by Jim Hughes
Eccl. 4:12-13 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
There is strength in numbers. By ourselves we are too weak to stand for long. The opposition is too great and strong. We are easily overwhelmed. It is true both physically and spiritually.
No one is so strong spiritually that he can withstand Satan for long on his own. We need others in our lives who understand what we are going through and who can support us in our struggles. We need wisdom and guidance beyond ourselves because often we simply do not know what to do. When someone is standing by our side, we feel stronger and more confident in our struggles. We do not feel all alone and are not as likely to give up and admit defeat.
It is better still when not only are there others standing with us to support us, but we have the Lord on our side. Quite frankly, unless the Lord is the third strand that binds the cord together, we will not overcome Satan. Two strands woven together are stronger than one and can withstand a lot, but three strands are much stronger and not easily defeated. No matter how good our intentions may be, without the Lord, we will not prevail.
Satan attacks us on many different fronts. When we shore up our defenses in one area, he attacks another. No matter how well protected we may be, we will always be vulnerable outside of the Lord’s protection. When people are united together by Christ, the gates of hell itself shall not prevail against them. People may be able to do much good and make a huge difference in the world working together, but without the Lord in it Satan will easily render the good useless.
In the church, in marriage, in the workplace, in all we do, we need the Lord to bind us together. It is impossible to please God without Christ. All of our labors are in vain without the Lord. Life lived out without the help and blessings of Christ is futile. He alone holds us all together. He is the head of the church and we are His body. He is the Lord of life and the sooner we let Him be, the better we will be able to live in victory and not defeat.
About the Author:
Spending his formative years in Ft. Wayne, IN, Jim followed the love of his life to southeast Iowa where they married and have spent the majority of their lives. Jim has pastored several churches throughout his life and has worked many years in local factories to help support his family. The father of two married adult children and one son still at home, Jim is a first-time author.
C Through Marriage came into being through many years of pastoral and life experiences. The book first took on a life of its own over 20 years ago when I sought to address the much publicized moral failures of prominent leaders in the church. In the chapter on Chasity, I include the guideliness that I developed then to protect one’s self from such failures.
I am a firm believer in order to make sense out of life you have to use much common sense. We need to get back to the basics of what has worked for many, many generations. If is isn’t broke, why try to fix it? I strive to return to the basics of what really works in all my writings.
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