Date: Thu, 13 May 1999 2:30:1
Subject: Neil Anderson Devotional for Thursday, May 13, 1999
To: Dr. Rowland Croucher <>
From: DEVOTIONALS.NET <>

  N E I L   A N D E R S O N   D A I L Y   D E V O T I O N A L
             from Freedom in Christ Ministries

May 13

SPIRIT-INSPIRED BOLDNESS

Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the
LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

The third qualification for demonstrating authority over rulers
and authorities in the spiritual realm is boldness. A
Spirit-filled Christian is characterized by a true, godly sense
of courage and boldness in spiritual warfare. On the eve of
taking authority over the Promised Land, Joshua was challenged
four times to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9, 18).
When the early church prayed about their mission of sharing the
gospel in Jerusalem, "the place where they had gathered together
was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and
began to speak the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31).
Spirit-inspired boldness is behind every successful advance in
the church today.

The opposite of boldness is cowardice, fear and unbelief. Notice
what God thinks about these characteristics:

I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give
to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life
without cost. He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I
will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and
unbelieving and abominable and murders and immoral persons and
sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the
lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death (Revelation 21:6-8).

That's pretty serious--cowards lined up at the lake of fire
alongside murderers, sorcerers and idolaters! It should serve to
motivate us to exercise authority with boldness (2 Timothy 1:7).

A lot of Christians I meet fear the dark side of the spiritual
world. It's true that a little knowledge can be a dangerous and
frightful thing, but a growing knowledge of the truth is
liberating. Seminary students have told me, "I used to be afraid
of that stuff, but now I know who I am in Christ, and I'm not
afraid anymore." That's exactly the perception we should have.

Lord, increase my courage to light candles of truth and dispel
the darkness in Your name. I will fear only You today, not the
enemy.


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