Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous hand.

Faith in God and trusting in His word overcome all fears. God can overcome and eliminate anything against us if we reach out to Him in faith. Our strength and confidence come from the Lord, who will provide the way. Nothing is too hard for God if we just put faith in His word. 

James 3:16-17

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder (unrest, rebellion) and every evil thing and morally degrading practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure (morally and spiritually undefiled), then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering without hypocrisy. 

To draw closer to Jesus, we must examine our hearts and turn from selfish ambition. Our goal as Christians is to work toward the eternal, not the temporary, gains here on earth. The motivation of our hearts is crucial, and when we practice being loving and kind, our lives and relationships will flourish.

John 32,36

And you will know the truth (regarding salvation), and the truth will set you free (from the penalty of sin). So if the son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free.

We must remind ourselves daily of the truth of our salvation and that we are free. We do not have to enter into bondage to worldly temptations and the pressures to conform and accept sin. We are to stand apart in the freedom Jesus gave us and stand for the word. When we stand up in our faith, Jesus stands with us!

Romans 8:2

For the law of the Spirit of life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

How we see ourselves in Christ directs our growth spiritually. If we cannot stand up to the old self and create new habits, we cannot move forward with God. The bondage of sin will only envelope our thinking with unworthiness and keep us from taking hold of the benefits and freedom from sin through Jesus.  

2 Corinthians 5:21

He made Christ who knew no sin to (judicially) be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God (that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious loving kindness).

The devil uses increased critical pressure to hold down the saints. The darts and arrows that come our way must be deflected by the shield of faith and our reminder of who we are in Christ. When we remind ourselves that Jesus has justified us and our sins are forgiven, we will strengthen ourselves and resist the devil, and he will flee.  

Romans 5:17

For if by the trespass of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one (Adam), much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in (eternal) live through the One, Jesus Christ.

The devil will try to remind us of our sins and failures constantly. The barrage of criticism is a way to keep us feeling unworthy and unable to move forward spiritually. Paul reminds us that we were made righteous, our sins removed, and we are to reign through Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must stand on our faith, remind ourselves we are not the downtrodden sinner and move forward and leave the past behind. 

Isaiah 64:4

For from the days of old no one has heard, nor has ear perceived, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, who works and acts on behalf of the one who (gladly) waits for Him.

As Christians, we know the love God has for us. We understand and experience God working on our behalf. Our perspective towards God is one of expectation because God is a rewarder for those who wait for Him. No other God is like our God, who loves and cares for His people!

Ephesians 4:26-27

Be angry (at sin-at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior) yet do not sin; do not let your anger (cause you shame, nor allow it to) last until the sun goes down. And do not give the devil an opportunity (to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness).

Anger is more than an emotion. It is a gateway (if not controlled) to enter into sin. Nothing peaceful ever grows in an angry heart. The seed of peace can’t take root and gets dug up by offense, resentment, and bitterness, producing anger that gives an entryway for the devil. We have a choice to thrive in peace or get stuck in anger. Choose peace.

Psalm 34:13-15

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous (those with moral courage and spiritual integrity). And His ears are open to their cry. 

We control our peace in this life by our attitude, actions, and what we speak. Doing good is more than just an action. It is what God calls us to do. As we stay in line with the word, we remain righteous, and the Lord hears our cry when we call because we keep ourselves from sin and speaking deceit. 

Psalm 119: 28-29

My soul dissolves because of grief; renew and strengthen me according to (the promises of) Your word. Remove from me the way of falsehood and unfaithfulness and graciously grant me Your law.

Grief comes when we are mourning an ending and are powerless to stop the outcome. Grief will be felt for relationships, death, loss of jobs, and changing circumstances, and God is there to fill in the gap and remove the sadness from our hearts. God will strengthen and preserve us in times of need and release us from falsehood and unfaithfulness that may surround our lives.