2Co 4:8-9 NLT  - We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken.  We are    
             perplexed, but we don't give up and quit.  We are hunted down, but God never abandons us.
We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.

DON'T COUNT ME OUT!

Sometimes in life we go through circumstances that seem unbearable.  Circumstances that cause us to question our faith. Circumstances that push us down so far that we begin to wonder if we will ever get back on our feet.  But God, (don't you love that line?) wants you to be encouraged, He said in this world we would have trials and tribulations, but be of good cheer; Jesus overcame the world.

 John 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

While going through trials and tribulations we must recognize that the darkest attacks from the enemy will come just before our breakthrough from the Lord.  And it's during those dark times that the enemy will come to try you, taunt you, and cause you to doubt if the Lord will ever deliver you.  

Why is he kicking our backsides if he has already been beaten? The answer is that we let him. We don't want to be outwitted by the devil. That is why we must study and know God's word. The devil only has the authority we allow him to have in our lives! Part of the reason the enemy has been whipping us is because we have been trying to fight the enemy in the flesh, but the word of God says: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  

The Lord wants you to stop listening to the lies from the enemy and humble yourself.  Pray and seek His face, then turn your back to the devil, lift your voice with praise to Him, and He will hear from Heaven and move on your circumstance. 

We must begin to ignore his taunting, accusations and insinuations.  Don't give place to the enemy; don't hold a conversation with him.  Remember what happened to Eve when she held a conversation with the enemy?

Gen 3:1-5  Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field, which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.

Now imagine how much better our lives would be if she had turned her back to him and lifted up her face to the Lord.  She knew what the Word was, but still held a conversation with the enemy. Don't waste your time talking to him.

   

Ladies, you know we know how to ignore someone when we want to.  So, why do we allow the enemy to get into our lives? Think about the time when someone got on your last nerve.  When you saw them maybe a week later you walked right past them without speaking. You lifted up your head so high it was a wonder your neck didn't pop.  And oh, don't let them try and talk to you when you are having a conversation with someone else! You and I both know you turned you back to them as if they didn't exist!  

I know there has been someone in your life that you didn't care if you ever saw them again.  You wish they would fall off the face of the earth.  Don't tell me this has never happened to you?  Ok, then I am not talking to you; I'm talking to the ones that have had to deal with someone like this. Remember when they made you so mad you slammed the phone down on them, and said they must don't know who they are messing with.  Well that is what needs to be said about the enemy interfering in your business.  He doesn't know who he is messing with; therefore you need to show him.  Actions speak louder than words, and faith without works is dead.  Don't let him count you out!  

So, I ask you again, why do you allow the enemy to get into your business? Turn you back to him just like you did the person that ticked you off.  Then turn your face to the Lord and begin to praise Him for what is going to happen to the enemy on judgment day.  Better yet, begin to praise  Him right now for how He defeated the enemy when He died on the cross for you. Have this praise session with Jesus and watch the enemy flee:  

I am thankful that the victory the Lord Jesus Christ won for me on the Cross and in His resurrection has been given to me and that I am seated with the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenlies.  I take my place with Him in the heavenlies and recognize by faith that all wicked spirits and Satan himself are under my feet.  I declare, therefore, that Satan and his wicked spirits are subject to me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and I rejoice in Your mercy and goodness Lord.  

I am grateful, Heavenly Father, that the Lord Jesus Christ spoiled all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly and triumphed over them in Himself.  I claim all that victory for my life this day. I reject all the insinuations, accusations, and the temptations of Satan.  I affirm that the Word of God is true and I choose to live this day in the light of God's Word.

In every way I stand into the victory of the ascension and glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ, whereby all the principalities and powers were made subject to Him.  I claim my place in Christ this day, and I am victorious with Him over all the enemies of my soul.   

Get out enemy out of your face!

Because of the victory of the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Jesus Christ, we do not have to tolerate the enemy's mess.  The word says Satan only comes to steal, kill and destroy. Being that he only comes in our life to steal  from us, kill us or destroy us, why do we entertain him so much?  I will tell you why: it's because we let him.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

We need to resist, turn and lift our faces to the Lord with praises, and in the name of Jesus, he must flee!

