“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” – Ephesians 6:14-17
Before getting pregnant I suffered under the oppression of a debilitating phobia and anxiety. How could I possibly manage pregnancy when the very thought of someone else (let alone myself) getting sick to their stomach made me cry, leave a room, tremble with fear, become light-headed, restrict my throat, quicken my breathing, take away my appetite…. the list goes on. Not only would I have to make it through the first trimester nausea but I would then have to care for my child when they become ill. Being a mom was by far my deepest desire but knowing that I wouldn’t be able to care for my child in the way that I wanted to when they became ill broke my heart. It wasn’t just that I couldn’t be the one to hold their hand and calmly reassure them that “this too shall pass”; I knew that I couldn’t even bear to be in the same room or possibly the same house as my own child when they are sick.
My phobia is what (I thought) made me… “me”… I thought it was something I had to control; I didn’t know myself apart from it. I saw numerous counselors, tried different self-help strategies and everything failed. I now see the overwhelming truth that this was never something for me to control, God longed for my obedience in trusting Him. He wanted to show me just how faithful He is, that if I would surrender this burden, He would replace it with incredible and lasting peace that would bring Him all the glory. He has done exactly this and more.
Throughout the book of Ephesians we see Paul urging believers to grow as individuals and as a church in order to influence others. He confirms that we are saved by grace and Paul wants those in Ephesus to live with that understanding, as it will change how they conduct themselves individually and within relationships. He discusses a variety of topics, all of which counter the cultural norm, in deep hope that the Ephesians will be a people that stand out and live differently. As they transform into the image of Christ it becomes Satan’s mission to create doubt and damage the relationship between man and God. This is why we need the full armor of God.
As Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:11, it is not our worldly enemies that we must fear but it is the spiritual attacks from Satan that we must be prepared to battle. Satan is a master-manipulator and the “father of lies” (John 8:44); his desire is to separate us from God by causing us to doubt Him. With an enemy like Satan, Paul urges us to be prepared prior to battle; we cannot and should not be caught off guard. To prepare we must first recognize that our entire defense system comes from and is of God, it is not anything we create; but it is important that we build up and strengthen that system by staying connected to the living God through our obedience to His Spirit and His Word. Our defense system is made up of the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with readiness, shield of faith and helmet of salvation. Each of these pieces of armor are designed so that we do not lose any ground to Satan; they are intentionally assembled so that his attacks do not pierce us.
The one offensive weapon we are given is the sword of the Spirit; a more powerful weapon could not have been given. It is through the Spirit of God that Jesus defeated Satan and that same spirit lives in us so that we may defeat him with the wisdom and strength of God. Psalm 46:5 says, “God is within her, she will not fall. God will help her at break of day.” And again, we see the indwelling Spirit in Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives within you.” Paul tells us that we are not alone in this battle; God has equipped us with the defensive armor that we need to deflect Satan’s attacks and to protect our vitals. Paul also shows us that we have been given the one weapon needed and proven to strike down Satan.
While I have been gifted with the full armor of God, it does not stop our enemy from rearing his head from time to time. Satan knows my weaknesses and just as God uses them to display His glory, Satan wants to use them to cause doubt. This is why it is so important to me that I be fully dressed in the armor of God, always. I can see the protection I have received from wearing the armor that God has built, uniquely, for me. I can also see the moments where my commitment and obedience was lacking causing my perfectly crafted armor to not fit quite as well because my posture wasn’t right. The armor itself has never been insufficient just as God has never been insufficient. When the full armor of God is put on and used in its entirety with good posture, it is impenetrable. For me, this armor is my safety and confidence in mothering because the one area that Satan used to attack me in (over and over and over again) is now shielded and protected by the one who Satan has never and can never defeat. So, when my son gets the stomach flu someday I will be wearing my armor – my palms may sweat and I may feel fear but the devil’s lies that I am not a good mother, that I cannot help my son or that I won’t be able to handle getting sick myself will fall flat. The devil can tempt me but he has nothing on God and because the Holy Spirit lives within me – I will not move.
This same scripture was written on the inside of the first Bible I received from my parents when I completed Confirmation class. If I had listened then, humbled myself, and surrendered this fear my walk with Him could have began sooner. Instead, I reflect back on His faithfulness in showing me that He knew me then, better than I knew myself, and He longed for me to walk alongside Him. Instead, in His sovereignty, He remained patient and welcomed me joyfully, lovingly, mercifully, and excitedly when my “yes” met His outstretched hand.
I don’t know what type of armor you need but I can promise you that God will provide it; just be sure to grab hold of His outstretched hand. From there, He will hold onto you.
