Verse 6 “‘And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.'” (NLT) Just because we received Him as our Lord once is of no advantage to us if we don’t walk with Him daily. It’s like, “who cares? So you’re going to heaven. But what about today? What about all the days you have left to live here? Don’t you want to try to live your best life now? Don’t you care about the people around you to want to treat them the very best that you can? To love them with the greatest love ever known?” If so, then we’ve got to learn to walk with Jesus every single day so that we can be changed on the inside and that will spill out onto all those we come in contact with.
Verse 7 “‘Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.'” (NLT) That’s like being a palm tree in a hurricane. The reason they don’t break is that they have deep roots. They bend but they don’t break. We need deep roots so when the winds and storms of life rage against us, we bend a little and make room for them but we don’t break under the pressure.
We must continue to grow in our relationship with the Lord so those roots reach deeper. So we are Immovable. Not wavering in our emotions. Then our faith will grow strong in the truth we were taught, and we will overflow with thankfulness. We will be overjoyed and abounding in thanksgiving. That’s how we should want to be, abounding in thanksgiving, every single day. And that’s how we will be if we are growing in our relationship with Jesus. We cannot make a mistake by growing deeper in Jesus. Our biggest mistake is trying to do life without Him. We’re flimsy without him. We crack and break and fall apart without him.
Verse 15 “‘In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.'” That’s the devil that has been disarmed, and his spirit shows up in accusations that come our way. He’s a deceiver. He whispers everything that isn’t true and sometimes uses other people to be the messengers. In those moments of accusation, we should acknowledge “Jesus, you have disarmed the accuser. He cannot touch my spirit or heart no matter how much accusing he does. I do not have to become defensive. Jesus is my defense.”
Just as a side note: It’s super important for us to expose our hearts to the Lord in humility and ask the Lord to reveal to us if any of this is true. “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24) But if the Lord shows you at that moment that you’re dealing with the “accuser of the brethren (brother)” (Revelation 12:10), then we shouldn’t feel it necessary to say another word to the devil and entertain the accusation.
Prayer: Lord, help me to walk in You and with You today. Help me to love my family as You do. You are my supply of endurance, so help me to persevere through the tough situations today. Holy Spirit, help me control my emotions and not let them lead me, but to submit all my thoughts and feelings to You. Help me to choose Your ways in everything I do. Help me to keep pursuing You, Jesus, so that my roots grow deeper and more secure in You. Help me stay firmly rooted in Your Word, Your will, and to seek You for the way out of the storms. Help me to bend when the winds blow harder because my roots are still holding onto You, Jesus. I want to be immovable in this life with You, God. Help me to live in gratitude today. To be thankful in all situations because I still have you, Jesus. And as long as I have You, nothing can tear me down. No situation is too hard, no mountain too high to climb. Thank you, Jesus, for disarming the devil, for limiting his power and placing it under your foot. Nothing can touch my spirit or heart when I’m safe in You, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, for helping me remain immovable in the winds of the storm or by words of this world. The accuser has no hold on me because of what You have done, Jesus. Amen!