When we get up from our bed each morning we are entering a battlefield…many times we have not even had a chance to have our devotion with the Lord or even get a cup of coffee when the battles of our day begins…..
Here is where some of our tug of wars start:
- Getting breakfast
- Fixing lunches
- Doing some laundry/cleaning
- Getting kids to school
- Going to work
- Fixing dinner
- Getting kids to sports practices
- Making sure homework is completed
- Getting everyone showers
- And on and on and on……
And this list is only a beginning of the tug on our lives and as you notice from our list above, we still didn’t spend any time with God yet.
By the end of our day our brains feel like a battlefield and our hearts have the holes to show the direct hits we’ve taken thru each tug. We sit and ask ourselves “how much longer can I continue and what would happen if I just stopped?”
This happened to me one evening when I fixed dinner and set the table and called my family to come eat. They all sat down and said to me “awwh I didn’t want to have this tonite, could you not have fixed so and so..they continued for many minutes having something negative to say about the fact that I didn’t fix what “they wanted”. They had no compassion of the fact that my day was a war zone and that everything that I had encountered was a continuous battle from one moment to the next and yet all they could think about were their wants……so you may be asking “what did you do”.
Well I did what any sweet wife and mother would do in this situation (no it was not fix them another dinner)…..I took every one of their plates and raked it all in the trash can and told them they could all find something to eat on their own and then I took my plate into my room and had dinner alone.
Yes I was having as Dineen called it “the briefest of a pity party”—and so I retreated into my room so I could find shelter to help guide me through what I had just done. I needed to put on some armor & restore my strength.
In our scripture for today’s lesson Eph. 6:12-17 it explains two parts that we battle in our lives. Verse 12 talks about what or whom we battle and verses 13-17 tells us about the standing part.
We are on the front lines of battle every morning, and if we get up and let God be the commander and direct the battles, direct our lives, direct everything, then at least when we put on the armor God provides us we are going into the daily battles with strength—we won’t be walking into these daily battles blindly but instead we will be prepared for what will come, and we will be able to hear Him tell us when to strike and when to fall back.
God will be the one to get us through the daily battles and get us through them alive.
Do we want to walk blindly through our battles, letting Satan tear us down, and try destroying our testimony or do we want to put on our armor and do what these verses tell us to do “to stand”.
There will be battles in our marriages that will be coming that we won’t be able to see ahead of time but when they hit, when the interruptions abound, that is when we must, right then, put on the armor and take a stand.
You may be very weak: STAND
You may get weary: STAND
You may feel fear: STAND
The roar of battle may be deafening: STAND
The devil may remind you of past defeats: STAND
You may see others fall: STAND
Confusion and chaos may be all around you: STAND
Everything may seem to be against you: STAND
You may feel all alone: STAND
You may feel your marriage slipping away: STAND
We are strong in the Lord, and in the power of HIS might! So Stand ladies Stand!
If you are in a mismatched marriage, there is a soul at stake, so wake up each morning, prepare your heart, put on your armor and stand ready and prepared to help lead your man to the commander by your example.
Let’s Pray: God I pray for each lady that she would arise every morning and prepare herself with armor on and ready to meet with you on the front lines in our marriages, and allow You to restore us with Your strength in the battles we may face today. In Your name I pray. Amen!
Your assignment: Have you recognized any attacks from the enemy in your marriages lately, if so please share with us how you took a “stand” against the enemy and stood strong instead, or if you have learned something new God has shown you from studying today’s lesson that will be of help in future attacks share that with us.
Blessings to you all this week,
Beverly
For the “Winning Him Without Words” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!
About Beverly McCormick
Beverly, I am an early riser and I have a habit of checking out email, fb, news, etc BEFORE I get into the Word. But, your blog is a direct reminder to me how important it is to put our armor on FIRST before doing anything else. What I practice a lot of times since I first read this chapter is Dineen's sentence on page 132: "Come here, Satan, and meet my foot."
(BTW – -I laughed at you throwing everyone's food in the trash.)
Martha, thanks for sharing this morning and yeah I have to tell Satan the same thing, go ahead and get him outta the way so it doesn't have affect on my time with the Lord. Our armor is the most important part of our morning ritual because when we put it on and get with the Lord we have a shield, a strength that is hard to penetrate when a battle comes…we are ready!
Martha, you make me giggle. Great post, Beverly! Hugs!
Thanks Dineen
oh! such good encouragement, beverly…thank you! yesterday, i was in one of those battles…and losing it. by God's grace, He reminded me about the battle and how i already had been equipped with this armor. AND to put.it.on. and stand. (and so i did.) asking, and thanking, and praising Him as He encourages us all to do the same every day. <3
Coleen, thanks for sharing——YAY the armor works!!! thanks for helping prove that to us all…..Have a wonderful week…and stay protected my sister!
Beverly what good advice today!!I did learn long agao that I caould stand against attacks by just starting out my day with God immediatly upon waking. I have done this for the most part but on the days I don't I sure know it by the end of the day! Thank you for this reminder that we have armor that we can choose to put on as soon as our day starts!
Thanks for sharing Donna and yes let's make that part of our daily wardrobe! Have a great week!
Armor First!! Great msg today Bev!!!
Thanks Christi…have a wonderful week!
I agree with Donna. Ever since I've started my day in the word, I feel like I am better prepared to take on anything that will come my way. But if by chance I don't get that time with Him, I can certainly tell by the way my day goes!! (and I was rooting for you when you threw that dinner in the trash! I hear the the phrase "ooohh, this again" all too often!)
Thanks Sara for sharing…our day does begun and improve when we start it out outfitted in The Lord….have a great week!
I find that the morning schedule that I've had for years is a direct attack. Much like Martha I find that I too get to God's word when I am done touching base with the e-world. I really loved that this lesson gave me the boot in the caboose to remember that I do need to 'put my armor on' first and foremost. Thank you, Beverly.
Mandi thanks for sharing today…and I think we all need a dose of the boot every now and then to keep us on track! Have a wonderful week!
This is such a good thing to remember. Although I try to start my day in the Word, before I get to the e-world, I don't always thinking about it as arming myself. This chapter is definitely giving me a lot to think about as I read my Bible in the morning. I definitely have a new perspective on my quiet time!!
Oh I needed this. I'm not very good at tug-o-war many days. I will have to bookmark this page, or print it out. Thanks for this important message, Beverly, and for the prayer <3
Thanks Shandy…have a wonderful week!
Now getting a chance to read this. Putting on the armor first thing is what I need. I struggle with that. I need a better prayer life to begin with and I'm like Martha Bush the computer first, emails and blogs maybe game or 2. Well actually the last few days I did good, I went right to my kindle where my Bible is and read the daily bible reading and devotions, I was so so proud of myself, well then this morning came my computer first. I need a better prayer life so I have to save and read this over and over. I know the Lord is supposed to come first but other things at other times take over, like my computer and cleaning house. I actually wanted to pat myself on the back yesterday because I did notice that the last few times I put reading first. So ok well now its time to get some more coffee and get my kindle. Thanks Beverly!
Thanks for sharing Patti.. I find when I give God my first fruits first including my time then my day is on a much better track..I will be praying for you as you begin each morning preparing yourself with your armor on and ready! Have a wonderful week!