Grandpa Roleder is an icon in our family, a man of honor, courage, and faith. His story is downright heroic. He faced certain death years ago in Russia during a dark time, when Communists took over the government, when people were forced out of their homes, when violence ruled, when freedom was removed. During an interrogation, after he had been arrested for teaching and preaching about faith, Grandpa told his captors about God, about what Christ made possible, and about how anyone can have a full life through grace.
There are times the battle doesn’t seem to end. But. I learned from Grandpa Roleder to stand, refusing to let the darkness win, setting aside time to strategize through prayer and the Word, believing the darkness does not have the ultimate power or authority over us. The day he stood against darkness was not the end of life, but in many ways, the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime, which Grandpa could never have imagined.
Consider.
When the darkness comes at us, we might feel beaten and battered before the battle has barely begun. Sometimes we become blind to anything but the presence of the battle. And, if we are honest, we often see how the battle will be lost rather than how it can be won. But. The battle is not the main part of the story but about God’s commitment to give us whatever we need to conquer the darkness. It’s not that we get to a certain level of faith to receive the
authority to overcome, but when we receive the gift of grace we receive the right to access the power to overcome every battle, whether it is a conflict with darkness or an all-out war.
Stand.
Fight the darkness. Pray. Learn what to do from Scripture.
Determine the battle is won through the authority God has given you.
Remember you do not need to earn the right to overcome: Christ has done it for you.
Learning to Kickstart the day standing and overcoming the darkness,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)
The thing is . . . if you decide to stand and face darkness . . . it will push you down, confuse you, and eventually destroy you, unless you step into the battle through the presence and power of God, then you will have conquered the battle the moment you decide to stand up.
There are times the battle doesn’t seem to end. But. I learned from Grandpa Roleder to stand, refusing to let the darkness win, setting aside time to strategize through prayer and the Word, believing the darkness does not have the ultimate power or authority over us. The day he stood against darkness was not the end of life, but in many ways, the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime, which Grandpa could never have imagined.
Consider.
"I have given you authority …to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Luke 10:19, NIV).
When the darkness comes at us, we might feel beaten and battered before the battle has barely begun. Sometimes we become blind to anything but the presence of the battle. And, if we are honest, we often see how the battle will be lost rather than how it can be won. But. The battle is not the main part of the story but about God’s commitment to give us whatever we need to conquer the darkness. It’s not that we get to a certain level of faith to receive the
authority to overcome, but when we receive the gift of grace we receive the right to access the power to overcome every battle, whether it is a conflict with darkness or an all-out war.
Stand.
Fight the darkness. Pray. Learn what to do from Scripture.
Determine the battle is won through the authority God has given you.
Remember you do not need to earn the right to overcome: Christ has done it for you.
Learning to Kickstart the day standing and overcoming the darkness,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)