"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4.6, the second foothold of the devil is anxiety.
The word used here is merimnate and it means to be anxious or solicitous. Anxious in English is, "full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear, danger, or misfortune; greatly worried; solicitous." Solicitous is a word I had never heard before. it means anxious or concerned.
As I looked at both of these words in the Greek we see that the word functions both as a noun and a verb. As a noun it means "to draw in different directions; distract." As a verb it means, "to be anxious about, to have a distracting care." In this we can begin to see how this is a foothold of the devil.
Anxiety, or worry, leads to distractions. We aren't fully focused when there is something distracting us. When we're worried, or anxious, our attention isn't fully present on what we are doing. English says that this is mental distress because of fear, danger, or misfortune. It is being greatly worried. All of these things are negative, showing that I'm not fully focused on God, that I'm not trusting God.
God says in Philippians 4, "Be anxious for nothing" He says don't worry, don't be anxious, don't be distracted, don't fear anything. Instead of those things focus on Me. Praise me with thanksgiving. Pray to Me, talk with Me. And He gives us a promise when we do those things. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4.7-9.
God says that when we aren't distracted and are focused fully on Him, His peace will guard our hearts and minds. Verse 8 is a list of characteristics that are true of God and only God, our focus is to be on those things, and when we dwell on them, and live them out, the God of peace is with us. When the God of peace is with us, the Peace of God is with us.
This isn't just any peace, it's God's peace. It's peace that passes all comprehension. Comprehension is the capacity of the mind to perceive and understand. It's the power to grasp ideas, the ability to know. God says that His peace is beyond comprehension. It's beyond the power of the human mind to grasp and also to produce. It is peace that is only possible from focusing on God. His peace is so great, so incredible, and so overwhelming, that the only way to receive it is to focus fully on Him. It is peace that doesn't make sense because it comes at times in our lives when there shouldn't be peace. It is the peace that God gives us when we hear the word cancer. It is the peace that God gives us when September 11th happens. It is peace that is unexplainable apart from God.
God says don't focus on anything but Me, because that takes your focus off of Me. If your focus isn't on Me Satan can get into your life. Don't take your focus off of God, because when we do that, even for a second, we drop our guard. 1 Peter 5.8-9, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world." My mind goes back to the Spartan phalanx, one weak spot in the wall of shields, and the entire thing falls apart. We have a real enemy, the devil, and he is searching for someone to devour, we can not afford a single distraction because he is a hungry lion looking for a straggler to pick off, looking for a weak spot in the phalanx.
God warns us and says "Be anxious for nothing" instead pray. When we pray we are in a conversation with God. If you are actively engages in a conversation with someone you have to be focused on them. In prayer we are to be engaged in a conversation with God, sharing our requests, praising Him and thanking Him, and letting Him talk, letting Him speak to us. When we are focused on God we aren't distracted by anything because we know that God is with us and that He can and will handle any situation that comes. I don't have to worry because I know that as the poem Footprints in the Sand says, "My precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
When we are focused on God, trusting God, our anxiety is gone. When I am fully focused on God and I am surrounded by His peace, through the blood of Jesus Christ, guarding my heart and mind, my emotions and my thoughts, I have no distractions, no worry, and Satan has lost this foothold.
Peace be with you
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