Posts Tagged ‘Faith’

Even if You Don’t

Posted: September 6, 2026 in Kingdom Living
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Recently, I found myself in one of those tough life experiences where I was faced with a difficult situation and of course, on my knees praying for an answer and clinging to the hope that one would come. Now guys, to reassure you, this is NOT a post where I break down the options God has to answer your prayers. And I won’t bore you with the same message of Yes, No, or Maybe. That is not what this post is about. 

To be honest, guys, this post might be tough to hear. Only because there may come a moment in your own walk where you have to stare your circumstances in the face and ask: what happens if the answer I’m asking God for isn’t what I think is the best for me? If you’ve been walking with the Lord for any length of time, you realize that He often responds in ways we never anticipated. I’ve seen folks interpret this as God making a mistake, and they actually start to hold a grudge against Him.

But today, I am really speaking to those of you who have made an intentional choice in your Christian walk and can say, “God, even if you don’t answer my prayer in the way I ask” nothing is going to change between you and me. My hope is still in You. I was reminded of a similar circumstance when reading in the book of Daniel chapter 3 when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo were confronted with the Babylon King Nebuchadnezzar who told them if they did not bow down to his golden statue, they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. To help set the stage, at this time in history, Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful king of the most powerful kingdom.

The important point from this confrontation is how these young men answered the King: 

“King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have sent you.” Daniel 3:16-18 NIV

Even if He doesn’t…

How many of us could stand in that situation; in front of one of the most powerful people on the planet, faced with certain death, and still able to trust God no matter what the outcome? 

Another author, Geoff Thomas, also writing about these same men in his book about Daniel give us this quote to consider, 

“indeed, every Christian has to face up to the alternative possibility, that “even if he does not deliver us“ we will still do his will – serving Christ for loss, serving Christ for loneliness, serving Christ for death. We don’t have to be rich; we don’t have to marry; we don’t have to become parents; we don’t have to live; but we have to obey.”

To be honest, guys, this might be a major turning point for some of you. It’s a tough reality to face, but this level of surrender is exactly what the Lord desires from us. He is looking for a heart that offers Him complete devotion without any assurance of the results we hope for. At the end of the day, our lives are meant to reflect the purpose He has designed. Are you prepared to accept that? This is intentional strong talk about a mature Christian walk; where one recognizes that things won’t always go exactly as we planned.

Another point to consider about our story is this: God did NOT intervene and keep these young men from having to go into the flames. They still got thrown into that furnace which killed the guards that did the throwing. They were not held back from having to go through the fear of this experience but yet still trusted Him to be there too. And as we know, God did show up and even sent a physical representative to join them.

To wrap things up, guys, Scripture never promised any of us a free pass or say we are exempt from the trials of this life. Whether it’s facing a devastating medical diagnosis or dealing with the stress of your kid wrecking the family car, we aren’t spared. And in those moments, that is when you and I have to stand tall much like those young men being cast into the furnace. The important distinction is that He has given His word to never leave us or forget us. In the very center of your struggle, He is right there with you.

I understand this is stronger talk than what you are used to hearing on this blog but walking with God takes men who have resolved themselves to serve Him. No matter what. Sometimes, I just look up to the sky and say, “God, no matter what happens, You are stuck with me” and I hope you feel the same way.

Until next time Guys, 

The IMS Team – Iron-man-Strength

References:

Thomas, Geoff., Daniel: Servant of God under Four Kings (Bridgend:Bryntirion, 1998).

You can also enjoy one of my favorite Christian bands, Mercy Me, with their song, Even If.

Hardwired towards Kindness

Posted: August 31, 2026 in Strong Husbands
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

So if you are like me and you have ever found yourself passing the hours in an airport terminal, and because you are bored, it is easy to pass the time people-watching. For some strange reason, I find people fascinating in their own environment. Whether it is the wardrobe they decide to put on, or the companions they select as company, there is something truly telling about observing people in their element. And yet at the same time, you can’t help but notice some behaviors from so-called “adults” that are really quite shocking.

Now guys, I don’t claim to have all the answers, but in my time observing, I was frequently stunned by the way some folks decided to interact with one another—particularly those who appeared to be married. To give you an example, I witnessed a truly heart-wrenching exchange between a couple, man and a woman and I am telling you, the behavior I saw this man display was absolutely saddening.

