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For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Martin Luther once said, “You can’t prevent a bird from flying over your head, but you can prevent him from building a nest in your hair.” We can’t prevent doubts and fears from popping into our thoughts, especially when we’re going through a major crisis like fighting cancer. Yet we are not victims – we do not have to give in to destructive voices.

After surgeries, chemos, drugs and radiation during my battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma, I felt very vulnerable to these mind games:

     What if? Why is this…? When will…? Woe is me!

Yet as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10, we don’t have to fight in the flesh – our own human resources. We have powerful spiritual weapons to wage the war, and winning the battle for our minds is surely a supernatural feat. What are these weapons?

• God’s Power – “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10). Ask Him to fill you with His power to fight the battle for your mind. He will release the very power of Jesus’ resurrection in you and through you (Ephesians 1:20).
• God’s Promises – When Jesus was under spiritual attack, even He quoted and stood firm on the promises of God found in the Bible. The Lord has promised to never leave or forsake us. So we can rest in Him – He promises to carry us every step of the way. Remember, His promises are true, whether we feel them or not. We should walk by faith – not sight.
• God’s Proclamations – “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ”(2 Corinthians 2:14). Thank Him that we already have the victory in Christ over agitating thoughts – because we do! Praise becomes us, and it chases off gloom like no other weapon.
  • Praise Him that He is greater than cancer!
  • Praise Him that nothing is too hard for Him to handle – including depression!
  • Praise Him that He has provided every spiritual blessing we need to handle a battle with cancer and the games of our minds! (2 Peter 1:3).

Lord, we rise up and reign with You in the battle for our minds through the divine weapons that You have freely provided!

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Find out how to be sure of your entrance into heaven – The Two Ways To Get To Heaven.
-If you’re fighting cancer, please write and let us know how we can pray for you. We want to be “in your corner.”

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. – Daniel 3:17-18

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were given a choice of life or death in the fiery furnace, they faced their fears and rested in the sovereignty of God. They knew the Lord was fully able to deliver them – and He did – yet they were prepared for anything. They determined to lean on Him and worship Him no matter what.

Living may be the one thing to which we cling the tightest. The instinct to survive is good in itself, but an obsession with living can expose our soul to perhaps the most destructive fear – the fear of death. Jesus came to set us free from this fear:

… that through death He (Jesus) might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. - Hebrews 2:14-15

There is a powerful solace in a yielded approach to our life and death. Consider Paul’s holy abandon in Acts 20:24, when he was being warned that evil men wanted to take his life:

But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

In the TV series, The Band of Brothers, an incredibly brave soldier was asked how he did it. He responded, “You have to fight like you’re already dead.”

If you’ve read my book, My Stronghold, you may remember my doctor predicted in 2003 that I had just days to live with Stage IV metastatic melanoma. I describe how I bounced in and out of bold surrender and gripping fears. So trust me, I know yielding is extremely difficult, more like impossible, but it is definitely doable with God’s grace.

I know this is a hard message and may strike some readers as icy cold and inappropriate for people who truly are on the brink of death. But I’ve been there and learned the secret of surrender and peace in the face of death. During those times, when I was open to life or death, my spirit and soul were never freer. Plus, for those who are in Christ (learn more about how), being on the other side will not be such a bad thing! 2 Corinthians 5:1 says, “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Lord, help us surrender to your sovereignty and grace no matter where we journey.

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. - Acts 4:27-28

Who put Jesus to death on that cross on Good Friday? Was it Herod? Pilate? The jealous Pharisees?

Not long after Good Friday, Peter’s answer to that question may surprise you. But first, let’s review Peter’s initial response to Jesus’ death. He went into stealth mode out of abject fear of Herod, Pilate and the Pharisees. He “knew” one thing for sure: if he was out of control – everything was out of control.

Yet Jesus’ resurrection transformed Peter’s thinking between Good Friday and the time of his prayer in Acts 4. It was God who had “gathered together” the rulers to do what He had purposed and predetermined to occur. God didn’t violate the free will of these rulers, He simply utilized it. Isaiah foretold this sovereign planning of God, “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering” (53:10). The Father sacrificed His Son as an offering for sin, so that He could be just by punishing sin, yet merciful to those who receive Jesus’ offering for their sin (Romans 3:26). More here.

Far from a tragic defeat, the crucifixion was part of God’s perfect plan.

So what is the lesson for those in crisis and battling cancer? Could suffering, even death, be a part of God’s sovereign and perfect plan? When I battled Stage IV metastatic melanoma and they gave me days to live in May of 2003, this is exactly what I concluded: my suffering and even my possible death, would all be part of God’s perfect plan.

Honestly, my resolve on this stance was shaky at times. Yet, during those moments when I surrendered to His sovereignty, I was filled with serenity.

We may feel out of control, but that does not mean He is. The lesson of Easter is that He trumps apparent tragedies. Will you trust Him?

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When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
- 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

During some spring cleaning, I stumbled upon a principle that is true for both cleaning windows and navigating a crisis. While cleaning one side of the glass, it appeared I was removing all of the spots, until I viewed the pane from the other side and saw several spots I had missed. In the same way, when viewing our crises from this side of heaven, we miss much about the Lord and our trials.

