Armored For Battle

We all have to go through hardships and battles. Whether we are a believer or non-believer, we all are susceptible to the imperfections of this world. The question isn't whether you're in a battle, but are you armored for battle?

After overcoming one of the hardest seasons of my life, I thought things would finally get easier. I was obeying God and doing all that He'd asked me to do, but after a time of victory, I was back into battle.

I was faced with accusations getting thrown at me and fears from my past started to creep in again.

I remember asking God, "Why is this all happening? Aren't I in your will?"

God then spoke to me one morning and said, "Just because you are armored doesn't mean you are safe from battle. Because you are armored, you are ready for battle."

It was in that moment when I realized God was preparing and equipping me this whole time to learn to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy.

Being a Christian does not mean we will pass through the hardships of life. We live in a world where the enemy is still roaring like a lion, seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). But because we have Christ, we can go through battles and finish victorious.

Jesus says in John 16:33, "...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." The pain of this world will be real and fear will be present, but with Christ, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). 

While we have Christ in us who helps us in our weaknesses, we still have to put on the full armor of God to win the battle. Ephesians 6:11 says, "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes."

What does the full armor of God look like? Ephesians 6:14-17 explains it:

"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... 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."

We need to put on the full armor of God to come out victorious. The shield of faith is critical to block against the fears that the enemy will attack us with. We must be living in righteousness to prevent our hearts from impurity and hold on to salvation that Jesus gave us. Lastly, we need to use the word of God to bring down any lies and temptations the enemy will throw at us.

We need every aspect of the armor of God to successfully overcome the attacks of the enemy. If we are missing even one of the armors of God, we are giving room for the enemy to attack us. Imagine going into battle with everything except a sword. You may last for a while but will eventually die.

Just like any battle, we too are in an intense battle against the enemy. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." No matter what you are going through, know that Jesus is for you. He came to give you life to the fullest.

In the midst of my battles, I had to use the sword of God which is the word of God, and speak it over every accusation that was thrown at me. I learned that no lie of the enemy could break me down because I was holding on to the truth of Jesus.

There is no weapon greater than the word of God. We can use the advice that the world offers, but it won't sustain us. We will eventually wear out and grow weary. But God's word is flawless. Psalm 18:30 says, "As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him."

We must not entertain any thought but bring it down right away with the word of God. We are letting go of our armor in the midst of battle the moment we entertain bad thoughts.

The enemy will throw fears in our mind that speak against the truth of God. It's in those moments when we must make the choice to believe in God's word over our fears. God's word has never failed and will never fail. He has a faithful track record like no other.

We can be sure that on the other side of the battle is God's promises for our lives. God was leading Joshua and the others to their promised land, but they had to go through impossible battles. Their first obstacle was to cross the Jordan river while it was at flood stage and highest peak (Joshua 3:15).

Despite the impossibility, God was able to dry out the river the moment the priests who were holding the ark of God stepped into the river. All of Israel crossed the Jordan river on dry land (Joshua 3:17).

Through it all, God made one promise to Joshua that He also is promising us:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

We may go through the toughest battles, but God promises to always be with us. Be bold and courageous because God is taking you through the battle into your promise land. No matter the battle, know that a mighty God is with you and for you. So remember, you are armored for battle.

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Spending Time With Jesus

Spending time with Jesus can easily be put on the bottom of our to-do list as life gets busy. When time becomes limited, so can our time with Jesus. But spending time with Jesus is crucial for every aspect of our lives.

As vacation time was coming up, my to-do list was growing.

I had work tasks that had to be completed, graphics that had to be created and scheduled for Living Revelations, and much more. I started neglecting my morning times with God to work out more in the gym just before my cruise.

When I finally had the time to spend alone time with Jesus, I ran into a passage in my devotional that said: "We are not called to do something but to do it for someone."

It was at that moment when I realized I had lost my focus on the most important thing - Jesus.

I was getting things done for Jesus but neglected Jesus himself. Without me realizing, I was prioritizing my to-do list over spending time with Jesus.

While Jesus loves us doing things for him, He first wants us to give our undivided attention to Him.

When we spend more of our time doing things for Him and neglect to spend the time to hear what He has to say, we have missed the whole point. Our lives were made to glorify God and that only comes from a life devoted to Jesus in the secret place - the place where you and Jesus are alone.