Now you know I’ve spent quite a bit of time on this blog reflecting on marriage and the fundamental way we choose to interact with one another. In fact, I actually wrapped up a two-part series where we explored the idea of killing people with kindness and the power of paying it forward (links are down below). It’s amazing how simple, everyday choices that you and I make change everything for our friends, but especially for our spouses.

Yet as I stood there, witnessing that scene with growing frustration, seeing a husband choose to be so deliberately cruel toward his spouse, it truly broke my heart. In the end, fueled by his own anger, he simply walked away—leaving her stranded and solitary in that terminal. I couldn’t help but wonder, watching from afar, how a couple like this ever began their journey together? When you witness such a tragic decline, you have to ask yourself… were there ever any better times?

Yet when I think about this now, and everything that led up to that moment I witnessed in the terminal it hit me that all those simple, everyday choices between that couple somewhere along the way were broken. He went from kindness to cruelty. And that point alone seems to be forgotten by people who are rushing through their life and travels, just trying to reach the next destination.                                          

And what is just plain sad is that, some people’s hard wired reaction towards other people is just cruelty…

I’m telling you, it’s truly painful to witness these moments. Because when you strip everything else away, our FAMILY is our only true legacy and if we decide to treat our loved ones with the same coldness I saw in the airport that day,

You will end up being alone. 

And even though you may not see this in your present situation, it will be a tragedy in the future when it comes to pass. Guys, here is the truth, these situations can be avoided. Moreover, it doesn’t take a genius to choose kindness.

Jesus was asked what was the greatest Commandment of all, and he replied, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

And then he said…“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:33

Or, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”  Ephesians 5:25

Or, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” Colossians 3:19

Guys, as husbands and fathers, we are called to love, encourage, and build up our families…not destroy. 

If you have anger problems, I encourage you to seek help from your pastor…and when the opportunity presents itself, choose kindness.

Until next time Guys,

Iron-man Strength (IMS) Team

Wright, Kent, “Killing them with Kindness,” Ironman Strength, December, 24, 2024, iron-man-strength.com

Wright, Kent, “Practical ways to Kill them with Kindness – Part 2” Ironman Strength, December, 26, 2024, iron-man-strength.com

Jesus is wearing your Scars

Posted: August 12, 2026 in God Perspective
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

Whenever a massive natural disaster or some significant crisis captures our collective attention, it always seems to happen; We are met with heart-wrenching stories of suffering and the crushing weight of loss. But yet occasionally, a story emerges that just stops you in your tracks—a miraculous moment where a young life is rescued against all odds.

I remember a few years ago hearing about a little girl who, during a massive rainstorm, accidentally fell into a flood swollen river and was being carried down as fast as the river flow was moving. Honestly, when you saw the footage of her, you just knew she was gone. And then somehow, seemingly from out out of nowhere, there is a man who comes into the picture powerfully swimming and pulls her to the safety of the shore. In this moment, there were many people there watching in horror because everyone knew what the outcome would be until this man saved her. 

When they reached the shore, they were enveloped by everyone there thanking him and congratulating him for such an amazing display of bravery. Then the family arrived and the outpouring of love started all over again. I have never seen a life pulled from the jaws of death like that before. It really was a miracle. 

As you can imagine, in the midst of this happiness chaos and cheering a lone reporter came over and thrust her microphone into his face and asked, “why did you do that? Why would you risk your life to save hers?” The man immediately stopped and turned to this reporter in the middle of all these people and looked her straight in the eye and said, “because she couldn’t save herself “ Then he turned away and he and the mob of wellwishers left leaving her standing there.

Apparently, I think his answer surprised the reporter because she just stood there with no follow up question and just watched them walk away. But for me, his answer was a solid “knock me over the head moment”. Why? because this man just described exactly why Christ did what He did for every single human being that has ever existed or walked this earth. 

By dying on that cross, Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price of sin for EVERYONE…and why would he do that? For the exact same reason.

Because we can’t save ourselves.