In 1 Corinthians 13:12, Paul likens our understanding – and reactions – to children who don’t fully understand the adult world. When confused or frustrated, I admit I’ve thrown a childish tantrum or two (thousand). Paul’s statement is humbling – our grasp of God’s superior ways is partial and limited.

Now I’m not one who believes we should never ask why. Questioning is healthy and leads to much revelation of the Lord. During my battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma, I often asked Him why. Still, satisfying answers were sometimes lacking.

Yet one super fine day in heaven, we’ll know God just like He knows us. Our eyes will be opened to unseen realities that we can only imagine on this side.

Until then, we can still love the One we don’t fully understand. We can still praise Him through pain and confusion. There is a strange sense of rest in trusting Him with our unanswered questions. And that’s an answer in itself – He will tell us everything soon enough.

So don’t fret if you “miss a spot.”

Lord, grant us the grace and poise to trust You even when we’re confused and hurting.

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.           
- 1 Peter 1:6-7

Once when my daughter, Amy, was about five years old, I took her to a local lake for her first small boat trip. So that we wouldn’t get wet while boarding, I beached the bow on the concrete boat ramp. As she attempted to climb in, the boat rocked back and forth violently on the V-shaped bottom. She panicked and refused to board. It took all of my persuasive powers to help her understand that once we shoved off into the water, the ride would be smooth and the rocking would stop. She needed to trust me. I would not mislead her – I loved her. It was a huge step of faith for her though.

Eventually, she climbed aboard, and she chuckled nervously as we coasted smoothly out into the middle of the lake.

God allows and ordains our boats to rock with various afflictions, yet we can trust Him. The rocking of our world will not last. Peter said our trials are just “for a little while.” Ultimately, we will drift on crystal smooth and peaceful waters, but we don’t have to wait for heaven to enjoy serenity. Though our faith is painfully stretched, He steadies us and limits the rocking. The process allows impurities in our faith to be shed from our souls. He is taking us somewhere better – into deeper waters where we are shown His glory!

Charles Wesley once said about trials, “We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it’s God who is shaking them.” He knows what He is doing. He would not mislead you – He loves you!

Lord, help us trust that Your purposes in allowing trials are for our ultimate good.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea… “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. -Psalm 46:1-2; 10-11

When we feel out of control, we tend to scramble in every direction to regain our grip. When my world was rocked in 2002 by Stage IV metastatic melanoma with a prognosis of days to live, my greatest struggle was feeling so out of control. I thought I already knew I was out of control, and honestly, I did not welcome the proof.

Yet the Psalmist says in Psalm 46, that when our world is crashing down around us, the Lord is a stronghold. We can “be still and know He is God.”  We might call this our “Plan Be.” When our Plan A falls apart, we can just “be,” resting in His powerful abilities, not our frantic efforts.

I believe in being proactive while navigating a crisis. Still, there is a difference between activity driven by fear, and the restful steps of one who knows the “Lord of Hosts” is on his or her side. “Hosts” are the legions of angels that are sent out to help the Lord’s children. John said in Revelation 5:11 that he saw ten thousand times ten thousand or one hundred million angels gathered around God’s throne ready to do His bidding. One thing the Lord does not lack is resources, and mark His word, He “will be exalted.”

The Lord does not guarantee our circumstances will be pleasant on the earth – in fact He promises tribulations. Yet He guarantees that He will always BE there for us during hard times.

In the end, we will look back in amazement at temporary earthly tragedies; His control will be shown to have always been perfectly good and right. For now, we can save ourselves needless stress and grief and just be still.

Lord, open our eyes to Your awesome power and abilities that we might rest in You.

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. –1 Peter 1:6-8

I once read about a man who found two cocoons on his windowsill. Both were wiggling – the caterpillars had begun the struggle to break out. He decided to help. He cut the fibers of one cocoon to free the larvae, and left it there. He later returned to find the larvae lying lifeless. The other cocoon was empty – that butterfly launched into the world. He concluded that a larvae’s struggle and stress was a critical step in their transformation into an amazing butterfly.

If you could magically remove all struggles from the earth, would you? Then why doesn’t the One who is able to remove all struggles do so? The reason is because He knows how to deliver life’s best – He uses trials to steer us into a deep love relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. In Him, the love and joy we seek is to be found.

The Lord knows trials hurt – a lot, but if we stick to Him during our trials, we are purified from the earthly distractions that rob us of true joy. Keep meditating on the verses in 1 Peter above. Let Him build your faith to trust in Him and love Him in the midst of your trials.

Lord, show us how You use trials to transform us to new levels in life!

Fear’s greatest deception may be that it carries an air of inevitability – as if fear is the only appropriate response to a very troubling circumstance. Yet the phrase, “Do not fear,” appears 57 times in the Bible. The Lord is not only encouraging us not to fear, but clearly indicating we don’t have to fear. Fear is, after all, a choice. Does the Lord make it too easy? Perhaps we just make it too hard.

