Who is truly in control? Job 34:14-15 brings everything into righteous perspective. It says, “If He should set His heart on it, if He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.”

There are three types of thoughts. They can come from the Lord, fiery darts, or they seep up through unresolved issues. Yesterday morning, when I had the visual thought that created instant fear, I made my next thought praise.

When peace instantly returned to my body, I knew the thought was from the Lord. Praise opened my heart to receive the insight He wanted to give me.

How did I discern that? There was no fight that ensued. Had it been a fiery dart thought, I would have been engaged in a battle. Deuteronomy 20:12 stated a principle in warfare that we can follow. It says, “Now if the city will not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.”

The fiery dart is designed to penetrate. It can only do that if we do not fight. It is a suggestion. It usually comes in the first person, sneaking in stealthily. If we do not discern and block it, it will become a stronghold that the enemy uses to fight us from within.

Hebrews 5:14 says, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Discernment comes through ingesting strong doctrine, and from dining with the Lord through intimate communion. It also comes from diversity as we read and walk in the full counsel of the Lord.

Therefore when we have God’s word hidden in our heart, the Holy Spirit will alert us to use it. He knows when the fiery dart is lobbed. He is our General in warfare. He is in control. When we follow His orders, we will wield our truth-sword and whack the fiery dart to pieces.