This is the heart of winter when we look forward to a break from the pestilence of this earth. Yet, in the middle of January a fly drones throughout my house! Winter may limit pestilence greatly, but it will never fully eradicate their existence until the return of the garden of Eden-like conditions. For now, outwardly, we are being ruled by the kingdom of darkness, Satan’s kingdom. The world is held captive to his reign:

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan]…. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind… But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love…even when we were dead in our transgressions, [God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:1-6, NASB

We, who are now rescued from darkness into that glorious light, the light of the Kingdom of God (which is still to come physically) but spiritually have at our disposal the power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:18-21) – so that our minds can rest in the peace of God – not be tormented by the devises of the devil – our hearts can rejoice in the God of our salvation – and not be tormented by the judgment to come! We ARE rescued! Daily, we should meditate on where we are positionally!

Meditating on our position means even before crawling out of bed in the morning, we have mentally placed ourselves, where we ARE spiritually, in Christ, so that throughout each step of the day we are reminded He is our Shepherd out front, leading the journey. He is our shield and defender, our refuge for whatever comes. We are not without ALL that is needed to experience peace of mind and the joy of the Lord! God’s very words provide EVERYTHING pertaining to life and godliness; His very promises, that of leaning on His everlasting arms, bring security from all alarms, and we must trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus!

“As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.”

Ecclesiastes 10:1, NLT

Things to avoid from Satan’s kingdom:

Pridefulness – “The Lord detests the proud” – Proverbs 16:5

Unfriendliness – “Unfriendly people care only about themselves” – Proverbs 18:1

Foolishness – “Fools have no interest in understanding” – Proverbs 18:2

Laziness – “A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things” – Proverbs 18:9

Haughtiness – “(Showing an attitude of superiority and contempt) goes before destruction” –     Proverbs 18:12

Thoughtlessness – “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish” – Proverbs 18:13

Selfishness – “Don’t be selfish” – Philippians 2:3

Things God’s Kingdom people should put into practice:

Be humble – “Regard one another as more important” – Philippians 2:3, NASB

Contribute cheerfully – “Do everything without complaining and arguing” – Philippians 2:14, NLT

Speak kindly – “Kind words are like honey” – Proverbs 16:24

“The tongue can bring death or life” – Proverbs 18:21

Let us start a new year, this first month of 2024, asking ourselves which kingdom does my life reflect: The kingdom of Satan & darkness or the Kingdom of God & Light?