Now I am hoping that statement doesn’t surprise any of you because in this generation, we are told there really isn’t anything we can’t do, or any height that we can’t ascend on our own. But I am telling you the truth. No matter how hard we try or how many good deeds you do or much money you give to the poor, or the church, or a charity. You might give up your time and volunteer at the homeless shelter. You might even do many other things that make you a solid human being but with full transparency there is one thing you cannot do…

You cannot remove your own sin. 

You were born into it. We all were and there isn’t anything WE can do by ourselves except one thing. And that is accept what Christ did for you personally. 

When He died on that cross, He died as a substitute for you. Every single human was headed for certain death because that is the penalty for sin. Think of it this way, just like the title of this post, “Jesus is wearing my scars”, your scars, EVERYONES scars.

Christ stepped in and did the heavy lifting for all of us which means His sacrifice paid our penalty and now our job is to focus our best efforts each day to follow Him.

Guys, my intent is not to be preachy, but I do hope this will resonate with you today that without what Christ did for us on that cross, we were headed for certain destruction.

Let me leave you with one of my favorite verses in Jeremiah below:

You will seek Me and find Me if you seek Me with ALL of your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

The ball is in your court.

Until next time Guys-

IMS team

The Story of Satan – Part 5 – Satan’s Adversary

Posted: July 26, 2026 in Biblical Wisdom
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

So a quick recap from part 4 is we learned what Satan is doing right now. And trust me, he is NOT sitting on his hands. He is an active General conducting a war against you and me…Please don’t forget that. Additionally we learned what you and I should be doing to protect ourselves while we are going through this journey. 

Most importantly though, we cannot be complacent about this unseen war Satan is conducting and we certainly can’t pretend it isn’t happening. So let’s jump right back into this study again.

Let me start with this statement-

Jesus Christ came to earth to destroy the works of Satan. 

Did you catch that? Not mediate, compromise, or even legislate what Satan is doing, He came to destroy. As I previously mentioned, Satan prowls around this earth with the sole intent of devouring you and me. Jesus’ plan is exactly opposite; Instead of your destruction, He wants you to have eternal life with Him and what stands in both our ways are the plans of the enemy. 

Jesus Christ is the adversary of Satan. 

Read this;

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 ESV 

Christ also came to this earth to establish the Kingdom of God and most importantly, deliver us, you and me, from the dominion of Satan. In case you missed this from previous blog episodes, while we are on earth, we are enslaved to Satan unless we accept the offer of Christ to be redeemed…but I am getting ahead of myself. Read these few verses:

But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Matthew 12:28 ESV – Christ Speaking

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed Luke 4:18 ESV – Christ speaking

And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” Luke 13:16 ESV – Christ Speaking

…to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Acts 26:18 ESV

In case you didn’t know, when Christ came to Earth, that was a direct invasion into the enemy’s territory that absolutely shook the kingdom of darkness. Before He officially began His ministry here, Jesus actually allowed Satan to challenge Him with various temptations. The enemy tried to bribe Him with everything you see on this planet, provided Jesus would simply fall down and worship him. (Matthew 4:1-11).

Take a look at these few verses:

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'” Matthew 4:8-10 ESV 

(We have talked about this before so I encourage you to go back to the blog citation at the end and read, “The Temptation of Jesus” for further details on the power that Satan has here on Earth.)

When you read these verses, you will notice that Jesus systematically refused Satan’s temptations by using only scripture as responses to each question. Why would Christ do this? Because according to the Bible, the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and that was sufficient to defeat the prince of this world.

Let me remind you of Martin Luther’s words from many years ago when he said,

The devil is God’s devil. We have forgotten that only when we know who God is can we know who the devil is. Blessed are those who are convinced that the prince of this world has become a slave to the Prince of Peace.

QUICK SIDE NOTE: I really want to stress how vital it is for you to grasp the weight of this quote. Even though Satan operates as the prince of this world, he remains completely subject to the authority of Christ! Don’t miss this: it means you and I can access that very same power to achieve victory over the enemy when we need it. Please make sure you read this and realize that this divine resource is available to you. You are never fighting this battle alone.

Let’s pick up this story again. When Christ hung on that cross and breathed His last breath, the entire kingdom of darkness erupted in celebration. They were convinced they had secured the final victory because Jesus was dead. 

But don’t miss this: God had a different plan. 

If you are familiar with the scriptures, you know exactly why we celebrate Easter—it’s because He rose from the grave, defeating death once and for all and dooming Satan.