Matthew 22-37-38 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment."

We are not showing our love and devotion to God if we are only doing things for Him but neglecting to spend time with Him. Imagine having a spouse who does things for you but doesn't bother to spend quality time with you. How would that make you feel?

Jesus cares more about us than the things we do for Him. 

We see this in the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus came to visit them and while Mary was sitting at the Lord's feet listening to what he said, Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made (Luke 10:39-40).

Martha got upset and asked Jesus to tell Mary to help her. But Jesus replied, "few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42).

Jesus made it clear that Mary has chosen what is better, which is spending time listening to Him. While all the preparations were important, they were not as important than spending time with Jesus.

Nothing is worth cutting our time with Jesus.

Are you like Martha who loves Jesus but is distracted by the things that need to get done? What's distracting you from spending time with Jesus? Is it ministry for Jesus himself? Is it your workload?

Whatever it may be, know that time with Jesus is worth it and necessary.

Jesus says in John 15:5,"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Jesus is the key to the success of our lives and ministry. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. Many times we think we are being more productive by getting our to-do list done first before spending time with Jesus, but in reality, we will be more productive if we start our day with Jesus.

There's nothing more important than spending time with Jesus.  Jesus is the source of joy and strength we need to get through the day, the source of wisdom and creativity that for us to stand out in our work, and the source of love and assurance we need to persevere in the midst of a negative world.

What if spending time with Jesus was the solution to your marriage conflicts? What if spending time with Jesus was the key to the inspiration and strategy you needed for your dreams to come true? 

We need to start viewing time with Jesus as necessary than optional. We cannot reach the plans God has for our lives by our own strength and mind. We need God's strategies and creativity. Jesus has all the solutions we need for our lives and when we spend time with Him, He will pour out all the wisdom and revelation we need to glorify Him in all we do.

Ephesians 1:17 says, "..the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." The more we spend time with Jesus, the more our lives will look like Him. 

Proverbs 2:6 says, "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." God has also given us the Holy Spirit to know Jesus better and to live as Jesus live so that others may witness His love and power through us.

The more we spend time with Jesus, the more we will see Him real and active in our lives. It's the time spent with Jesus that prepares us for ministry and to glorify God. So remember, spend time with Jesus.

Jesus Is The Answer

When depression becomes more than we can bear, it’s easy to turn to suicide as the solution. But ending our lives is not the answer to fix the hardships of life. There is hope and that is found only through Jesus. Jesus is the answer.

Even though I grew up in the church pews, I thought of ways to end my life. My faith was dead. I had no idea what hope felt like or even looked like.

I was numb to everything around me.

I remember being 6 years old and my dad would drag my mom down the street to beat her. He then made me feel worthless because I couldn’t get an ambulance. I would be locked in the closet and hit with metal cords. I would pee myself and starve.

I was living in crisis daily.

The molestation began in my sleep, then the cutting and the abandonment of false lovers. I wanted to end my life but one day I was old enough to see the trash of ashes in my heart.

There was only one thing I could do, one last prayer of hope and that was to invite Jesus into my life.

Jesus saved me from suicide when I had no one. He showed me true love and opened my eyes to see that I was valued, loved, and His beloved child.

Suicidal thoughts come from the enemy - they come through emotions of fear, anger, and bitterness. Demons will taunt us and place lies in our minds that ending our lives will be better than living in this life.

But that is a lie. There is a solution and Jesus is the answer.

Jesus still has a purpose for your life no matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been. There is no one too hopeless for Jesus. Hope doesn't come from your situation but from Jesus. So no matter how bad your situation may be, know that with Jesus you can bring hope to others.

Nothing is impossible with God and He is able to take our pain and turn it into joy. He will use our life as a testimony to bring hope and life to others.

There is a love that is constant and endless and that only comes from Jesus.

God doesn’t promise us that we will be excluded from hardships, but he does promise us that we will come out of our hardships as overcomers through Jesus.

Romans 8:37 says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

We must learn to say no to the lies of the enemy and say yes to Jesus. Our yes to Jesus will take us further than we think. Jesus will lead us out of our troubled lives into a life of victory to be the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)

Jesus can do anything to turn our situations around. Matthew 19:26 says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Jesus died while we were all sinners so that we could have hope and everlasting life with Him. The enemy wants us to end our lives so that we miss out on what Jesus died for us.

