"Why do I still struggle if I'm faithfully following God?" We all face challenges. On any given day, the problems of real life can take our breaths away. Our marriages, finances, relationships, and health are regular struggles, and that's just the beginning. Doesn't the Bible say the war has already been won? So why do we still battle? In a down-to-earth, let’s-get-real approach, popular Bible teacher Havilah Cunnington cuts through the confusion and shows us how to With humor and honesty, Cunnington lays out practical tools to thrive in the face of hardship, enabling us to walk forward in the confidence that, because of Jesus, we really are stronger than the struggle.
In Stronger than the Struggle, Havilah Cunnington provides practical ways to understand and work through spiritual issues. She breaks down the scriptures, taking scenarios from her real life to help understand the lesson behind it. She also offers practical application to our own personal battles, showing readers things that are applicable to everyone, yet important to each unique situation.
The tone is conversational, yet direct and clear. The chapters are in-depth, yet not so long that reading becomes a slog. I appreciated how scripture and commentary on it makes up a large part of each chapter, rather than being dominated by personal exposition. She does point out life lessons, but always backs it up with scripture. I found myself bolstered and encouraged as I read this book and can definitely see myself re-reading the whole thing or parts of it as I need more encouragement.
I won an advanced copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but I also ended up purchasing a Kindle copy. This review is my honest opinion.
Reading the title I wanted to like this one, but I just didn't, and for several reasons. The first thing, barely into the book, she has an incorrect Scriptural reference to something I have never heard before, and I really question that. Second, she does not capitalize He, Him, His in regards to God, but she does capitalize Word when referring to the Bible, as well as the Devil. To capitalize those pronouns displays honor, reverence, and respect to God and Christ, and this is something I have seen with many faith authors, and frankly it troubles me. Third, there are many moments throughout where she could have used better words or phrasing; the terminology is just off. For example, she and a friend think that a pastor saying something discouraging is witchcraft. Unsupportive words do not fall within the definition of the word witchcraft, so why choose such a word? Fourth, she frequently references The Message, which isn't a Bible but a man's paraphrasing of Scripture (even the pastor who wrote it says it was never intended to be considered a translation). She does use a few others, almost all ones I am not familiar with. The inconsistency with them is annoying. Pick one or two, sure, but not all over the place and with ones that aren't even literal translations! This, along with the inaccurate reference she has in the beginning, to me, makes this book lack solid, Scriptural foundation. Although she does make some good points throughout ("The devil comes to shake you, but God comes to steady you." and reminds us of the reality of spiritual warfare, the tactics Satan tends to use, that we must know God's Word as it is our weapon against attacks and trials), her stories and writing style are, well, charismatic, which I don't go along with. Personally I felt some of the things she said and her stories were exaggerated, blown out of proportion to a degree or taken out of context; wannabe miraculous and divine. The majority of the book is her stories, and not a theological approach to the title, leaving this book to be a disappointment. This is the first one I've read by Havilah and I really wasn't impressed. I do know of her ministry, Truth to Table, and I've seen discrepancies there with Scripture. Don't think I'll be picking anything else up by her. Just my honest opinion.
This book was what I needed to read right now in my life. I paired it with a Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer, Armor of God. Unknowingly, I was in for the best devotional time I've had in a very, very long time.
Havilah is an amazing author. She is very personable, a teacher and a true lover of Christ. She touches on points that may keep us struggling in the fight for our lives here on earth until we go home to eternity. She reminds us as to whom we belong and ways the enemy tries to enter in and steal EVERYTHING from us. We must prepare ourselves for this battle.
I highly recommend this book for your personal growth.
This is a book I will come back to often. Such good pointers and reminders on how to approach the struggles and battles in our lives. I listened to the audio and purchased the paper and ebook versions.
Nevermind, I would not have read it then; much less appreciated it.
What a refreshing view on faith and living to be the best version of yourself. Thank you Havilah for your personal vignettes that are easy to relate to. Not at all "preachy", this text provides inspiration, laughter, and practical advice on improving the way one lives in faith. There is a gradual progression through life lessons and applicable scripture that also makes this book a hand reference guide for a weary soul (or tired mom).
My favorite "empowerment point":
If we discover we have lost our desire to fight, to contend for the life we want to have, then somewhere along the way we have forgotten God's intention.
I can't gush about this book nor can I say I didn't like it. Cunnington uses a lot of her own personal experiences to teach concepts through out the book.
There were several ah ha moments and interesting points that have led me to think about or research further.
The stuff I had a hard time with were the words that David raped Bathsheba (a violent word that changes the tone of the story) and the use of several different Bible translations of scripture, often using the Message which is not a true scripture version.
