting around on clouds, singing old hymns. We’ll be actively, joyfully serving God in new and fresh ways.

God has told us these things for our comfort. He knows our tendency to fear death - for ourselves and our loved ones.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.

When someone dies, we grieve - but not like those who have no hope. Our hope is solid, planted on the God who never lies. For those who have died in Christ, death is not the end. They will be raised to new life, along with every living Christian, on the day that Christ returns to earth to make everything new. Until then, we need not fear death. Death is the doorway to Heaven.

Questions

1. What does the word, “Heaven” make you think of? Does it line up with what the Bible says?

2. Why does God want us to be sure about where we and other believers are going when we die?

3. Are you comforted by the thought of other believers that you knew now being with God? Read on 1 Corinthians 15:16-19 Philippians 1:21-26 Revelation 14:13 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 23 Who We Are Day 12

They want to tear us apart//But they don’t have the power to tell us who we are//They want to tear us apart//But they don’t have the power to tell us who we are//Who we are//I’ll bear your burden brother when you can’t bear it alone//You take my troubles from me and you make them like your own//You give me what you got when I got nothing to give//I’ll keep your fire burning through the thunder and the wind//It’s a battle, it’s a war and we need each other//Sin is crouching at the door//Get your armor, get your sword, get beside your brother//Just remember who you are (we’re not afraid)//Don’t wait to take my hand when my fingers start to slip//We hold the line together and the line needs both our grips//I’ll keep your head on straight when the world around you spins//I’ll keep your fire burning through the thunder and the wind//It’s a battle, it’s a war and we need each other//Sin is crouching at the door//Get your armor, get your sword, get beside your brother//Just remember who you are (we’re not afraid)//We’re not afraid//They want to make us lose heart but//They don’t have the power to take what Christ has won

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.

Following Jesus is hard. Maybe you’ve been following Him for a while now. Or maybe you’re just starting. Either way, you’ve probably run up against some opposition. It could be from family or friends who don’t understand the new you. Or you could be feeling the weight of temptation calling you back to the old you.

This opposition doesn’t just happen. The Bible teaches us that we have an enemy. He is invisible, but he is just as real as you are. He is the devil and he hates Jesus. That means that he hates His followers. He hates you. And he’ll do whatever he can to get you away from Jesus. Jesus’ disciple Peter reminds us of the reality of what is unseen, and what to do about it.

1 Peter 5:8a Be sober-minded, be alert.

Wake up! Keep your eyes open. Part of our problem is that we simply forget that the devil is real. We are not commanded to live in fear of the devil, but to live aware of him. You are not fighting family or friends. You are fighting your enemy.

1 Peter 5:8b Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

Peter gives us insight into the nature of our enemy. He doesn’t stay still for long. He is constantly on the move, looking for ways to attack God’s people. Don’t let your guard down. Don’t take days off. Be ready. Don’t be surprised when things get hard. The devil is just doing what he does. So what do we do about it? 24 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 1 Peter 5:9a Resist him, firm in the faith.

Resist him, not by digging deep into your own power, but by faith, by looking away from yourself, dependent on God.

1 Peter 5:9b Knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.

Don’t miss this. Staying alert and resisting the devil doesn’t work very well if you try to do it alone. When God saved you, He brought you out of something. Out of your sin, out of darkness, out of Satan’s kingdom. He also brought you into something. Into His kingdom, into the light, into His Church. And that Church is full of other people just like you.

You may feel all alone in your struggle to follow Jesus. You’re not. Are you tempted? So are others. Are you discouraged? Many have walked that path and are walking it now. Lonely? You get the idea. Don’t let yourself believe that no one understands. You are part of something bigger than yourself. You are part of God’s Church, His people.

Years before Peter wrote this letter, Jesus told him:

Matthew 16:18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

The devil won’t win in the end. He can’t. The Church wins because Jesus wins. People can fall. Individual churches can come and go. But the Church will continue on forever, victorious over sin, Satan, hell, and death. That’s what you’re a part of. That’s who we are.

