Read this carefully. Let it sink into you soul.
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the full 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. Therfore 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 Sprit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints- and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."
Ephesians 6:10-20
The battle is fierce. The devil will stop at nothing to discourage us, distract us, and eventually move us off course. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour".
This entire year has been one loss after another for my family. We experienced a miscarriage, loss of financial vitality, loss of energy, focus, and clarity. I have experienced depression and feelings of hopelessness, and detachment. But wait...
Here is the vision God gave me this morning while speaking to a good friend: There is a great army on my heels that has sent me running out of fear. I finally reach the edge of a precipice. The only options I feel at the moment are to stay on the edge or jump. If I jumped that would mean certain death. I feel the Spirit of God say "stand firm and put your armor on. I'm going to build a bridge for you". The fiery arrows of the evil one are all around me and fear is welling up inside me. But look at the verse I underlined above, "taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one". Our faith in God is our shield. After we have done everything, we stand. God will build the bridge! On the other side of this bridge is a life we could never imagine on our own. However, to take hold of that life we must continually stay focused on Christ, even in the midst of severe trials. So don't jump out of fear. Put your armor on. Stand firm. God will build the bridge!