Read this quote from Erwin Lutzer from his book, God’s Devil, who says;

Though he could never have predicted it, at the cross Lucifer would be defeated spiritually, for there Christ was guaranteeing that at least part of fallen humanity would be purchased out from the kingdom of darkness to share in the Kingdom of Light.

As you might expect, the legions of Satan shifted instantly from jubilant celebration to absolute terror. It was a complete reversal of fortune. Through the resurrection, Christ effectively sealed the doom of our enemy and guaranteed that God would secure the final triumph over him.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil  Hebrews 2:14 ESV

So guys, we have reached a very important mile marker in this 6-part series about Satan.  We are at the point where the next episode we will talk about Satan’s future. I think it is critical to share with you what happens to him and I want you to know what the Bible tells us about the end of our collective enemy.

Guys, I realize this isn’t exactly a light subject to dive into, but we simply can’t examine the full account of our enemy without looking at his final defeat through a scriptural lens. My aim is to lay out these details in a way that is clear and easy to grasp so the big picture really resonates for you.

Part 6 is next and it is the last one…planned.

Until next time guys-

Iron-man Strength (IMS) Team

Lutzer, Erwin, W. God’s Devil. Chicago: Moody Press, 1996

Wright, Kent, “The Temptation of Jesus,” Ironman Strength, January, 2, 2024, iron-man-strength.com

The Story of Satan – Part 4 – Satan’s Strategy

Posted: July 19, 2026 in Biblical Wisdom
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

We have learned in the first 3 parts of Satan’s story that he has been very busy since he was cast out of Heaven. He was there at the beginning disguised as the serpent that caused Adam and Eve or really, the entire human race, to fall into sin. We also learned that he is the god of this age which gives him authority over certain things like his fallen angels as well as the unrepentant human population. And, we know that he took his best shot with Christ as he began his earthly ministry and failed.

But, we also learned that he also has some very specific limitations on him as well which includes the FACT that he is NOT omnipotent, which means he cannot read your mind. All of this plays right into the 4th installment of this series which talks about what Satan is up to currently. In other words…what is Satans strategy?

As Erwin Lutzer puts it, Satan’s strategy is to give people what they want but to make sure they eventually get what HE wants them to have.

He seduces people to believe in him and not God. Remember Genesis 3:4?

“You will certainly NOT die”, the serpent said to the woman. (emphasis added)

What is Satan doing right now?

To put it plainly, Satan is actively engaged in a life and death conflict. Currently, he is waging a battle against God and all of His followers—and to be perfectly clear, that includes you and me. His primary objective is to lure you away from your devotion to Christ. Truth be told, that is his central mission at this moment…how many souls can he successfully pull off course? And please believe me, he is incredibly skilled at what he does, which is precisely why the Bible provides so much scripture to warn us to stay on guard.

But for those of you who are skeptical that Satan is at war…read this verse please:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12 ESV

Have you ever heard of a guy named Job (pronounced jōb)? He has a very long book by the same name in the Old Testament. In that book, he tells an interesting story about how Satan went and challenged God regarding Job by telling Him that the only reason Job served Him was because he was blessed and had everything. Essentially, God took on that challenge and allowed Satan to take away all of Jobs’s earthy possessions including his health, his family, his wealth. And ultimately, throughout the entire epic,  no matter what bad thing happened to him, Job would not curse God. It even drove Job to proclaim in 13:15…Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him…

Guys, realistically, not everyone is like Job with his unwavering commitment to his God through his adversity…which is why I write this to you.

Satan is your enemy and his strategy is that he wants you to fail and fall. That is why the Bible focuses so much scripture to inform us to protect our minds and NOT be led astray.

But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Co 11:3 ESV

(For more information on this idea that you need to guard your thoughts, please read a previous blog on Iron-man-strength.com called, Guard your Mind, published in February of 2021. This will better explain why Satan focuses his attack on your thoughts).

What is Satan’s goal for his non-stop attack on you and me?

His # 1 goal is, and always has been, to draw you and me into a sin and bondage relationship with him and this present world system. (Emphasis on the present). He wants to squash you like a bug. By the way, as the leader of your home, if you fall, so might your wife and family. That is why you must resist.

