One of my very favorite movies of all time is Top Gun, the new one.

There’s a part of the movie when Maverick is introducing himself as the assigned instructor to this elite fighter team assigned to a high risk mission. He asked them about this big instruction manual that they have memorized as their guidebook and plumb line for training on these fighter planes, if they know it well, and they absolutely affirmed they did.

As he threw the manual in the trash, he said, “So does your enemy. What your enemy doesn’t know is your limits.”

I find that this is so completely relevant to the things of living the christian life, for those who are called to advance the kingdom of God.

The enemy knows the Bible.

He knows the word of God and how the story ends.

But what he doesn’t know is if you do…

Do you have a limit?

Satan will test them. Over and over and over again.

How hard will you push back when you’re toe to toe with opposition?

How easy do you cave in?

How firm is your stance on your position on the things of God?

Do you have limits?

What will break you?

All of these things, these limits and triggers and breaking points are signals that your pride remains active in these areas… and pride hates to die.

But unchecked and not confronted, pride completely prevents humility, and humility is what absolutely brings about room for God to work in us.

Not our opinion, but His truth.

Not our wants, but His.

Not my will, but His alone.

We have all of these things that we think are ours, things we’ve done and accomplished and completed and we feel so good about ourselves from them.

But these good works in God’s eye are filthy rags.

We are still so often doing our own thing, our own way, with our own ideas…

Are all things surrendered?

What about your yearly strategy, your 5 year goals, your retirement plans?

Have you sought the Father on them?

Have you counted the cost?

If it all went away, every single dollar, minute, item, and person… everything you’ve built and done in life… when it’s all wiped away, what remains?

The kingdom of heaven is at hand, and God is for us.

Crucify all things that stand between you and the Father, and the fullness of Christ within you.

Crucify the world and its ideals. The world and her opinions and counterfeits.

Crucify the flesh, its lusts and desires and worldly passions. The sin nature that needs to be reminded it was buried in the water and you no longer live for it, but for Him.

Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, empty your life and your heart of anything you love more than Jesus… surrender self, your person, all that you have and all that you are, to be filled fully with Him.

Give no place to the devil to have a foothold. Never let anything in this world or out of it be more important or valuable to you than Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

Resist the devil and he will flee.

This is the true essence of limitless: Jesus Christ alone.

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