Spiritual battlefield...

I have to apologize for not writing a blog entry in a long time! I have been extremely overwhelmed lately and have been in a war, spiritually speaking. I mean this so very bluntly. Many people do not realize that we have a battle to fight in our daily lives, whether for ourselves or for others. Too often we go about our normal routine so unprepared and blinded by the fact that Satan is doing everything he can to destroy our lives. Wake up people! There is a battle going on – and it’s the battle between the God’s army and Satan’s army. The bible is very clear about Satan’s tactics. As it says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Going back a few months, I really believe God has been preparing me for this spiritual battle I have been experiencing. Before I dive into this, have you ever prayed a prayer and had an expectation of turning out the way you want it to turn out? Allow me to be transparent. Last summer, I was camping for a week with my parents up in northern Wisconsin. It’s a beautiful state, by the way! I spent a week in a deeper relationship with the Lord. I spent more time in prayer, bible reading, living in simplicity (no phones or technology), and allowing myself to be still and being open. I distinctly remember expressing my discontentment in my relationship with the Lord. It wasn’t because I lacked the disciplines in my bible reading and prayer life. I felt like I was spiritually growing. Rather, it was because I wanted MORE! I just wasn’t satisfied. I wanted God to dig deeper, wider, and longer into my life. I desired for my relationship with Him to continue to get stronger and stronger! I remembered my prayer to God regarding the desire to experience something so powerful. At the time, I was thinking about the disciples healing people and witnessing miracles. I wanted to experience what Jesus’ disciples experienced. Little did I know what I was getting into, but God knew and just smiled.

Let me just tell you that Satan will do everything he can to shoot lies, confusion, hate, insults, temptations, mixed emotions, setbacks, hopelessness, and so on to throw us off. What are we to do when that happens? As human beings, we are so weak, vulnerable, and sensitive. I have been attacked by anxiety a couple of times here and there. It was really uncomfortable and stressful! I had to learn to depend and trust in God with His Truth no matter what attacks was being thrown to me. Quite honestly, there have been times when I felt confused. During that confusion, I turned to the Word to seek for His truth and prayed for His truth. God revealed His truths to me and built me up. I knew I had to continue to nourish my life with His truth constantly because Satan can just come at any moment to throw me off. I am reminded that to be able to withstand the attacks, I must always depend on God’s strength and use every piece of His armor – the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). What are they?

1. Belt of TRUTH. Satan will fight us with lies and sometimes the lies sound like the truth (we must believe in God’s truth to defeat that).

2. Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS. Satan will attack our hearts where our emotions, self-worth, and trust are located (God will protect our hearts).

3. Footgear of READINESS. Satan wants us to think that telling others about God is worthless and hopeless (God gives us motivation to proclaim who He is to others).

4. Shield of FAITH. Satan will insult, tempt, and setback our lives (God helps us to see beyond our circumstances and know the victory is ours).

5. Helmet of SALVATION. Satan will make us doubt God (God will protect our minds).

6. Sword of SPIRIT. Satan will attack us (God gives us the Bible to use as a weapon against those attacks).

We all experience some type of challenge in our lives. If you feel discouraged and defeated, don’t. It is easy to be frightened by the wickedness we see all around us and feel overwhelmed by the problems we face. Evil seems to feel stronger than we are, but rest assured, God is even STRONGER! Knowing that God has an eternal purpose for us will help us through these difficult times. 1 John 4:4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in your is greater than the one who is in the world.” Don’t lose hope. God will conquer all evil and His Spirit and His Word lives right in our hearts!

Dear Lord God, sometimes life is just a big struggle and there are days when it just feels too difficult. Help us to always know that you are with us and will give us the strength to persevere. You always have a lesson for us to learn, so help us open our hearts and minds to see that. And help us to be ready, suited up in the armor of God, and prepared to fight the battle. This will be an ongoing battle until the day that Jesus Christ returns to conquer evil once and for all. The victory is ours, Lord! Thank you, in Jesus’ name, I pray, AMEN!