May 20: Victory over the Enemy

Shirlette Facey
Kings SDA Church

Theme: The Righteous Keep Moving. 

Scripture Focus:

The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.” – Job 17:9 (NLT)

Life often feels like a battlefield.

The enemy attacks through discouragement, setbacks, and pain. But God has not left us without hope. In Job 17:9, even in the midst of 

unimaginable suffering, Job declares that the righteous will hold to their ways and those with clean hands will grow stronger. He believed that walking with God meant progression—even through pain.

I want to share a deeply personal experience of loss and how it shaped my faith.

My brother was five years old when he was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood cancer. He had surgery at age six and spent the next year in and out of the hospital until he lost the battle at age seven, on February 21, 2013—just three days before my birthday.I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at work when my mom called and told me to come to the children’s hospital right away because he wasn’t going to make it. By the time I got there, he had already passed.

The pain was overwhelming, like a storm I couldn’t escape. I felt utterly defeated. I questioned God’s purpose in allowing it. He was just a child—full of life, devoted to God, and active in Sabbath school. Even in the hospital, he told my mom that he didn’t want to die.

Day after day, I stood in the classroom trying to focus on my students, but my heart was heavy, and my strength felt drained. To make it even harder, my husband was overseas at the time, so the support I needed wasn’t there. I tried to be strong for my mother, and as the oldest sibling, I felt the weight of trying to hold everyone together. But it was so hard. My brother was just one year older than my son—they grew up like brothers. He was an unexpected gift, a surprise pregnancy my mom hadn’t thought possible. Losing him was the second most devastating event in my life and it nearly broke me.

It felt like the enemy had won that round. But as I turned to Scripture, I found strength in verses like Job 17:9. It reminded me that righteousness is not about perfection—it’s about persistence. God wasn’t saying we wouldn’t feel pain and heartbreak; He was calling me to keep walking with Him, even if it meant walking with a limp.

When faced with deep sorrow, I urge you to turn to Scripture. Without God holding me up, I wouldn’t have made it through. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,” and that verse reminded me that my pain was not invisible or insignificant. God wasn’t distant—He was walking with me through the loss.

This experience changed me. It opened my eyes to the hidden burdens many of my students were carrying—grief, loneliness, fear. By God’s grace, I learned to approach them with more compassion and empathy, shaped by my own pain.

I began to pray differently—not asking “Why?” but praying for the strength to move forward. Day by day, God renewed my spirit. My faith deepened. What looked like defeat became a turning point. The enemy wanted me broken, but God gave me victory—not by removing the hardship, but by giving me the power to endure and grow. My family grew closer, and my heart grew stronger.

To anyone who is mourning, hear this: God’s presence is our greatest source of healing. He may not take the pain away overnight, but He promises to be near, to strengthen us daily, and to turn our sorrow into a testimony of His faithfulness.

Keep moving forward with Jesus. Let Him walk with you. The enemy wants your pain to paralyze you, but God wants to use it to strengthen you. He turns mourning into testimony and sorrow into compassion. I am stronger today because of the pain and the healing that followed. My mindset has changed—I try to see the good in people, because I know so many are silently hurting, just needing someone to really see them.

So let us keep moving forward. Let us claim victory over the enemy. We may bend, but by the grace of God, we will not break.

My Prayer for us today: 

Lord, thank You for being near in my darkest hours. Help us to keep moving forward, not in our strength, but in Yours. Let our pain become a platform to show Your faithfulness and love. Let us claim our victory over the enemy. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen.