“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

John 15:16 (NIV)

Dear heart, we all have pressure points – those topics or thoughts or beliefs that just really get our anxiety or stress moving upward.

Naturally, we attempt to avoid them in our daily life interactions.

The enemy though, that slinking no good snake in the grass, he knows what our pressure points are too. He not only knows what they are but he knows how to use them against us; sometimes he just pokes one to see what will happen, sometimes he leans on one or more until we absolutely can’t bear it.

In heartfelt transparency, I have two that the enemy picks at from time to time:

1. You don’t belong.
2. You aren’t – good, smart, calm, fill-the-blank – enough.

For the whole month of January, that old liar pushed my pressure points pretty hard in one area of my life, using every look, sigh, or comment – even those from loved and trusted Siblings in Christ – to trigger my insecurities and set me beating myself up for every flaw and failure. I’ll admit, it was a real struggle for several weeks to stay focused on what God says about me.

Sweet friends, I’m betting you have weeks or even months like that too. The enemy is an equal opportunity attacker; he comes at us all and he plays dirty.

But Beloved, just because the enemy opens his mouth, doesn’t mean we have to listen to a single word he says. In fact, when the enemy comes pushing on our pressure points, the best course of action is to push back with the mighty truth of God’s Word.

This is one of the reasons why it is so important to hide God’s Word in our hearts – so we have it handy to shut the enemy up. It’s also important to have a memorization plan for Scripture that includes the verses that best defend your pressure points. As I mentioned, two of my biggest pressure points are “don’t belong” and “not ____ enough”. This is why I find myself so often repeating John 15:16.

You see, in John 15:16, God says I do belong. I belong to Him. Not because of anything I’ve done, but because He has chosen me. God says I am enough. Not because of anything I can do or any skill or talent I possess, but because God says He has appointed me to bear lasting fruit; He equips and empowers me so that I will always be and have enough of whatever is needed to fulfill His calling on my life.

Sibling in Christ, I don’t know what pressure points you have or how the enemy pushes them, but I do know that you don’t have to let them or him spin you of control. Our great and mighty God is in control and His Word is filled with the truth you need to defend your pressure points against the enemy’s attacks.

Whatever your pressure points are, may I encourage you to talk to the Father about them today? Ask Him to reveal to you the Words you need to hide in your heart. God wants you to live in victory, and He is faithful to give you what you need.