My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world’s language and the world eats it up. But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception. 1 John 4:4-6 MSG
The Holy Spirit within us is wiser, greater, and stronger than anything that wants to come against us.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39
No matter what comes our way — it will not change the love that God (Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit) has for each one of us. And the secure promise of being with Him forever. These scriptures must be highlighted by the Holy Spirit in your hearts. Ask Him about them. Have Him teach them to your minds so that you might understand them with depth. Ask Him to settle them into your heart and soul. These Truths must go deep within you by His specific Voice spoken directly to you. (Rhema Word) These truths are the foundation of peace in your life. Knowing His love, joy, and peace in our inner most heart will be our Guide as we traverse the many trials, persecution, and suffering for His sake. That we might share in His triumph and victory before Him.
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 (Did you know that 1 Thessalonians is most likely the oldest letter / book in the New Testament? Long before the gospels were written. It certainly was wisdom to the very first participants in The Way who had very few written teachings to guide them. The Holy Spirit was their main Guide.)
Here are two more of the descriptions of your spiritual armor, the breastplate which protects your heart, and the helmet which protects your mind. What does it mean ‘we belong to the day’? These questions first need to be put to the Holy Spirit for His insight for you personally. For me the ‘day’ means “today”, meaning I must remain in the ‘present’ with Him, and not dwell on the past, or worry about the future. I must be focused on listening to Him about this day, hour, minute. Bringing my thoughts and mind BACK to Him on a regular basis. Our hearts need to be protected by our faith and and the knowledge of His love. And our ‘hope’ protects the onslaught of lies from our enemies against our minds. This hope is not just wishful thinking. Here the Greek word is elpís (from elpō, “to anticipate, welcome”) meaning – properly, expectation of what is sure (certain); hope. Our hope is ‘sure’, confident, and certain.
When the storms begin to blow and rage all around you, are your foundations secure and stayed / anchored on Him?