Undaunted.Life: A Man's DevotionalSýnishorn

SPIRITUAL, Day 7: Who Can Be Against Us? As we wrap up the first week of the Undaunted Life devotional, we need to look back to revisit some of the questions that arise when talking about our spirit… “Can a male be manly and spiritual?” “Is spiritual strength even necessary?” “How can we be spiritually resilient?” By now, you should be comfortable answering the first two questions with a resounding “YES.” Even with the third question, we shouldn’t have any issue coming up with several methods and beliefs that help us in our spiritual resilience. However, there is another question that is of the utmost importance as you consider your path towards spiritual resilience… “If God is for us, who can be against us?” In the chapters leading up to verse 31 of Romans 8, Paul is creating a crescendo of arguments against the notion that there are powers in this world that can outpace and overtake the power of God. Romans 8:31 is the mighty conclusion to all of these arguments that he has made up to this point. It reads like a question, but it is very much a statement. Here is our reality: God is FOR us! God cannot be swayed to be more for some than he is for others. He is for us all. If God is for us, then that means his son Jesus is for us, the Holy Spirit is for us, and the angels are for us. How do we answer the question, “Can a male be manly and spiritual?” Well, God created men to perform manly deeds and manly endeavors, and he gave us a spirit that is attached directly to him as a power source. So, yeah, a male can be manly and spiritual. How do we answer the question, “Is spiritual strength even necessary?” If it weren’t necessary, then why would Jesus speak of its importance? Why would it be a central theme to many of Paul’s letters? Spiritual strength is more than necessary; it’s essential. How do we answer the question, “How can we be spiritually resilient?” Simply, we can’t do what comes natural to most of us. We have to realize that we can’t do it by ourselves. We can’t just grind our way to where we need to be. We just have to let loose our grip on the reigns and allow God to do the mighty work in us. Finally, how do we answer the question, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The only answer is, “NO ONE!” There is no other answer that makes sense. Sure, people may mock us because of our religious practices. Intellectual elites may look at our faith and judge us to be simpletons. Some of us may even be martyred for our beliefs. However, the strongest opposition we will ever face is Satan and his dark angels, but even they are not enough to stop our God. If we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is our lord and savior, then we win in the end no matter what. No one and nothing in all creation can surpass the power of God. He is our source of spiritual resilience. How can the truth of Romans 8:31 affect how you deal with spiritual opposition?