For some have already strayed after Satan. 1Ti 5:15 ESV

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life–to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 1Jo 5:16 ESV

What are we supposed to do to defend this constant attack from him?

  1. As believers, we MUST RESIST and pray constantly for deliverance from Satan

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matt 6:13 ESV

Guys, in this instance, I cannot emphasize the importance of the word, “constantly”. This has never been a “one and done” type defense against the enemy. It is a daily response (meaning a conscious effort using prayer) from you and what your intent is for that day to defend you and your family. Don’t forget that.

  1. YOU must be on the alert concerning his schemes and temptations

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.            Eph 6:11 ESV

If you recall, the very first paragraph mentioned to you in part one of The Story of Satan was about knowing your enemy. Be prepared and resist, because the attack is coming…you just need to know when it does, how you can defend yourself.

  1. Resist him through spiritual warfare

Guys…here are the famous verses that talk about putting on the armor of God. Although this looks like symbolism, it truly means putting on armor each day. If you don’t take this part seriously, you give the enemy a foot in the door so I recommend that you take just a second to read them.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Eph 13-18 ESV

  1. Remain firm in the faith

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1Pe 5:8-9 ESV

Guys, the book of Hebrews puts it this way:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Heb 11:1

My hope for you is that after reading part 4 you recognize we can’t do this ourselves. History is littered with the many who have tried and ALL have failed. And by the way, there is no such thing as trying to ride the fence or be in BOTH worlds at the same time. Jesus calls that being “lukewarm”, neither hot or cold, and the Bible is very clear in Revelation 3:16 with Christ saying, ” I will spew you out of my mouth”.

Finally, guys, you and I have very specific resources in this fight against Satan and all of them will only work if we are plugged into Christ as a repentant Christian. Without repentance, you are just another dude proclaiming you are a good person…which won’t get you into heaven.

We are getting close to the end…Part 5 is next-

Until next time guys,

Iron-man Strength (IMS) Team

Lutzer, Erwin, W. God’s Devil. Chicago: Moody Press, 1996

Wright, Kent, “Guard Your Mind,” Ironman Strength, February, 27, 2021, iron-man-strength.com

The Story of Satan – Part 2 – Satan’s Role

Posted: July 5, 2026 in Biblical Wisdom
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Ok, let’s pick up this story from Part 1 where we were discussing who Satan is and where he came from. It never ceases to amaze to me when I think about what an incredible creation Lucifer was before he fall, and yet, how much his personal prideful choice caused him to lose…but we will get to that later.

If you didn’t know this already, Satan, who is also called the Serpent, was the one who caused the fall of the human race. Yes… the same guy…Now we will learn more about this in the coming episodes but it is very important to recognize that although Satan is the adversary of God, he does not appear to Adam and Eve in this manner. Rather, as Lutzer puts it, “He comes under a disguise and without revealing who he really is. He changes himself into something he is not to deceive others. He did not come to frighten, but to soothe, encourage, to instruct.”

Look at the brief story of the encounter between Adam, Eve and the Serpent below from the book of Genesis:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 

3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'” 

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 

5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.  [Gen 3:1-6 ESV] 

Lutzer tells us that, “Literally, the first time Satan opens his mouth is to put a question where God had put a period. Satan knew that if he could get Eve to focus on the one thing she did not have, it would rob her of the joy she should derive from all of the things she did have.”

Do you understand how Satan operates? He convinced Eve to question God and from that day on, lying, deception, and sin entered this world and the human race has never been the same. Can you imagine if Adam and Eve had resisted the temptation of the serpent? And what this world MIGHT have been like? That is a whole topic unto its own and one that will not be addressed by me.

What is Satan doing right now?

We know that we are the children of God and that the whole world is in control of the evil one.  1 John 5:19

Guys, we will NEVER adequately understand the New Testament unless we recognize its underlying conviction that Satan is the “god of this world” right now. Think about that for a second. Satan is the evil one and it is his power that controls this present evil age. When Adam and Eve sinned, that is when it started. 

Now, I hope this isn’t the first time you are hearing this but if it is, and you are skeptical, please read these verses I have stacked up below because the Bible is very clear about what is going on.

