We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,
and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5
As I was reading these parts of the chapter today, a song came to mind:
“Put on the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness
lift up your voice to God
Praise with the Spirit
and with understanding
O magnify the Lord!”
I find that music will lift me up and put me in the right frame of mind when I’m battling something. It also blocks out thoughts that the enemy puts in my head by replacing them with scripture to build me up. It reminds me who always wins the battle!
Our thoughts can be a real battle for us at times. I know I’m guilty of this. A thought creeps in and I go with it instead of giving it to God. When we do this, the enemy can fly! Then one thought leads to another, invading our mind, and before you know it, we’re having our own little pity party! Why am I in this marriage with an unsaved husband? Why do I have to be Christs representative to this man? I’m not equipped to handle this! I’m not spiritual enough, I’m not good enough! Sound familiar?
That’s why it’s so important to put on the Helmet of Salvation and take up the Sword of the Spirit on a very regular basis. The Helmet and the Sword are our protection from ungodly thoughts that we let enter our minds. We do choose to let them in, because we have the power to reject them immediately by equipping ourselves. We need the Armor everyday in order to face the battle, and the liar, head on! Letting these thoughts come in says we are in control. We become martyrs for the cause! But we don’t need to live like this! God’s got this for us if we only put that Armor on and yield it to Him. And we can, just by asking.
Can you imagine our Bible heroes saying in defeat; “I can’t do this”? How about Daniel, when they said he must bow? He followed his God and put on his armor and went into the battle equipped. How about Esther? She also followed what she felt God was telling her to do. She fasted and prayed and said “if I perish, I perish”! How about the ULTIMATE sacrifice? Christ, when he went to the cross? He went into the garden to pray first-to put on his Armor. He told the Father, “not my will but yours be done” then he followed through with the plan of Salvation for us all!
I believe all of these were examples to us, they set a pattern for us. Especially Christ, who was God and didn’t have to, but He prayed first, putting on the Armor for the battle ahead of Him. He had the power to say no and not go through with his crucifixion, but he gave it all up for us.
I agree with Dineen when she says ” the key is to change our perception and quit seeing ourselves as martyrs in our marriage, but instead put on the label of missionaries” We are not alone. We can help each other stand in the gap when someone goes down, or we can fight the battle on our own. But first, and foremost, we must remember to put on that Armor everyday and not go into the battle unprotected.
It’s our choice, get up and put on the Armor and start fighting for our husbands until God intervenes and saves him or go into the battle unprepared and unprotected and feel like all is lost. I choose the winning side, I choose to fully equip myself with the weapons of mass destruction that the Lord has provided for me, if only I ask.
Here I am, Lord, asking………
God bless,
Donna
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Lets pray:
Lord we choose the full armor of you for our battles today. You promised that you’d be there with us when we ask. Clothe us with your armor for the battle for the glory of winning our husbands for you! Thank you Lord for providing this for us. In Jesus name we pray-Amen
Your Assignment:
What is holding you back from putting on that armor every day? Let’s name them and then pray for each other, that we can rid ourselves of these hindrances and be victorious in our battles.
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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 Donna Day
Beautifully said, Donna!!! Very encouraging. So many people nowadays give up so very easily! They are not in it to win it. They are in it only if the going is good. But when it gets tough, they want out. They aren't willing to battle for what is theirs!!! I was guilty of that at one time in my life because I truly didn't know what it meant to be committed to something. I didn't understand the covenant of marriage. I do understand what it means today, and I will fight till the end, when needed!! AMEN!! Thank God we have His armor to put on each day!!
This one was hard for me to write, I am so guilty of the mind games! God just gave it tome and built ME up while writing this. I'm ready for battle!!! Thanks Christi for sharing, you build up my faith too!!
thanks, donna, for the encouragment…the exhortation! for me, it is simply the distraction of the moment…almost as if i had put on the armor, and then laid it off. but truly we are equipped! (i just forget sometimes 'in the moment'.) and i am praying with you as you continue to ask our Lord for His provision. xo
Coleen we do have to remember to put it on everyday, sometimes hour by hour. God is faithful though and will be there at a moments notice if only we ask! Keep asking and remembering to put it on! You go girl! xoxox!
Donna, I love the way you brought out biblical characters to relate your points to us. We understand Christ as the ultimate sacrifice in going into the battle, but sometimes we need to see examples from a human being who was not defeated in the battles they faced. What is keeping me from putting on the armor everyday? As I listed earlier this week, I have a habit of engaging in email, news, etc prior to putting on the armor. I also have discovered that "doing ministry work", as in writing can occupy my first thought and action of the day.
Thanks Martha! Sometimes we have to block out the things of this world and make this the priority! Then it becomes something we look forward to everyday! All we need do is ask, isn't that amazing? I love it!
Love this post, Donna. I also love how you shared stories from the bible to show us that if we just take it to God first, he will lead us in the right direction. I am guilty of the mind games too. I am a worrier & have just been satisfied to say I come by it naturally b/c my parents are worriers. But now I know I don't have to be this way. If I turn to God, he will take my worry & will then guide me to the answer I am searching for.
You are so right Sarah! 🙂
Oh I never understood this until I started to become sober and follow Christ. Satan attacked me constantly with lies that I found myself constantly rebuking in the name of Jesus. To survive I must put on the armor every single day or I will easily fall back to the kind of hopeless thinking that controlled my life. I have to fight really hard each day because with depression, thoughts and attitudes have to change or sickness will destroy. I'm so thankful for the armor God equips me with to do this each day.
You have the answer and are doing it everyday! What an example to us! Leslie keep doing what you're doing!
I think the only thing that is holding me back from putting on my 'armor' everyday is me. I give every reason not to read my scriptures or pray right now, but when I think about them none of them are good enough that they should make me not do what I am supposed to do each day.
All it takes is purposely doing it a few times and it becomes something you look forward to every day Mandi. Find that special place and time and go for it! I like to do it first thing upon waking up, I don't even get out of bed! I tell myself to get up a few minutes early and don't get out of that bed til I've read and prayed and put on the armor. I had a Pastors wife once say she didn't eat in the morning til she ate of the Word, I've never forgotten that and do the same!! I'll be praying you can do it!!
Thank you Donna! I like the idea that your Pastor's wife has. I think I will try that for a couple weeks and see if I can get myself into a routine that way. I tried the "before I got out of bed thing for a couple day" already. Let's just say I had to set another alarm after the first so I wouldn't be late for work. 🙂
LOL! It just has to become a habit! Even just 10 min to pray and ask God to clothe you with His armor for the day! You can do it!!