“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV

Are you feeling overwhelmed with what is happening in the world? So many unsettling things, war, financial chaos, human slavery, abandoned kids, injustice, disease… it’s enough to sink your heart into despair. Some hit closer to home the loss of a child, infertility, just day to day living expenses and a job you feel burned out from.

We need to remind ourselves: it seems hopeless because the enemy of our souls wants us to think it is hopeless. But it is not.

The Bible promises us that we have weapons to fight this war against the darkness. Divine power, in fact. God’s power demolishes anything that grabs our hearts with a dark, viselike grip or wages war in our minds to tear us away from trusting Jesus.

We are invited into this divine power by taking captive all our thoughts and making them obedient to Christ. We do that by knowing Him and His voice, so we can discern His whispers in our thoughts and rebuke the counterfeit whispers from the most talented liar in history. We must be able to hear what our Lord is telling us to think and do about those deep concerns (do I look for a new job that pays better, or do I sense that God is asking me to watch for a different solution) and then walk forward.

Friends, we need to commit to truly knowing and studying Jesus rather than studying all that is wrong in our world. Just as with other friends, we to know Jesus by spending purposeful time with Him. That means digging into the Bible, praying and listening to Him. Knowing Jesus as the real deal will help us focus more on what He is doing and less of the distractions of the enemy.