2 Co 4:4 – In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Gal 1:3-4 – Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Eph 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Heb 2:14 – ​​Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil…

1Pe 5:8 –  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Even though I say Satan is in charge, that does not mean that God isn’t in direct control of this ungodly world. 

The ungodly world I am speaking of are sinful people, evil, cruelty, and injustice…all the things we see around us every day. More importantly, it is critical that I stress the fact that in no way does God desire or cause all of the sufferings in this world, nor is everything that happens His perfect will.  I can tell you that God uses everything; even evil, to accomplish His purposes.

The Bible does tell us that at this present time, the world is NOT under God’s dominion, but is currently in rebellion against God’s rule and is enslaved to Satan. God, for the time being, has limited His own supreme power over this world…but I assure you, this is only temporary. That is what we see happening right now.

I know this is not the best news you have received today and I get that, but know this, because of this worldly condition I spoke about above…that is why Christ came to die for you and me.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV

…and why His plan was to reconcile the world to God 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2Co 5:17-19 ESV

So the two main points from Part 2 that I want you to understand today are: 

  1. Satan is the god of this earth right now.
  2. Satan is the one responsible for bringing sin to the human race when Adam and Eve gave into temptation. 

There is more detail coming on what Satan is also doing presently so stay tuned because Part 3 will be next – 

Until next time guys-

Iron-man Strength (IMS) Team

Lutzer, Erwin, W. God’s Devil. Chicago: Moody Press, 1996

The Christian Elevator Pitch

Posted: June 7, 2026 in Biblical Wisdom
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

Have you ever heard of an elevator speech before? If you have ever been in a sales role then I am sure you are familiar but essentially an elevator speech is if you happen to be in an elevator with a CEO that you recognize as famous and of course they don’t know you. The idea is that you invoke the “20 seconds of extreme courage” model and strike up a conversation with them, introduce yourself and then give them 30 seconds about who you are and why you are the the best choice.

What this does is it causes you to really focus on the most important facts about your pitch and what makes the most impact in the shortest amount of time. You remove all the fluff and unimportant details and just convey solid, efficient, information that is succinct and directly to the point. 30 seconds…that is all you have. 

If you have never done this I assure you it REALLY makes you think but that is really not the reason for this post today…well sort of.

This elevator pitch idea got me thinking about what if I applied that same concept above to being a regular Christian guy in this world and you found yourself on an elevator. What would you say to the person? Could you explain God or Christ and what He did for you in 30 seconds? 

For that matter, could you explain that topic in 30 minutes? I think the easy answer is some of us can and others have never even considered this question before. Guess you know why I am writing about this today. 

Here is my point; every single person…man or woman, who claims to be a Christian must have an explanation for why you believe or have faith. Why is that necessary? Why do I need to know how to explain why I believe? My easy answer is, what kind of faith do you have if you don’t know why you believe? I mean, realistically if you don’t know, or have a relationship with Christ, then what is the point?

Peter says it this way, But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter: 3:15

Guys, faith is a spiritual muscle that God requires you and me to exercise constantly. How does He do that? By providing us daily challenges to overcome and obstacles and barriers to get over or around.  Adversity can and will build faith OR…it can cause our faith to weaken if we choose to give up. As I have said many times on this blog, strong faith is up to you…you get to choose if you want to live for Him.

These good and bad experiences along our journey become a part of your walk with God and certainly a part of your elevator speech; And on that journey, God walks right along side of you and me. He is not our crutch but our companion. He seeks nothing but good for you because He cared enough to send His son to die to pay the price for sin that you nor I could pay. 

And frankly, conveying that sacrifice alone to someone should be your 30 seconds…just saying.

Guys, I have never given my readers any homework before so today will be the first time but I want you to take just 5 minutes on your morning drive into work and think about my question. If someone asked you today why do you believe in the faith you profess? What would your answer be? 

I encourage you to take the time to consider your own personal answer…because it will ultimately determine your eternal future.

Until next time Guys,

Iron-man Strength (IMS) Team

How do I know Christ lives in me?

Posted: May 25, 2026 in Kingdom Living
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

A friend of mine recently posed a question to me that I found very interesting. He asked me “how do you know if you are truly saved? How do you know if you are REALLY a Christian? This guy was genuinely struggling with whether or not he had actually been saved, or was this completely in his head.

