God is too good and way too gracious to not get to the very root of each issue as we allow Him to. As an open vessel, yes wrestling matches within our minds happen as the enemy tries to do all he can to dissuade us from simply getting to know our loving Abba. Sometimes the battles are worse than others, and sometimes we may not even realize it is a battle because our focus was on the flesh and not on the Spirit. However, there are certain times when the battle becomes increasingly apparent, and is centrally focused on a single issue, or problem, which may even be a recurring one; one in which we had once been healed from. And to go through it again is something we never suspected. After we are able to rebuke our hearts and mind, not allowing it to condemn us, we openly stand before Abba as King Jesus’ Blood continues to flow over us, and we are able to hear when the Holy Spirit reveals that it is not that we do not believe, nor lack faith or trust in Abba, nor are we even in a threat of being swayed away from the Truth already deeply embedded and thriving within us, which can very easily dispel the sudden lie and doubt repetitively slamming against us. This battle is different, and at the same time, we suddenly understand that it is something we need to go through, so we obediently continue to cling to Abba. Within the battle, while the mental arrows continue to be thrown at our minds, the Holy Spirit reminds us of various processes Abba has intimately brought us through over the years, and He even reminds us that the battle has nothing to do with any lack, but just continue to cling only to Abba and wait. The wrestling match continues while we again return to the basics of shutting our minds off from the desired questions and even the monotonous quest for knowledge. We speak against the arrows by continuing to speak Truth. Yes, the physical, mental and spiritual pain throughout the day and night are real as we seem to be battered by untruths, or even the remnant of a thought in direct opposition to the Truth we have already learned and are standing on. However, we continue to cling to Abba with full trust, He will bring us through what we need to be brought through, as our minds are led to the beautifully profound scripture of King Jesus’ words: ‘Then said Jesus, unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?’ (John 18:11) Words which openly recognize what is desperately needed to be recognized, understood, respected and honored: the sovereignty of God, Himself. And with that remembrance, we are also reminded that the victory has already been won, but that doesn’t mean we will not go through any battles. In Truth, the battles Abba allows us to go through actually serve a great purpose under our Abba’s Hands for ‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.’ (Romans 8:26-30) The battle may continue for days, but within a moment, or the blink of an eye, the remembrance of a vision, a circumstance, or even a phrase will enter your mind. It may even be words someone spoke to you, or repetitively told you which you had long forgotten about, and had never realized the extent of the damage done. However, all things are in Abba’s Hands and He hasn’t forgotten, nor could He ever, and it is the very root cause of the battle you have been in, but no longer are. And that is when you are allowed to understand that the battle had been previously healed within the layers of the root system, but the very root of it had not been able to be exposed because Abba was only able to go so far as He has prepared for you to accept and receive. Now, however, the root is fully exposed and there is no longer any pain while the forgiveness flows forth and we can clearly see beyond the person that spoke those words, or did those things, for it is not a battle of the flesh but a spiritual battle, ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’ (Ephesians 6:12) The very root of the battle that the enemy has been attacking you through, off and on for several years, is well within Abba’s Hand, and has always been. Healing pours forth, understanding flows through your thoughts, and the ‘fear of the Lord’ is more intimately nourished within you. Abba is abundance, He is life and peace, and only He can fortify us, heal us, protect us, and provide for us. We have chosen Him over all things of the flesh, and continue to, for our deepest desire is to more intimately know Him, and be actively closer to Him than we could ever be; not after we leave these temporary bodies, but right here and right now. It is a deeper relationship calling for a deeper sacrifice, on the path of a deeper trust, and resulting in a deeper healing- all above and beyond worth whatever we have to go through because we are a child of the Most High God and He wants more for us than we could ever imagine, and He is way too good, too gracious and passionately loving to leave us where we are at. Now we can look back and understand that to have received more of Abba earlier on, we may have stopped the struggle and wrongly thought that the state we were currently in was the right way, when it wasn’t. For Abba is a diligently protective and very thorough God. Our longsuffering Abba protects us on the path of righteousness for His namesake as our King Shepherd’s Sacrificial Blood actively flows over us while the Holy Spirit intimately comforts us. It is a relationship God, the Great I Am, YHWH, our Abba, Himself, has continuously called us for, and nourished the craving within us to experience. Praise King Jesus, we are Free indeed!