Are you feeling exhausted? Tired? Worn out? Depressed? Does it feel like people won’t stop coming for you? Or your spiritual walk with the Lord is just not where you want it to be? If so, then my first question is; are you dressed?
No, I’m not talking about worldly clothes. I’m talking about spiritual ones, and your answer is important.
If you’re unsure on how to respond let me explain some more.
In Ephesians 6:10-12, it says, "A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."
Are you having a hard time remembering that?
There was a time in my life when my marriage was broken, I was depressed, and I felt all alone. It didn’t matter who I tried to turn to; they couldn’t “fix” it.
Sometimes I look back on that season in my life, and I wonder; if I had known the truth written in the verses above would I have taken a different approach on how I handled it.
Would I have continued to allow the enemy to kick me while I was down or would I have trusted in the Lord’s mighty power, put on my armor, and fought back?
In a sermon titled “Acting in Obedience” evangelist Priscilla Shirer started to speak about some of the spiritual attacks of the enemy. She went on to ask, “Do you understand that this is not a playground, that this is a battlefield, that he’s after your soul, that he’s working overtime?”
That statement is so true friend, and we must never forget it.
The enemy hates us and he always has.
Those problems that you and your spouse are having right now, that coworker that keeps coming for you, that dark hole that seems to be getting deeper and deeper, that alone time with the Lord, that never seems to happen because you suddenly get sleepy every time you go to read your bible.
I’ve been there!
And let me tell you, if you’ve been there too or are there right now it’s not a coincidence.
So I go back to my first question. Are you dressed?
Soldiers can’t defend themselves in war without their gear.
It's time for us to get dressed, friends!
The second we chose to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The enemy waged war against us.
We’ve allowed him to attack our marriages, our kids, our friendships, our peace, and our minds for too long!
It’s time to get dressed and fight back!
Scripture says, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”-Romans 8:31 NLT
Let's say it together! NOBODY!
Nobody can stand against us, not even satan.
We have the Lord of Heaven’s Armies going before us!
And guess what? He’s already won!
The enemy knows he’s been defeated, and he knows where he’s going on the day of judgement, so he’s doing everything in his power to try to break us down, to get us to lose faith, and to get us off the path.
I encourage you right now to tell satan the Lord rebukes him!
Tell him he can’t have you, and you don’t belong to him!
Tell him God already paid a high price for you, and you won’t be enslaved by the world. (1 Corinthians 7:23- “God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.”)
To God be all the glory! We’ve already won!
It’s time we start acting like it. It’s time we start remembering who we’re really fighting against.
Don’t let the enemy break you or distract you.
We’re on a mission. We're called to love each other and spread the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Don’t be afraid! We have Jesus on our side, so get dressed!