The Bible and history provide a long list of those who scoffed at fear in the midst of the most daunting dilemmas. You can join this list. Still have some doubts? Honestly, I still struggle with fears and insecurities. I’ve been thinking recently about root beliefs that bring me freedom from fear. The Lord wants to be our Stronghold, not fear.

1) God is on your side.

The God and King of the universe adopts those who receive Jesus’ free gift of righteousness into His royal family. (more on how here). To make this possible, He gave us His very best – Jesus. All other needs are minor and He willingly meets those needs FOR FREE. Freedom from fear is one of the “all things” that He freely guarantees in Romans 8.

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? – Romans 8:31b-32

 2) God guarantees victory over any fear.

Think about it – can anything be stronger or more powerful than God or His love? No possible way! So we can be totally victorious over fear in any situation – including sickness.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. – Romans 8:35 & 37

 Please note: the ability and power to overcome fear does not come from you – it comes from Him!

 3) God is not punishing you.

Sometimes we believe that we deserve something bad to happen to us. So the Lord will certainly not deliver us or even help us – we are on our own. This would certainly be cause to fear – if it were true. We must shake all guilt and shame through the work and shed blood of Christ on the cross. If you have trusted in Him and Him alone as your personal Savior, realize He has taken away all of your sins at the cross, even sins for which you’re struggling to forgive yourself.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. – 1 John 4:18 

Don’t ask for freedom from fear. Based on these passages, you already have it! So just claim your freedom now. Just thank Him now for granting it to you freely!

For a related devotional – check out “Panic Is A Choice.”

Lord, we fear NOTHING with You on our side!

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:9

Could the Lord have created a solar system on a smaller scale? Well sure, He can do anything. Is there a message in the vastness of the scale He chose? Definitely! To quote Him: “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Now, do we really believe we could advise the Lord on how to better run His universe? The closest star in the heavens is a mere 93 million miles higher than the earth – quite the “knowledge gap.”

To get a better grip on this gap, consider the quiz God gave Job after listening to him spout off about the mysteries of His universe. Yet realize God’s list of questions for Job continues on for several chapters.

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

Job quickly got the point. To properly evaluate God’s choices, our experience, wisdom and capabilities must match His experience, wisdom and capabilities. Keep in mind, Job’s exchange with God came fresh from the pain of Job’s loss of his ten children, all of his possessions, and last but not least, his health. So even in the agony of the tragic storms of life we have to remind ourselves of the knowledge gap.

Recently Stronghold Ministry has been praying for two young mothers fighting Stage IV metastatic melanoma. No doubt our intensity has been miniscule compared to the wrestling of small armies of friends and family. Still, both mothers passed away this past month… and both had four children. I, along with many others ask, “Why, Lord?”

Let’s suppose the best, most insightful answers to this question forms a tall mountain, the Mt. Everest of human understanding. Still, while comparing our highest mountain peak to the height of the sun, our answers are dwarfed by God’s answers. Someday in heaven we’ll fully explore and grasp the wonders of His ways, but for now, what can bridge this gap?

At the top of our knowledge mountain stands a cross – The Wonderful Cross – which extends through the heavens, touching the outer edges of the universe, and forever declaring God’s good intentions towards us. Once we were totally undeserving, yet He sent Jesus, His Son, to sacrifice Himself on that cross to deliver us sinners from eternal death and punishment.

 For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? (Psalm 71:19).

 For me, the cross fully explains all that I don’t yet understand. How about you?

Lord, we struggle – but help us trust your heart.

Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. -Habakkuk 3:17-18

When my son and daughter were about 10 & 9 years old, we were walking along the shore of a lake. My son abruptly announced, “I smell Mexican food.” We were two miles from any restaurant, so I thought he might just be hungry. We walked another one hundred yards, and as we got closer to a truck parked along the lake, he said, “It’s in there.” Sure enough, as we looked at the seat of the unoccupied truck, there was a full bag of fast food from a familiar restaurant. I asked him how he could have detected the food from such a long distance, he said, “Dad, I was born to eat Mexican food.”

Now we all have different tastes and callings which we were born to carry out, but there is a common inclination in every human – praise. We are innately and unavoidably drawn to find things awesome. Though we are awe-struck by many things – singers, athletes, a sunset – our Designer intended the primary object of our adoration to be Himself. He certainly is worthy, not only because of His amazing deeds, but because of His incomparable nature. Words fail to describe Him.

Praising God may flow best when circumstances are favorable. Yet when we encounter adversity, our hearts may turn elsewhere. We may be unimpressed with His ability or willingness to spare us of troubles.

Yet one thing I want to practice this year is to praise Him always. Habakkuk grasped the unconditional aspects of true worship. He wanted to praise and exult God even if he had no food! The patriarch, Job, praised God after he lost all of his earthly belongings and all ten of his children.

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” -Job 1:20-21.

Some of us are in very difficult physical or spiritual condition because of cancer or some other trial. We don’t feel like praising, but praise lifts us into true joy above worldly suffering into heavenly realms. There, all that matters is that God is good and He always has the last word. So praise Him! Praise becomes you. You were born for this.

Lord, give us a spirit of praise and worship of You – You are worthy!