Feeling Defeated (is just a feeling.)
HOPE for the brokenhearted - Week 4
Feeling defeated is really no more than a feeling. It is just a feeling. You are not actually defeated if you have God in your life.
It is literally impossible to be defeated when you are a child of God!
What you are experiencing when it feels like you are defeated is emotions of discouragement and hopelessness. These are emotions and responses to what you see surrounding you on earth. You only see the physical, causing you to fear this is the only reality.
If you are a Christian with faith to accept Jesus as your Savior, then you do NOT believe only in what you can see. You also believe in the spiritual world. "What? What did you just say? I am not sure that I fully accept the spiritual world to be honest," you confess. You accepted a Father God, a Savior Jesus, and a Helper, the Holy Spirit, as needed in your life and to continue on. You wholeheartedly welcomed heaven, angels, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit into your life, confessing that a spiritual world is authentic. Do I have you convinced that you my dear friend (as a Christian) know that what you experience in your physical body is NOT the full picture?
Negative feelings are often caused by only looking at earth and our circumstances here. If you feel defeated, it is most likely caused by your eyes are too focused on the physical and lacking any thoughts of the spiritual.
Now I know fully that these emotions of defeat can be so staggering and overpowering that it is difficult to escape. In fact in my past, I rediscovered those overwhelming feelings of downfall and hopelessness at times. I certainly visited the defeated cloud (we will call it that) hovering over me often many years ago when going through true heartache. The defeated cloud is my way of describing this feeling to you so that you can see it as a cloud that may hover temporarily but is in no way reality.
In a past job, I encountered a very negative, discouraging manager. She basically ruled over me with nothing but fault-finding, overcritical and unkind words and behavior. I felt disliked, unappreciated and downcast in her presence. Nothing that I did to satisfy her unrealistic demands was good enough. Dread was my new emotion as I walked into work knowing that she was there. I have never felt so dejected by a co-worker in my life. My attitude is normally quite positive and upbeat, especially when I keep God on my mind.
At this particular time of receiving such contempt and disrespect from my manager, the feeling of defeat was strong. Unfortunately, I spoke it aloud to others giving it more power. I said, "I feel so defeated" far too often. Instead of using the Word of God to declare victory, I found a place of despair. Of course I prayed and sought hope in God and his Word. But honestly I did not feel a lot of encouragement from it. My emotions were taking over too much. As each day grew more difficult with this person, I eventually left the job. It was not only the unkind manager that drove me to leave. It was a very stressful environment as part of the management team in general. It was just time for me to go.
Looking back, I realize I made much effort to accept comfort from God in this situation, but I was not fixing my eyes on spiritual victory. Trust me girls, I understand how hopelessness and dejection can seem impossible to overcome.
Here is the GOOD news:
You are not alone in this! God has brought you help! Together God and I will NOT accept your feelings of defeat as the truth!
We will lift you up above the circumstances (above the defeated cloud) to show you the Truth and Victory in the spiritual world. Yep, we have got this! Just gladly receive the assistance. You do have victory! You are NOT defeated!
There may be a presence of defeat and downfall around you. It may try to occupy your thoughts. This is only a climate, so to speak. Your atmosphere and condition can feel downcast, but this is the climate. It is the climate of the world that you are witnessing. It is offensive and despairing, this climate. Remember that defeated cloud that hovered over me during my days of feeling broken. You must see that these emotions of despair and rejection are not the truth. They do not exist in the spiritual world. They are a mere cloud, something that does not stand still.
So let me and God (I guess He wanted a sister along for the ride to help) take you to the truth! Defeat is a lie from Satan. His greatest goal is for you to be hopeless and feel unloved by God. So the truth will set you free!
We will start in the Word of God, the most powerful weapon we have at our disposal!
“When you approach the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people, and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: you are advancing today to battle against your enemies. Do not lack courage. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble [in terror] before them,
for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
Deuteronomy 20: 2-4 AMP
Just as God was with his people in Deuteronomy fighting against the enemy and saving them; the same is for you today. The Lord your God is with you. You are not defeated, no matter how you may feel. God is with you to fight against your enemy and to save you. Notice who is doing the fighting. Are you fighting in these words from God? No. He is fighting! God is saving you from this battle whatever it may be for you.
The earthly climate says you are beaten. The defeated cloud says you are losing. Your emotions find you disheartened and almost crippled. But, the truth is that you are not beaten or losing. For the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. There is no defeat, no loss. The spiritual world, that of God, is your world also if you believe in Jesus. Please don’t dismiss it due to your persistent emotions.
For the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
When you feel defeated, it is just a feeling. It is not the truth.
The Lord your God goes with you, fighting your enemies to save you. Does that sound like defeat? That dear one is victory.
Take part in losing sight of the defeated cloud and the ugly climate of despair. They may surround you, but they are not the truth of God, your Creator. Focus your mind and heart on the victorious battle, with God going with you to fight your enemies and save you. This is how it really looks. This is the truth.
I want you to take these few words and consider them day and night. Think of them, visualize them and know them as true. You are not defeated. You are victorious in Christ. Know that any crushing emotions you experience are just that - emotions. Emotions and feelings do not define you; they only happen to you. They come and go.
Deuteronomy 20: 4
The LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Love,
Truly
Republished 4/2/2021
(Originally Published 11/14/2019)
Writer: Truly Kernea
Author: GOD