But you don't have to end your life because Jesus gave up his life for you. 

Jesus wants to turn your life into a testimony for others. Will you give your heart to Jesus and surrender your life to Him? Will you believe that nothing is impossible with God? 

Romans 8:1 reminds us, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Don’t let your situation define your worth. Jesus found you worthy enough to die for.

Satan tempted Jesus to end his life (Luke 4:9-11) so he will try to tempt us too. However, we have the word of God to stand firm against the lies of the enemy. We must not give in to the troubles of this world but turn to God who is able to turn our messy lives around.

Jesus tells us in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We can overcome our troubles because we have Jesus. If Jesus was able to overcome the grave, He surely is able to overcome any situation we will face. So remember, Jesus is the answer.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that my life doesn't have to end in defeat because you bring hope and victory to our lives. 

Testimony of Ruth Martinez - Follower her on Instagram @he_tookthecross

Silencing Fear

Our fears tend to feel real and cause us to take actions based on false beliefs. However, we can't rely on our fears because they are not always true.  Fear will only hold us back from experiencing the best that God has for us. Silencing fear is key.

I have been attacked with fearful thoughts this past week. 

As I entertained the fears running through my mind, it all started to feel real. I started asking myself, "Could this be true? Is this really happening?" 

The emotions started to get to me but I remembered to bring my fears to the Lord. The moment I spoke my fears to the Lord, I realized how silly they were. 

As I spent time with the Lord in his word, he opened my eyes and showed me that my fears were all attacks from the enemy. The enemy was using fear to pull me away from where God was calling me to be. 

Whenever that fear would arise, I would immediately throw it out and chose to not believe in it. 

The enemy wanted me to doubt God's faithfulness and throw away every promise that He has spoken over my life. But because I drew near to the God, He exposed every lie of the enemy. 

As we draw near to God, his light exposes all the lies of the enemy. 

1 John 1:5 says, "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." When we draw near to God, his light will expose all darkness within us. Ephesians 5:13 says, "everything exposed by the light becomes visible."

The enemy wants us to stay isolated and keep our fears to ourselves. The last thing the enemy will want us to do is to bring our fears to God because he knows God will expose it all. 

We must not let fear stop us from either pursuing or letting go of what God is calling us to do. Fear will make us doubt in God's goodness so that we would take things into our own hands. But it's in these moments when we must bring our fears to God so that it can all be exposed.

Are you making your choices out of faith or faith? 

There is a difference between faith and fear. Faith is believing in what God says, while fear is believing in what we feel. 

Our feelings are not reliable because they are limited by our own perspective and flawed with our emotions. God however sees and knows all things. Jeremiah 17:9 warns us that our heart is deceitful. We can't trust in our feelings but we can trust in God. 

Fear pulls us away from our destiny, but faith brings us closer. 

If we want to see God's good plans for our lives, we must take the steps of faith. Jesus says in John 11:40, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

What is God asking you to believe for? Will you choose to believe in his faithfulness or your own fears?

It's impossible to have both faith and fear. We must choose which we will live by. Faith will require us to silence our fears with God's truth. Only through a life of faith can we see God revealed. Faith will call us outside the comfortable and known, but the end result will always be for our best.

Hebrews 10:35-36 reminds us to not throw away our confidence in the Lord. The verse says, "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." 

Where are you putting your confidence in? Do your actions show that you believe in God?

If you want to receive what God has promised, it is going to require you to let go of your will for his will. While it may be painful, we must remember that ultimately God's will is perfect and better than what we could ever come up with. 

God has never failed anyone in the Bible and he does not plan to fail you either.

Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not human, that he should lie...Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" We see throughout the Bible that God has always fulfilled every promise he has spoken and his principle stands true - obedience to God will always lead to blessings. 

Deuteronomy 28:2 reminds us, "All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.." The key word in this verse is "if". We will only see God's blessings in our lives if we chose to silence our fears and obey God. 

Live bold and courageous because God is with you. Don't give in to fear because it will only lead you further away from God's amazing plans for your life. So remember, silence fear. 

Prayer: Lord, I choose to silence my fears with your truth. 

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