IN THE LIVING LIFE LESSONSCOLUMNEACH MONTH I AM SHARING VARIOUS LESSONS GOD HAS TAUGHT ME. TODAY WE PREPARE FOR BATTLE!
In the Garden of Eden Satan knew exactly how to trick Adam and Eve. He was very cunning, knew their weaknesses and right where to attack. I sometimes think Adam and Eve were a bit unprepared. They lived in paradise, daily walking in the Garden with God which definitely equipped them to defeat the enemy. But did they know they were equipped?
Just like Adam and Eve we are blessed beyond measure with God’s goodness in our every day lives. But along with those blessings also come attacks from our enemy who wants more than anything to trip us up.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are equipped with the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to defeat any enemy attack. But unless we are aware of the attacks how can we fight back?
Below are specific areas listed in my Life Application Study Bible that speak to this battle. I liken them to land mines on our life pathway.
Satan’s Plan of Attack:
DOUBT ~ Makes you question God’s Word and His goodness.
DISCOURAGEMENT ~ Makes you look at your problems rather than God.
DIVERSION ~ Makes wrong things seem attractive.
DEFEAT ~ Makes you feel like a failure so you won’t even try.
DELAY ~ Makes you put off doing what you should do.
Rather than allowing these attacks to stay hidden as land mines buried on our life path; let’s put red flags on them so that when they appear we will recognize them for what they are. Then can we face the battle with The Weapon we’ve been given: God’s Word!
The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 *MSG
Father God, help me to recognize enemy attacks when they come upon me. Help me to turn to You for strength and to use Your Word to fight against these evil attacks. I ask this in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Amen
If you cannot see the video screen below CLICK HERE for our battle song by Tye Tribbett.
To live a victorious life we must know our enemy and understand our personal weaknesses.
Military leaders study the strategies of their enemy as they prepare to defeat them. Sports coaches watch recordings of the opposing team to learn their strengths and weaknesses. We, too, must know our enemy and where he is going to try and defeat us.
Most of us who are followers of Christ know who our enemy is. But often we are unprepared for his attacks because we don’t understand our own personal weaknesses.
It helps to spend time reflecting on life to see where we failed and how the enemy got the best of us in the past. Then, with God’s help, as we recognize theses areas of weakness we can guard from future attacks.
Spiritually and/or naturally – life is a battle. We are waging war constantly.
We all battle Resistance in some form; whether we’re starting a new company, trying to salvage our marriage, leading a project, writing a blog or just trying to clean the house.
Resistance, like a faithful friend but more of an enemy, will be there trying to keep us from doing what we need, want or are called to do.
I’m reading what’s quickly becoming a new favorite book; one I believe will be a most useful tool for many years to come:
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battlesby Steven Pressfield.
This book is written to help writers/artists overcome their creative blocks. But it’s really more than that. I see it as a tool to help anyone who’s trying to accomplish anything worthwhile.
“Do we have to stare death in the face to make us stand up and confront Resistance? Does Resistance have to cripple and disfigure our lives before we wake up to its existence? How many of us have become drunks and drug addicts, developed tumors and neuroses, succumbed to painkillers, gossip, and compulsive cell-phone use, simply because we don’t do that thing that our hearts, our inner genius, is calling us to? Resistance defeats us. If tomorrow morning by some stroke of magic every dazed benighted soul woke up with the power to take the first step toward pursuing his or her dreams, every shrink in the directory would be out of business. Prisons would stand empty. The alcohol and tobacco industries would collapse, along with the junk food, cosmetic surgery, and infotainment businesses, not to mention pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and the medical profession from top to bottom. Domestic abuse would become extinct, as would addiction, obesity, migraine headaches, road rage, and dandruff.
“Look in your own heart… a still small voice is piping up, telling you as it has ten thousand times, the calling that is yours and yours alone. You know it. No one has to tell you. And unless I’m crazy, you’re no closer to taking action on it than you were yesterday or will be tomorrow. You think Resistance isn’t real? Resistance will bury you.” – Steven Pressfield
What is Resistance?
According to Mr. Pressfield here are some of the characteristics of Resistance:
It’s the enemy within.
Tells us anything to keep us from our work.
Never sleeps.
Plays for keeps.
Most powerful at the finish line.
Self-Medication.
“…any act that rejects immediate gratification in favor of long-term growth, health, or integrity… any act that derives from our higher nature instead of our lower… will elicit Resistance.” – Steven Pressfield
To counter act Resistance, Mr. Pressfield says the writer / artist must be a professional: show up every day no matter what, be committed for the long haul, master the craft or technique, accept pay for the labor, realize the stakes are high and real, not over identify with the job, keep a sense of humor, and receive praise or blame due.
