1 Corinthians 9:26
Read: 1 Corinthians 9:25-27
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 1 Corinthians 9:25
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 1 Corinthians 9:26
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Corinthians 9:27
Bible in one year: Numbers 25-27
Message
“And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.”
Judges 16:6
If you want to bring down your enemy and your focus is on an area where he is strong, it may take you quite a while to get him. Usually, the enemy focuses on the weaknesses of those he wants to get. In the game of boxing, the same is true. If you are planning to take on an opponent, you will immediately commence detailed enquiry on the fellow. You would want to have video recordings of previous fights he has had. You will want to also know if he has ever been wounded in a fight before and the exact location on his body. Once you get this scar, your focus will be how to reopen the wound through concentrated heavy blows. If you can do this, you will secure cheap victory. No wonder Paul was successful in his battles against the kingdom of darkness. In 1 Corinthians 9:26, Paul says “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air”.
Just as the devil studies you in order to identify your weaknesses before drawing out his game plan, so also must you study the devil and his cohorts to identify their weaknesses and limitations so as to know how to contain them. Know that your enemies have weak points too! They have scars from battles they fought and lost to believers of every age. If you know these weaknesses, they will hardly take you unawares. To discover these, search the scriptures regularly. Carefully study the different times the enemy tempted people but failed. Also find out how they succeeded in tempting others who fell into temptation. One weakness of your enemy is that even though he can mobilise his forces to besiege his target for a period of time, God does not allow him to sustain that situation of siege forever. Satan may be patient but he does not have the ability to sustain that patience for too long. This is why you must not just resist him, but continue to resist him until he tires. You can wear out your enemy! In a temptation or a trial situation, never give up until the tempter gives up. Every time he tempts you on that situation, repeatedly say No to him. If you continue to say No, God will give you more strength, and before long, you will be triumphant.
KEY POINT
If you can study your enemies very well, you will know how to defeat them repeatedly.
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