Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

A Battle to Fight

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I know he struggles big time with anxiety. Some days are more intense than others, but it is a daily battle. The investment of a lot of hours has occurred in attempts to help him. And he is not alone. Anxiety is a problem for everyone. Yes, everyone. Even Christians. Now I am aware some people might be more “care-free” about life and not appear to be overly anxious about anything. Exhibit “A” was my brother. Nothing seemed to drive him to worry, fret, or get anxious. I would get anxious over him not getting anxious! But I knew that wasn’t true. No one is immune to anxiety. Why? It is a result of the fall in the garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned, their fall was total to include our emotions. Unhealthy fear, dread, being afraid, and yes, anxiety, are part of the curse from God for sin. And that means we will never be totally free from anxiety until we get to heaven, free from the remaining power of sin in us and the presence of sin around us. But, we don’t need to despair. Though we will not know complete anxiety-free living in life, God in His mercy and grace has given us power to do battle against it and not be paralyzed by it. So, here is what we must do in our battle against anxiety in whatever shape it takes.

First, unlike my friend who is looking for complete freedom from anxiety in this life, we must confess that isn’t happening. When we realize there are things in this life that will not be removed, then, and only then, are we able to appropriate God’s means of coping with these things in life. To want, or expect, to be anxious-free this side of heaven guarantees losing the battles against anxiety. Knowing we are in this fight for life will equip us to fight for life.

The other thing to do in battling anxiety is in today’s scripture. Prayer, but not just any type of prayer. The Apostle Paul is not directing us to pray for anxiety to be gone. He is instructing us to fight against it with the prayer of thanksgiving! Yes, that is hard when the heart is racing with anxious thoughts, but in shifting our prayers off ourselves and what is causing anxiety to the God of all circumstances and giving Him thanks, we will see our anxiety replaced by His peace. That is how it works. We get anxious by looking inside ourselves and around ourselves instead of looking outside ourselves and upward to the Lord. A heart stayed on Him will be a heart knowing His peace.

So, in helping my friend battle anxiety, and helping ourselves, let’s start with remembering this is a battle for life. Then, live with a prayer life of thanksgiving. Learning these two truths will help us consistently win the battles over anxiety.

PRAYER: “Father, thank You for empowering me to fight the good fight of faith all the way to heaven.”

QUOTE: “We won’t be anxious-free in this life but we can learn to fight against the anxieties in life.”

Because of Him,

Pastor Jim