For those of you not familiar when I refer to “saved”. This is what happens when we accept Christ into our hearts and He comes to inhabit or live in us. Being saved means we gain eternal life with Him.

But, back to the question at hand; Is it possible to be saved only in your head, and not in your heart?

The easy answer is no, you cant be saved just in your head and how do I know this? Because a truly saved person is changed from the inside out. They are renewed inside, they are different because of that renewal.

J. A. Motyer said it this way, “No one can walk with God without giving himself to a determined pursuit of good.” 

If you just think you are saved and yet you are still on the same path as before, then I would question the validity of your experience. I am not trying to be harsh, but at the same time, God does not inhabit a heart that doesn’t want Him to be there. 

A better way to say this is you can’t profess Christianity and still have a solid foothold in this world. The two do not, can not, and will not EVER coexist. God wants all of you or none of you and He will not share…especially with the enemy.

When your heart has been changed by Him, you will have a desire to pursue good things…and there will be a battle inside of you when you come into conflict with your old way of thinking. That conflict is God inside you reminding you that you are not the same person anymore.

I can also tell you this on solid authority; when you give your life to God, and He comes to live in your heart; because of that personal choice you made, the enemy will triple and quadruple the attacks on you to ensure your experience does not last. When you have lived your life away from God, and then in humility, give your life over to Him…that is when things can get interesting.

Again, this is not a scare tactic, I simply want to present you with the truth. It is critical you are aware that the enemy will not give you up easily. Be prepared for the battle that is coming. But recognize the more you lean into God, there will be challenges in your life. But please…read this scripture today guys:

…Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4

We were not promised an easy life by signing on with Christ. What He did promise was on life’s journey, that He will never lead us or forget about us. David said it this way in Psalm 23, “…Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I am not afraid, because you are right there with me.”

Guys, our God inhabits those of us who truly seek Him and that is the foundation of your salvation. Those of us who pursue the narrow path and are intentional about doing good in this life; I applaud you for your fortitude and I believe in my heart there are a bunch of you out there, just everyday, doing your version of life and serving Him.

Until next time Guys,

Iron-man Strength (IMS) Team

Motyer, J. A., The Message of Amos, Intervarsity Press, 1974

Don’t be a Grumbler

Posted: May 11, 2026 in Standing firm in Trials
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

We have all heard the word Grumble before and maybe you even have first-hand experience working or living with a grumbler.

Websters defines Grumbling as: 

To complain or protest about something in a bad-tempered but typically muted way.

For us men; Grumbling is specifically mentioned in the Bible as something Christians need to work hard to avoid. Grumbling is dangerous because it creates unrest. Grumblers are what a former boss I worked for called, “people who punch holes in the boat”. So whether this is a work application, or just a life application, grumbling ruins everything over time. 

In my own past, being fully transparent, I have done a whole lot of grumbling, how about you? What does that say about me? Probably that I write this particular blog because I need to read and apply this one personally more than most of you…because when it comes to grumbling, I have failed before.

I think it is obvious that when the Bible mentions a topic more than once, we should pay attention; and Grumbling is mentioned numerous times. Now, are you surprised that the Bible even talks about grumbling? 

Why would grumbling matter to God? Easy…because as I said in the beginning, grumbling is a dealbreaker or as my wife tells me, “I don’t really want to be around you when you grumble” 

Honestly, I don’t want to be around myself when I do that either…it is miserable.

When I started looking into this topic, I remembered reading about Moses as someone who had to deal with grumblers as he guided the Children of Israel across the desert. During those 40 years, he was constantly battling the grumblers who actually were not grumbling against Moses, they were grumbling against God…Which is really the point of this blog today.

MY grumbling, the Children of Israel’s grumbling, anybody’s grumbling, is truly AGAINST our God. AND, with a HUGE emphasis on this point…it ALSO makes everyone around you unhappy… 

Read what James says about this topic:

Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Or, Paul tells us that very fact in 1 Corin. 10:10 below:

And don’t grumble as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer. These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction on whom the ends of the ages have come.

Destroyer? Wait, what? No one mentioned anything about a Destroyer. But actually, that’s not true because, as we just read, Paul informed us HOW big of a deal grumbling is to God…

Grumbling undermines everything that is good. Grumbling basically means, “I don’t trust this plan, or this person, and I need to make sure that everyone around me knows”. “And, I really don’t think that God is capable of saving me or my family”. 