James 4:7 says; Submit yourselves, therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." We have the power and
authority to kick the enemy out of our face. The Word of God will defeat him every time. When you begin to speak, "It is written" the way Jesus did, the enemy has no choice but to flee.  Now, if Jesus had to use the "Word" to make the enemy flee, what makes us think we can play with the enemy?

We need to kick him to the curb! But before he goes, we have the right to DEMAND IN JESUS' NAME, that he return every single thing he stole from us back to us sevenfold.  

Pro 6:31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

Don't let the devil leave with your stuff! We don't have to!  Now, that you have found him out it's time for him to go! Make him take his mess with him, and DEMAND IN THE NAME OF JESUS that he restore everything he stole away from you sevenfold! Satan is a defeated foe. Get your things back!  Begin to confess:

Heavenly Father, 

Your Word says when a thief is found he MUST restore everything that he has taken sevenfold. Satan the WORD of GOD declares you came to steal, kill and destroy, and the Holy Spirit has exposed  everything that you have taken away. Therefore, according to God's Holy Word you are COMMANDED in  the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to RESTORE EVERYTHING you took away SEVENFOLD.  The name of Jesus Christ commands you take your hands off of my finances, cars, jobs and my home right now in the name of Jesus.  Father, your word says that whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven; whatever we loose on earth is loosed in heaven.  Therefore Father, in the name of Jesus, bind all the strongholds of the enemy that have been holding back our financial blessings, and in the name of Jesus loose prosperity in our life according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Father we call forth our financial blessings right NOW in the name of Jesus!

Now do you understand why all those wrestling moves you learned on the WWF (World Wrestling Federation), didn't work on the enemy? You thought that when you applied the STONE COLD STUNNER  on the enemy you had half the battle won.  Oh no!  He saw that move coming.  And then you tried a combination of the PEOPLES ELBOW and the TOMB STONE PILE DRIVER to help you flee from that LAST RIDE move he put on you. You thought you had the battle won!  You have got to come
out of the flesh when coming against the enemy. All the verbal abuse, and cursing won't help.  God didn't tell you to do that.  That's your flesh talking. 

He said if you resist the enemy he would flee from you.  So what you must do is remember you are wrestling against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  So instead of you fighting in the flesh, you must use the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, which is the WORD OF GOD to fight your battle.  The WORD of GOD will do more damage to  the enemy than any F-5 move you could ever put on him! DON'T COUNT ME OUT! It ain't over until I win!

That's right, it's not over until you win! Win in your diets, jobs, finances, romances, relationships, friendships, families, and life in general! God wants you to be the head and not the tail, above and not  beneath. You can do all things through Christ that He has called you to do. You have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony! Where you are now is not the end of the story! Hold  your head up high, straighten your back, speak life into yourself, put some glide in your stride and go on with your bad self, you mighty child of God! DON'T LET HIM COUNT YOU OUT!

You must be confident of this that  He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. That means that what Jesus started in you the day you gave your life to Him, and you felt confident in your salvation, He will continue to supply you in that confidence until you are a finished product!

Phi 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform 
it until the day of Jesus Christ

It's not over until you have won!  I will close with 2 Corinthians 4:16-18:

    That is why we never give up.  Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  
For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long.  Yet they produce for us an immeasurably 
      great glory that will last forever!  So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look
         forward to what we have not seen.  For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever!  

WE FALL DOWN, BUT WE GET UP!  
DON'T COUNT ME OUT!

YOU'RE BLESSED AND YOU'D BETTER KNOW IT

  When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're traveling seems all uphill;
When the funds are low and the debts are high--
When you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit:
Rest if you must, but don't you quit!

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won--had he stuck it out!
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow!

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tints of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are--
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit:
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit!

Don't Give Up

Do not let the enemy cause you to fear.
Do not let him cause you to miss what I have for you. 
Though he maybe vicious, do not fear him.
Keep your eyes on Me. 
You are more than a conqueror through Me.

Don't allow yourself to be intimidated by those who
can kill the body but are unable to harm the soul. 
I will give you stamina to fight the good fight of faith, 
and then faith to believe the promises and to press into the prize. 
You will mount up on the wings of an eagle
You will see that My grace is sufficient for all your needs.

        I have established you in My love and in My everlasting covenant. 
                 I have deposited within you precious gems that shall surface in your time of need,
 so do not become weary and do not back down to opposition, 
stand strong and continue to run the race set before you.

 YOU MUST NOT GIVE UP!