Personally, I find the above lists easy to relate, to not just as a writer dealing with procrastination when my computer is staring me in the face each day; but in every area of my life…
Exercise
Eating properly
Going to bed on time
Drinking 80oz of water every day!
Simply, fighting all temptations big or small…
I will take on Resistance and his seedy little game.
Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you. Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will! Then you will receive all that He has promised. –Hebrews 10:35-36
I’m determined, with God’s help, to be a professional at life…
To show up every day no matter what.
To be committed for the long haul.
To realize the stakes are high and real.
To keep a sense of humor.
To receive praise or blame due.
To keep God’s Word close to my heart and mind.
To fight the good fight of faith!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. –Hebrews 12:1
QUESTION:Where do you feel the most resistance in your life?
You may or may not recall the popular fad in the 1970’s called streaking. For various reasons, to fulfill an individual dare, en masse, or just as a hobby, men and women alike were running au natural across college campuses and professional football fields. Even the Academy Awards wasn’t without its own flashing blur. Not long after the awards show incident, Ray Stevens, Country & Gospel singer best known for his novelty songs recorded The Streak. It became a number one single and was certified a gold record in 1974. Needless to say, the sensation took the country by storm.
In our busy lives today are we running through life as a Spiritual Streaker” living unprotected, setting ourselves up for attack from the enemy? The Bible tells us we must prepare ourselves for battle with the spiritual armor of God.
In his letter to the Ephesians the Apostle Paul writes:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. – Ephesians 6:10-18 NKJV
What strikes me about this passage of scripture is that in order to be strong in the Lord’s mighty power, WE have to put on the armor. God supplies it for us but we have to put it on! Let’s look at the individual pieces of armor, their spiritual meaning and apply them to our daily lives.
The Belt of Truth – Naturally speaking, a belt is used to hold things in place; spiritually the belt of truth does the same thing. Truth keeps us secure in Christ and makes effective all the other pieces of armor. We must keep God’s Word of Truth securely wrapped around us every moment.
The Breastplate of Righteousness – The breastplate is made of iron and covers the chest. In our case it covers our heart and is made of righteousness. To be righteous is to be made right with God, free of condemnation. If you’ve accepted Christ as your Savior YOU have been made right with God and are indeed robed in His Righteousness!
The Shoes of Peace – Natural shoes protect the soldier’s feet as she travels to battle. Spiritual shoes aid our movement and defense. Equipped with truth and the confidence of being right with God, we journey with purpose, in The Shoes of Peace. With a focused and clear understanding of the Gospel, we’re ready to make Christ known to the world around us.
The Shield of Faith – The shield defends not only the soldiers whole body but also the other weapons. A skilled soldier moves her shield with the attack holding back the enemy’s darts. Faith is produced first when we hear the Word of God, then drops into our hearts when we receive Christ as our Savior. It keeps us from doubting God’s Word, reminds us because of Christ we can stand freely before God the Father. Faith is the foundational message others will see walked out in our daily lives.
The Helmet of Salvation – The helmet is of course a protective covering for the head; without it the soldier would be very vulnerable. Spiritually, we too are vulnerable without it because the mind is usually the first place the enemy attacks. While continually filling our mind with God’s Word, working toward transformation, we must diligently guard its inputs as if our very life depends on it, because it does!
The Sword of The Spirit – Last, but certainly not least, the only offensive weapon in the group, the sword. A soldier wouldn’t dare attempt battle without her double edged sword. She might be able to protect herself for a minute, but without the sword a soldier will never win the battle! Did you notice the word SWORD = S + Word? I love that! Our Sword is literally a Spiritual Word! Spiritually our sword is God’s Word. We must use it consistently and effectively in our daily lives.
Notice that God’s Word is linked to every piece of armor: without it we wouldn’t know The Truth; we wouldn’t be covered by Righteousness; we wouldn’t have a Message of Faith or a mind worth sharing it with! When we dress to meet the day, our natural armor – our clothes, don’t automatically jump on our body; we have to physically put them on. Are you prepared today or are you setting yourself up to lose by walking into your battle spiritually naked? God has graciously given us armor to protect ourselves with but it’s up to us to use it! Take out your Bible; find scriptures that relate to your battle today. Put your Sword to work by speaking aloud God’s Word over your life and the lives of those around you!
CHALLENGE:Print out the picture of the woman soldier. Post it on your bathroom mirror. As you dress, consciously put on your armor each day. It will make a difference in your life! SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS:What are some creative ways you can remind yourself to put on your Spiritual Armor each day? To keep it on throughout the day?
