Hebrews 3:16 – Hebrews 4:3

The Passover experience for the Israelites was a turning point in their lives. This is because it gave them a new identity. They went from slavery to freedom and divine prosperity overnight. However, this was not God's ultimate plan for them. What the Israelites did not realize was that their deliverance from slavery in Egypt was not an end - they needed to fight to possess the Promised Land, their place of rest. Similarly, when a person becomes born again, it's not an end; we must fight to enter our place of rest, a battle in the mind.

God's ultimate purpose for mankind's salvation is rest. Rest, as portrayed in Hebrew 4:1-3, is getting to the point where God lives and works through us, as we obey Him, to establish His will on earth. To enter God's rest, Christ's death and resurrection must be the driving force of our lives; the way we think must conform to Christ's way of thinking, our lifestyles like His.  Entering the place of rest, therefore, starts with our sense of identity.

In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Apostle Paul explains that aligning your mentality with the will of God is a spiritual battle. The devil will come at you with different negative circumstances, which could be facts, but are contrary to God's word. Do not give up, cave in or quit! Face the devil head on with God's sure word. Remember that since the devil could not stop Jesus from rising from the dead then he cannot stop us. We must fight and conquer in this good fight of faith and enter the rest God has provided for us.