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IT'S NOT A KNOCK-OUT IF YOU'RE THE ONE ON THE GROUND.
It's not the knock-out round if you are the one on the ground. No matter how the fight looks, no matter how bloodied and wearied you are by the battles going on in your life or family, until the enemy is the one on the ground, it's not over. Concerning your children, concerning your health, concerning your marriage and life, the knock-out is when you win!
What do I mean? Let's get some context in God's word:
John 16:33 AMPC
"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]"
What this means: difficulties and challenges abound in this world. As a child of God, you are not immune to them but, you have God's word that you are positioned to win; you are the victorious one not, the conquered.
Sometimes the wins look so inconsequential, sometimes it doesn't even look like you are winning, you don't even "feel" victorious. When Elijah sent his servant the 7th time, there wasn't thundering and lightening going on, it was still "like the fist of a man", but that fist would in a "little while" become a great downpour.
What this means: Don't stop praying at the 2nd, 4th or 6th check, keep calling on the name of Jesus over that situation and speaking God's word; there is a definite answer waiting when you hit the 7th note. Keep at it until the answer comes.
Genesis 3:15 AMPC
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel".
That pain, that hurt, that seemingly unyielding situation, yes, that's the devil attempting to fulfill his portion of the curse God pronounced in the garden. But Child of God, do not be deceived by his shenanigans! God has kept His word; the enemy is already trodden under your feet. Don't think for a moment that his struggle is meant to knock you out. The final verdict is already secured in Christ. You have a sure word on this: Colossians 2:15 TPT
"Then Jesus made a public spectacle of all the powers and principalities of darkness, stripping away from them every weapon and all their spiritual authority and power to accuse us. And by the power of the cross, Jesus led them around as prisoners in a procession of triumph. He was not their prisoner; they were his!"
In Nigerian parlance, e don cast for the devil!
Romans 16:20 TPT
"And the God of peace will swiftly pound Satan to a pulp under your feet! And the wonderful favor of our Lord Jesus will surround you".
Dearly Beloved, hear the word of the Lord today; until the devil is the one on the ground, it's NOT the knock-out. You won, this is a replay and in a little while, as you stay grounded in prayers, keeping your eyes on God's word, you will get to the point of your victory dance.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A KNOCK-OUT ROUND
Elimination: This is a total kill-or-be-killed fight. The enemy knows this and will fight with everything he has. He knows he has no chance of winning unless he can successfully weary you and distract you from the truth that secures your victory. He'll use things like work stress, an ungrateful family member, or health challenges. His goal is to weaken you, get you frustrated, and make you give up on God. But you won't, crawl back into the place of prayer, don't bother about if you are feeling all the spiritual fire you need (feelings don't equate spiritual power), mumble those words, speak that affirmation from God's word, declare and stand on God's word. Faith comes only through the word; hear it, speak it, until you see it. The enemy can't kill you, don't give up, keep moving forward in praise and prayers.
Advancement: You win one round to qualify for the next. This is almost self-explanatory, as you win one battle, you move forward in victory. It starts with your mind (3 Corinthians 10:5, Proverbs 4:23, Phillipians 4:8) the only truth about your situation is what God says in His word, get fixated in that truth. Once you win the battle in your mind, you advance to the next phase, for each phase, your assured victory is in God's word, never step out of it.
Repeated cycles: A knock-out is characterized by repeat fights until there is only one winner standing. Each cycle narrows down the number of contenders. When the devil met Jesus in the garden and got knocked-out with scriptures, the Bible recorded that:
"When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came". Luke 4:13 NLT. This means the devil doesn't do one-off hits. He is persistent. He followed Jesus with persecution, and in doing so, fell straight into the trap that sealed his eternal damnation (1 Corinthians 2:8). In the same way, he keeps coming at you; your finances, your health, your child. But know this: every attack is just leading him closer to his ultimate fall as you draw nearer to your victory point!
High stakes: This is a winner-take-all fight. You must win. Sometimes the attack on your marriage isn't just about you and your spouse; it's about your children. Sometimes it's not about that one child that is troubling your peace, it's about the enemy trying to access and afflict generations to come. Sometimes it's not about your health or your life; it's about your eternal relationship with God. When Jesus asked Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15).
This is high stakes; you must look beyond the lines. When Satan offered Jesus the glory of the world, it was beyond making him famous, he wanted to re-enact the fall of Man and maintain rulership over the earth. When Jesus said to the Father in the midst of his deepest pain and fears in the garden of Gethsemane “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Luke 22:42 NLT, he was looking beyond the excruciating pain he would suffer for a people that had no understanding of the price he was about to pay. He was looking at the prayer he prayed with his disciples "Your kingdom come...." Matt 6:10; there would be no kingdom if he allowed fear to stop him!
Dearly Beloved, the stakes are high; you can't afford to give up now. Strengthen yourself in His word and rise knowing that you are positioned to win. Our victory is all God's glory is about (John 14:13-14). So have no fear, your victory is assured in Christ.
Sometimes victory may not look like a sick child recovering, victory may not look like your landlord reversing your eviction notice or God converting that sack email to a promotion. Inspite of ALL the enemy will throw at you, victory is staying in His grip with a praise on your lips!
"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord". Romans 8:38-39 NLT
When the CV of the great and mighty God is read before the sons of men, your testimony shall have a prominent place as one of His mighty acts in Jesus' name. Christ has triumphed for you. Colossians 2:15.
Remember, it's not a knock-out if you are the one on the ground. The true knock-out is when you are left standing, with your feet firmly on the enemy's neck. Arise!