Stronger than the Struggle: Uncomplicating Your Spiritual Battle by Havilah Cunnington is a inspiring and encouraging. This is a must read book for women who are asking themselves "Why do I still struggle if I'm faithfully following God?"
The author is also running a bible study/book club. Currently (Jan. 25, 2018) they are in the second week so you easily catch up. The Facebook Group is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/19714...
I have joined the Book Club and am following along with the book. This is a great time to purchase the book and follow along.
Many peoples lives are filled with struggles. They are thrilled if they have a quiet day. Cunningham provides tools to help get us through those struggles.
I highly recommend Stronger than the Struggle: Uncomplicating Your Spiritual Battle by Havilah Cunnington.
I really enjoyed reading this book. So insightful and the author speaks in ways a reader can relate to and her use of real life examples for illustrations, especially with her family and kids made it easier to understand and more enjoyable to read. It’s my first book by Havilah I am reading and this book didn’t only speak to me in so many ways but made me fall in love with the author herself. Will definitely be reading more of her books.
"Why do I still struggle if I'm faithfully following God?"
We all face challenges. On any given day, the problems of real life can take our breaths away. Our marriages, finances, relationships, and health are regular struggles, and that's just the beginning. Doesn't the Bible say the war has already been won? So why do we still battle?
In a down-to-earth, let’s-get-real approach, popular Bible teacher Havilah Cunnington cuts through the confusion and shows us how to
Discern whether we’re dealing with battles within ourselves, resistance from God, or genuine fights with the Devil. Throw off misconceptions about spiritual warfare, and understand what Jesus really said about our spiritual authority and the certainty we have in him. Ask the right questions and build a realistic battle plan to win one day at a time. With humor and honesty, Cunnington lays out practical tools to thrive in the face of hardship, enabling us to walk forward in the confidence that, because of Jesus, we really are stronger than the struggle.
My Review:
A truly powerful read from beginning to end. The author takes you by the hand from the beginning of the introduction of evil into our society with the devil being tossed out of heaven through to the fall of man. She shows you God's calling on your life and the devil's plan to infiltrate that call and shows you his master plan of lies, deceit, and hatred towards God as well as His children.
Then the author shows you step by step the way through and out of the struggle. Satan is way more patient than we are and he lies in wait for us to make the critical move that will be our downfall. There is so much truth in the pages of this book that it will leave you reeling at what is done on a spiritual plane right in front of our eyes--many times without us even knowing it.
A great book on spiritual warfare!
**Disclosure**This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
We all face challenges. On any given day, the problems of real life can take our breaths away. Our marriages, finances, relationships, and health are regular struggles, and that's just the beginning. Doesn't the Bible say the war has already been won? So why do we still battle? With humor and honesty, Cunnington lays out practical tools to thrive in the face of hardship, enabling us to walk forward in the confidence that, because of Jesus, we really are stronger than the struggle. In a down-to-earth, let’s-get-real approach, popular Bible teacher Havilah Cunnington cuts through the confusion and shows us how to :
Discern whether we’re dealing with battles within ourselves, resistance from God, or genuine fights with the Devil. Throw off misconceptions about spiritual warfare, and understand what Jesus really said about our spiritual authority and the certainty we have in him. Ask the right questions and build a realistic battle plan to win one day at a time. This is the kind of book that I NEEDED to read as a teen, but wouldn't have touched. It is full of personal narratives that will make you laugh, then cry, with understanding and the ability to relate. It follows a chronological progression (from her teens up to her mom years), and the wisdom matures with the stories. It's very understated in its message...like just hanging out with your favorite aunt..someone cool enough to relate to, wise enough to guide you, and not your mother - so you might actually listen! It's one of those books that you'll read all the way through one time, and then you'll put it aside to pull back out and read whichever narrative personally speaks to you during a future struggle.
I've finally gotten back on the horse since finishing the Bible at the beginning of November. Not only is the enormity of God's word exhausting in and of itself, but that had culminated about two years of intense reading, and I was pretty burnt out. I was also deeply struggling with just how to follow up the greatest story ever told, but after praying on that I found this book in the lobby of my building.
This isn't anything groundbreaking, but it was an uncomplicated read to ease myself back into it. The writer uses personal anecdotes and passages of scripture to basically explain how we can get through the every day tribulations of life, which can sometimes collectively tear us down over time. There were some useful sections for me personally, such as an explanation of what "offenses" are, how to avoid being provoked by them, and how acquiescing to resentment lets the devil in. Towards the end she talks about realizing that we can't strive for perfection but have to focus on striving for just good enough, which is something I've always known deep down. It's very difficult to let go of those standards, though.