Guys, can you imagine what grumbling does to your children? I can tell you, it fundamentally provides them an example of how to walk away from God and not trust or believe that He will work things out.

Yep…Grumbling does all that and MORE.

Guys, today I urge all of you, myself included, to refocus on Christ and His salvation and start by just being thankful…THEN…Be intentional and work to push being a grumbler aside by focusing on your family and then finally, being thankful for what you have.

Yes, the pattern for removing grumbling is just being thankful. You can’t grumble when you’re thankful…it is a scientific impossibility. OK…honestly, not sure about the science part but I do speak the truth. When you truly focus on the things in your life that you are thankful for (and, trust me you do have something) you won’t feel the need to grumble anymore.

Guys, if you are like me, the world around us sucks and it continues to suck. But for me, even writing this, helps me remember that I have a tremendous amount to be thankful for and even though the future seems scary and I am unsure, we have a God who cares and asks us constantly to reach out to HIM for help.

Guys, I urge you today to take the first step…be thankful for ALL you have and no more grumbling-

Until next time guys-

Iron-man Strength (IMS) Team

Postscript: If you are specifically interested in the Destroyer reference I made earlier, here are some scriptures for you to review:

Exodus 12:23

Hebrews 11:28 

2 Kings 19:32-35

God does not do Vanilla

Posted: May 3, 2026 in Strength for Today
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

I am not sure where all of you fall in with the longstanding Creation debate. Whether you prefer the “Big Bang” theory, which says that the universe began with a single massive explosion that set all life and everything we know today in motion. 

Or whether you fall on the side that looks at Creation and says that everything we see was designed by a higher purpose or a higher being. Because, simply put, there is too much complex evidence that identifies the incredible perfection and minute detail this entire universe actively runs on each day which, that fact alone leads many to the ideal that there is an Intelligent Designer.

I had the recent pleasure of seeing a new movie that was just released called, The Story of Everything. In this movie, Dr. Stephen Meyer, PHD. carefully reviews all the various arguments against Creationism and then systematically, through recent advanced scientific discoveries at the molecular level, refutes each one. It is fascinating.

But today I wanted to zero in on something I learned from this movie that absolutely fascinated me and I thought you might be too. The commentator was speaking about Creation and all of its beauty and how at every level; From the furthest galaxy down to the very molecular level…every single individual thing; Planet to a single cell…everything was created with exceptional detail and beauty.

As we move forward, keep in mind the words of Paul when he said in Romans 1:20,

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 

Let me try and break this down even further by using the example of a hummingbird. We have all seen hummingbirds before fluttering around with their high intensity wings flapping at incredible velocity that allows them to hover. These little birds are at max, maybe 3 inches tall? But yet when you look at them, you don’t just see a little bird, you see alluring beauty with absolute perfection and grace. 

My point is this: Hummingbirds don’t need to be beautiful. Their beauty is not necessary for their existence. Rather it is an added bonus from the Creator for those who get to witness one of them in person. 

God did not need to create Creation as beautiful as He did. Think about this; If all of Creation was just average, and you and I grew up around just average, would we have known any different? Absolutely not. Average would be normal to us. But our God does NOT do Vanilla…He only created majestic creatures with exceptional detail so that you and I can be surrounded by it.

My final point is what does His Creation say about Him?

God is a perfectionist. As mentioned, average or vanilla, will not work for Him. If it did, then He could’ve called in sick during Creation and took 2 weeks instead of 6 days…but He didn’t. He worked and created absolute perfection down to the most minute detail. 

God did not have to create Creation in this way, with absolute perfection, but He did because that is who He is.

Secondly, it also tells me that part of the reason He did this was for pure enjoyment on His part. God liked what He created. Remember what He said back in Genesis 1:31a? “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good…” God enjoys what He made and you and I get to live surrounded by pure unsurpassed beauty every day.

Guys, I encourage you to try and see this movie if possible. I know it is a limited release and isn’t showing in all cities but it will pump up your faith like it did mine. I have placed the trailer at the end for you to review.

Until next time Guys-

Iron-man Strength (IMS) Team

The Story of Everything | Official Trailer

Older Entries