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This week's focus: Confidence

When my daughter was younger, she hated rollercoasters. The volume of her scream indicated precisely how she felt the first time she rode one. The intensity of her shriek seemed to match her fear level; the louder the cry, the greater the fear.

The Bible tells us that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He screams to scare us because fear, confusion, discouragement, and chaos are effective weapons. As Christians, we must remember the only power the adversary has, is the power we give him. God’s children must resist by standing firm in our faith. Nothing unnerves the adversary more than our calm confidence in Jesus.

When our faith flings fear to the side, we begin to recognize that the opposition is afraid. Fits of fury, screams, threats, mocking criticisms, and acts of violence, only prove a lack of confidence and distress. The intensity of their “screams” directly correlates to their fear. The Bible gives us a glimpse into why they are afraid when we read the account of Saul and David:

"The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice. Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul. Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander of over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle. David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle" (1 Samuel 18:10-16 NLT).

Fearful people are usually not rational, and Saul was no exception. In a fit, he started throwing spears at a proven warrior. A sane person would think twice, understanding that if you choose to hurl deadly weapons at a champion like David, you better not miss! Fortunately for Saul, David’s confidence in the Lord allowed him to not react in anger but to trust God’s plan and His timing. Like Jesus, he modeled meekness (power under control) and submitted to his Father’s will. David’s actions proved He trusted God when he refused to behave like his enemy.

Let this remind us that as Spirit-filled believers, we have nothing to fear because God is with us. It is the enemy who is afraid. We can confidently take a stand for truth and righteousness because greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

The devil may roar, pretending to be all-powerful, but he’s not. In reality, no one walking this earth is as powerful as a child of God boldly proclaiming the truth and trusting the source of their strength, the All-Powerful Living God. When we rest in His power, might, and ability, we understand that confident lions don’t need to roar.

by: Jennifer McAlister, for My Faith Votes