Before getting pregnant I suffered under the oppression of a debilitating phobia and anxiety. How could I possibly manage pregnancy when the very thought of someone else (let alone myself) getting sick to their stomach made me cry, leave a room, tremble with fear, become light-headed, restrict my throat, quicken my breathing, take away my appetite…. the list goes on. Not only would I have to make it through the first trimester nausea but I would then have to care for my child when they become ill. Being a mom was by far my deepest desire but knowing that I wouldn’t be able to care for my child in the way that I wanted to when they became ill broke my heart. It wasn’t just that I couldn’t be the one to hold their hand and calmly reassure them that “this too shall pass”; I knew that I couldn’t even bear to be in the same room or possibly the same house as my own child when they are sick.
My phobia is what (I thought) made me… “me”… I thought it was something I had to control; I didn’t know myself apart from it. I saw numerous counselors, tried different self-help strategies and everything failed. I now see the overwhelming truth that this was never something for me to control, God longed for my obedience in trusting Him. He wanted to show me just how faithful He is, that if I would surrender this burden, He would replace it with incredible and lasting peace that would bring Him all the glory. He has done exactly this and more.
Throughout the book of Ephesians we see Paul urging believers to grow as individuals and as a church in order to influence others. He confirms that we are saved by grace and Paul wants those in Ephesus to live with that understanding, as it will change how they conduct themselves individually and within relationships. He discusses a variety of topics, all of which counter the cultural norm, in deep hope that the Ephesians will be a people that stand out and live differently. As they transform into the image of Christ it becomes Satan’s mission to create doubt and damage the relationship between man and God. This is why we need the full armor of God.
As Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:11, it is not our worldly enemies that we must fear but it is the spiritual attacks from Satan that we must be prepared to battle. Satan is a master-manipulator and the “father of lies” (John 8:44); his desire is to separate us from God by causing us to doubt Him. With an enemy like Satan, Paul urges us to be prepared prior to battle; we cannot and should not be caught off guard. To prepare we must first recognize that our entire defense system comes from and is of God, it is not anything we create; but it is important that we build up and strengthen that system by staying connected to the living God through our obedience to His Spirit and His Word. Our defense system is made up of the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with readiness, shield of faith and helmet of salvation. Each of these pieces of armor are designed so that we do not lose any ground to Satan; they are intentionally assembled so that his attacks do not pierce us.
The one offensive weapon we are given is the sword of the Spirit; a more powerful weapon could not have been given. It is through the Spirit of God that Jesus defeated Satan and that same spirit lives in us so that we may defeat him with the wisdom and strength of God. Psalm 46:5 says, “God is within her, she will not fall. God will help her at break of day.” And again, we see the indwelling Spirit in Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives within you.” Paul tells us that we are not alone in this battle; God has equipped us with the defensive armor that we need to deflect Satan’s attacks and to protect our vitals. Paul also shows us that we have been given the one weapon needed and proven to strike down Satan.
While I have been gifted with the full armor of God, it does not stop our enemy from rearing his head from time to time. Satan knows my weaknesses and just as God uses them to display His glory, Satan wants to use them to cause doubt. This is why it is so important to me that I be fully dressed in the armor of God, always. I can see the protection I have received from wearing the armor that God has built, uniquely, for me. I can also see the moments where my commitment and obedience was lacking causing my perfectly crafted armor to not fit quite as well because my posture wasn’t right. The armor itself has never been insufficient just as God has never been insufficient. When the full armor of God is put on and used in its entirety with good posture, it is impenetrable. For me, this armor is my safety and confidence in mothering because the one area that Satan used to attack me in (over and over and over again) is now shielded and protected by the one who Satan has never and can never defeat. So, when my son gets the stomach flu someday I will be wearing my armor – my palms may sweat and I may feel fear but the devil’s lies that I am not a good mother, that I cannot help my son or that I won’t be able to handle getting sick myself will fall flat. The devil can tempt me but he has nothing on God and because the Holy Spirit lives within me – I will not move.
This same scripture was written on the inside of the first Bible I received from my parents when I completed Confirmation class. If I had listened then, humbled myself, and surrendered this fear my walk with Him could have began sooner. Instead, I reflect back on His faithfulness in showing me that He knew me then, better than I knew myself, and He longed for me to walk alongside Him. Instead, in His sovereignty, He remained patient and welcomed me joyfully, lovingly, mercifully, and excitedly when my “yes” met His outstretched hand.
I don’t know what type of armor you need but I can promise you that God will provide it; just be sure to grab hold of His outstretched hand. From there, He will hold onto you.