I'm sure this will happen with everything I read in the religious genre moving forward, but I was bothered by a handful of concepts that she grasps at straws to connect to the scripture. She also uses different translations throughout to cherry pick what best supports her argument at the moment. Having read the KJV, I'm going to have a very keen eye on these things; as I've told many of my friends, the number one thing that I learned from reading the Bible is how much gets attributed to it that has no basis. That's not to say there was some huge perversion here, but some passages certainly gave me pause.
"Why do I still struggle if I'm faithfully following God?"
We all face challenges. On any given day, the problems of real life can take our breaths away. Our marriages, finances, relationships, and health are regular struggles, and that's just the beginning. Doesn't the Bible say the war has already been won? So why do we still battle?
In a down-to-earth, let’s-get-real approach, popular Bible teacher Havilah Cunnington cuts through the confusion and shows us how to
Discern whether we’re dealing with battles within ourselves, resistance from God, or genuine fights with the Devil. Throw off misconceptions about spiritual warfare, and understand what Jesus really said about our spiritual authority and the certainty we have in him. Ask the right questions and build a realistic battle plan to win one day at a time. With humor and honesty, Cunnington lays out practical tools to thrive in the face of hardship, enabling us to walk forward in the confidence that, because of Jesus, we really are stronger than the struggle.
My Review
Havilah Cunnington's Stronger than the Struggle as the title says uncomplicates your spiritual battle and the supernatural world. So many in and outside the church see the supernatural and supernatural warfare as something mystical when in fact it is so simply and aptly put in Scripture. The supernatural and supernatural warfare is one of my favourite subjects to read about so I was extremely excited when Havilah announced this was going to be her next book and it was fantastic. Highly recommend!
I'm rarely as conflicted over a book as I am with this one. There are some things that the author said that are straight from Scripture and are powerful truths. Other things are based on her personal experiences, which are not infallible, as God's Word is. I would recommend this to be read only with a very discerning mindset. I do feel like I learned a lot and gained wisdom on spiritual warfare. However, there were some personal experiences that I felt were portrayed as absolute truth, when they should always be compared to God's Word.
With that being said, while there were some times I shook my head in disagreement, there were also many many times that God used the author's words to remind me of dark spiritual battles I've been in. My default weapons aren't necessarily the ones most effective for battling the adversary.
I did appreciate the level of research she did. She used multiple versions of the Bible to give a full picture of what was meant by several particularly difficult-to-understand verses. She referred to the original languages of the Bible without making it seem like you had to speak Greek fluently in order to understand what she was saying. I did review several of the Greek references she made, and her interpretation seemed spot on. I had little to argue with regarding her expounding of the Scripture.
I'll end with a clear instruction from God's Word regarding spiritual warfare: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:5
I loved loved loved this. A friend bought me a copy to have of my own because she said it reminded her of me... and it was exactly what I needed to read at this time in my life. This was extremely educational, engaging, encouraging, and empowering. The author speaks and addresses women and Christian spirituality in a way I’ve never read-with unflinching boldness- and it was so refreshing. Don’t get me wrong, I love Lysa Terkeurst, Ruth Chou Simons, Beth Moore, etc., each of them has a style and a tone, and I love each of them for their unique voices and perspectives. That being said, I have never connected with a book like this. I’m coming away from it educated, empowered, brave, and feeling strong. THIS is my kind of girl power- women building each other up and reminding them of who they are and what they were made for- BIG things from a BIG God. This is going to be my “bible” next to my Bible. I’m looking forward to reading her other stuff!
I got the book thinking it was going to be about dealing with anxiety and emotions, but it turned out to be focused around the topic of spiritual warfare, but that's ok because I have been struggling the past 7 months and really needed this book! Have you ever had a book you just could not put down because it was that good? Well this book had me hooked once I started reading it. I truly loved the tools Havilah shared through this book, her stories she told were so filled with truth, and honesty. This book was so insightful, showing even Christians have times of struggle but it's ok because God is always here to wash away our struggles . This gem was very well written, and honestly a days read for me because the book has 225 pages. I would highly recommend this book, so please check it out and see for yourself how great this book is.
I loved sitting down and reading Havilah Cunnington's new book, Stronger Than The Struggle. The pages of this book hold a roadmap to the basics of understanding spiritual warfare. Cunnington's approach in Stronger Than the Struggle is to help uncomplicate spiritual warfare so that we can all enter into the journey God has placed before us.
With a right view of Satan and a right view of what scripture says about warfare, Cunnington helps the reader understand the importance of not ignoring the battle going on around us. Through these pages, I felt seen. I felt like Cunnington knew the basics of where people were coming from in this struggle. But I also felt compelled to move forward. To move into something new and different.
Reading Stronger Than the Struggle made me want to get back in the fight. To fill my mind with scripture and to know more of who God is. I felt invited back into the fight.