Following Jesus is hard. Don’t do it alone. Questions

1. Who is your enemy and what is he like?

2. What does it mean to be “sober-minded”?

3. Can your enemy win in the end? Why or why not?

Read on Romans 16:20 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 Revelation 20:10 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 25 IN JESUS' NAME Day 13

You tell the waves peace be still//You write eternity with Your perfect will// If You can speak the stars and know them by name//Cleanse lepers' spots and heal the lame//How could I not trust my life in Your hands//When You write a beautifully perfect plan//When Jesus touched the sick were healed//When Jesus spoke the dead were raised//If we just ask the Father when we pray//It is given in Jesus’ name//Where Jesus went the demons fell//If I choose to follow I can do it as well//Everywhere Jesus walks the demons, they flee//If I choose to follow, they’ll flee from me//How can I not trust my life in Your hands//When You part the sea and let me walk on dry land//’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus//Just to take Him at His word//Just to rest upon His promise//Just to know thus saith the Lord//Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him//How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er//Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus//O for grace to trust Him more//When Jesus touched the sick were healed//When Jesus spoke the dead were raised//If we will ask the Father when we pray//It is given in Jesus’ name//It is given in Jesus’ name

Acts 3:6-7 But Peter said, "I don't have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!" Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong.

Imagine that you are one of Jesus’ first disciples. You walked with Him. You ate with Him. You heard His words and believed them. You were there when He died and when He was buried. And you saw Him, resurrected and ascending to Heaven. Now the same question is on everyone’s mind:

Now what?

What do we do now that Jesus is gone? Who do we ask when we have a question? How do we know where He wants us to go? How do we follow Him when we can’t see Him? Jesus anticipated these questions before He was crucified. This is what He said to His followers hours before He was arrested:

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.

Jesus promised to give His disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would now live in and guide them. The Spirit would comfort and counsel them. And the Spirit would lead them as in this story.

Jesus’ friends, Peter and John, were headed to the temple to pray. Amidst the business of the temple complex, a lame man sat by the entrance. He begged passersby for spare change. He saw Peter and John about to enter and asked them for money. They stopped. They told him to look at them.

Acts 3:6 But Peter said, "I don't have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!" 26 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER Now this may seem a little out of the blue for us, but Peter and John had done this sort of thing before - at least while Jesus was still there. At certain points in His life, Jesus had given His disciples His own authority and sent them out to heal the sick and raise the dead. And they had. They had seen God’s kingdom break into the lives of those they prayed for. Sicknesses dispelled. Backs straightened. Tumors gone. Life from death.

But now that Jesus was gone, what would happen? Would His disciples still see miracles?

Acts 3:7 Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong.

Healed. Immediately and completely. How? In Jesus’ name. Peter wasn’t winging it. He was basing his words off of something he had heard Jesus say.

John 14:13 Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Asking in Jesus’ name does not mean invoking a magic phrase. It means believing that Jesus is in charge of the world. It means believing that He is good and will act according to His character. And it means believing that, by His sacrifice on the cross, and His triumph over our sin, He bought for us the right to go directly to God with requests.

This is how God is spreading His rule over the earth - not by natural means, but by His people asking for supernatural things according to the goodness, authority, and sacrifice of His Son. This is how God’s kingdom changes things. In Jesus’ name.

Years later, reflecting on Christ’s authority, Peter says:

1 Peter 3:22 …[Jesus] has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.

This is the authority that caused a lame man to walk. This is the authority that is working today in you. Questions 1. Why does Peter say “in Jesus’ name”?

2. What does Jesus’ authority have to do with this man being able to walk?

3. What does Jesus’ authority have to do with your life today? Read on Mark 9:38-39 Acts 16:16-18 Philippians 2:5-11 WARRIOR WORSHIP STRONGER 27 Devotions written by Jesse Colucci All SONGS are FROM THE ALBUM "Stronger" by Warrior Worship music and lyrics COPYRIGHT © 2021 RON HUTCHCRAFT MINISTRIES, INC Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Warrior Worship is a production of On Eagles’ Wings, the Native outreach of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. 1-877-741-1200 PO Box 400 Harrison AR 72602 oneagleswings.com © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. 2021