In reality, what does our fight against the realm of darkness look and feel like? One thing is for sure, if you do not know your enemy and are not prepared for his attack, he will defeat you. Defeat is NEVER the will of God for your life! Jesus came, defeated hell and the grave, and rose again triumphant so that we could be of “good cheer” because He has overcome the world.

Have you ever seen anyone at a party in a state of “good cheer”? Generally, they have had a little too much wine and have entered into a happy place where they get a little louder, bolder and more courageous than they usually are. This is because they have been partaking of a ‘different spirit” which is affecting their thoughts and behaviours.

The Lord tells us not to be drunk on wine but to be filled with the Spirit. Just like wine affects your thoughts and behaviour, so does being filled with the Spirit. In the natural it is easy to become cheerful with some wine, but how do you enter the cheerfulness, or drunkenness, of the Spirit? How do you “drink” the wine of the Holy Spirit?

Firstly, it is not by pretending to drink some imaginary liquid and then acting like you’re happy! This is not a ‘fake it till you make it’ deal. It’s far more real than that! Your imagination, when filled with thoughts and emotions connected with the goodness of God, will bring you into a state of cheerfulness in God that will cause you to become bold and courageous in the face of opposition. And yes, it should change your outward countenance to a smile and a joyful, carefree disposition.

Jesus said that His joy is your strength and also to rejoice always, and again He says to rejoice. Why? Why would He tell us to be happy and carefree when we are facing so many troublesome and often fearful situations? Does He not care when we are hurting or going through struggles? How can He expect us to be happy when our world is falling apart? What does God do when we have a night season where we are weeping and sorrowful?

God is never unaware, neither is He uncaring about any of your circumstances. When you are in a night season, where pain and sorrow and heartache and fear seem to surround you on every side, He is right there in the thick of it with you. In these times He comes as a Father to comfort and love you. His comfort and love come in the form of His gentle, tender voice which encourages you to let your thoughts arise out of the darkness of the night and to let the light (thoughts) of a new morning, filled with hope and love and life, to become your focus. In the night seasons He teaches you to prepare for battle and in the morning, He leads you out to stand in the light of His joy and peace against which no darkness can prevail.

Becoming cheerfully filled with the spirit in the midst of this world happens as you spend time in the presence of the Lord learning to behold HIM. As you learn to take your thoughts and your internal eyes off yourself and your circumstances to see His face, it will transform you. You really can learn to rejoice and be happy in every situation. When you see and engage with Jesus, He leads you into the realm of His kingdom and it changes the way you see and think. Your mind, your imagination, your emotions, etc., all become transformed as YOU begin to think and experience everything differently.

I pray you come to the place where your whole spirit, soul and body become enchanted by His majesty and grace.

“Cheers!” 😂😂😂

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The Cheerful Battle! 1 – Download PDF