I was reminded when reading Dreaming With God, that it is important to simplify my life so that I can chase the dream in my heart. With Stronger Than the Struggle, I was also reminded to simplify my life. When overwhelm hits, and the battle feels impossible, it's necessary to go back to the basics of faith. To remember that God is for my good. And that he is always doing good.
That's where the fight begins for me.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This review is my own, honest opinion.
I was privileged enough to get a copy of Havilah's book before the world-wide release date. I laughed, teared up and felt inspired in a way that I haven't in a long time. Her personal stories make it easy to relate to message she is giving and though I'm personally aware that Christian spirituality can feel overwhelming and complicated at times, Havilah does a great job at explaining it and encouraging her readers that it doesn't have to be. This is not a "read once and be done with it" kind of book. It's one that I already want to go back over to remember that I'm loved, taken care of and strong.
I've enjoyed Havilah's no-nonsense writing and teaching for some time, and was eager to dive into her book. I was apprehensive about what the teaching on spiritual warfare would be, but Havilah delivers on her intention to make practical and uncomplicate the issue, and in doing so doesn't over-spiritualize the issue, for the most part, as much as it can be on the topic. She keeps it really accessible and weaves her own story throughout as well as different examples. While I don't agree with everything, it was still an encouraging read, and there was plenty that I did agree with. I appreciated that she touched on the extremes and what she called two different camps, and met it in the middle by simplifying it. If this is something you're interested in, you will enjoy it.
This is without a doubt a very timely and useful book! I wish I knew many of the things Havilah talks about in this book years ago when I was facing my most difficult trial. However, I am thankful that she listened to God to put down these words that are so pertinent in our lives on how to be overcomers. Definitely read it! It is infused with God’s truth, examples regarding spiritual battles and Havilah’s personality shining through 😊
I was expecting a devotional, or a study of some sort, answering the questions posed in the blurb. What I got was a mini-autobiography. None of the questions got answered, but were instead a spring-board for the author to begin a narration about her life. Which is fine; she has a good story. I just feel mislead. Also, a lot of her narrations were couched in fluff. So. Much. Fluff. I could skim a page or two and pick up reading again without being lost. And I recall some scripture taken out of context (Jeremiah 29:11, for example.)
We all face spiritual battles and sometimes that can take over and set in more doubt than necessary. Luckily, this book will help you face those battles and take them head on. It's well written and provides insight that words can't even describe. I love that each chapter offers empowerment points, which summarizes the chapter and gives you some reflective points. I love that it takes the complication out of things. I definitely recommend this read to others!
I won this book in a giveaway. I am not very religious but I still enjoyed this book. I liked her personal stories. Also, the messages that she focused on, such as appreciating what you have, not comparing your life to others, not feeling sorry for yourself, are messages that we need to hear. Whether you view her advice through scripture, or you look at it through psychology and self-help, she makes a lot of sense.
Trigger Warning!!!: I loved this book and ready to suggest it to everyone I know UNTIL Havilah said some scholars think David raped Bathsheba. I’m sorry but there are now too many people I know that I couldn’t rightfully recommend this book because that one thing would take them down. To try to heal from being raped while being led to believe that the “man after God’s own heart” was a rapist would be too much to bear. I’m so disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
God spoke to me through this book so many times! I am a stronger person because of this book and I am so glad my Christian book club picked this as our read for March ❤️
I marked all through this book: underlining, highlighting but this is the part I will leave you with: “We can spend our days focusing on our lack, the places that turned up empty. Or we can focus our full attention on celebrating our hard work and all God has done, coming to a place of celebration.”
Definitely worth another read. I know it seemed to take me forever to read, but I believe the last half is exactly what I needed at this very time in my life. Not a difficult book to read at all. As a matter of fact, because I have sat in two of Havilah's teachings, I read this hearing her voice and mannerisms in my head. I highly recommend, even if it might step on toes a bit. Such an encouraging word!
Wow! This book is INCREDIBLE! It's hard to put down. Havilah has a way of taking the complicated issue of spiritual warfare and breaks it down in a simplified format. Her words bring life and truth. Get your highlighter out... you're going to need it. I will be referring back to this book again and again.
Review- The book is going to be hit or miss depending on your beliefs. If you love and know God this is going to be a really wonderful read. If you have faith and believe, this book is going to give you so much spiritual love, guidance and value. You do have to take time to read it and value what you think is right in the wording of the author.
We have everything we need to thrive, and Havilah does an amazing job laying out what spiritual warfare looks like, the tools we need, what God provides, and how to go to battle. The war has already been won, but we must fight everyday. This book has reenergized me and given me the boost of confidence I needed.