Put on God's Armor

In my last post, I discussed the importance of having good friends, mentors, and people (small groups) who you can connect with on a deeper level than superficial topics, and as a result, be encouraged, inspired, and motivated by them. In this post, I want to emphasize the importance of surrounding yourself with people who will do just that and avoiding isolation.

God said (in Genesis 2:18) that “It is not good for the man to be alone.” In Hebrews 10:25 we are advised “not [to] neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of [Christ’s] return is drawing near.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble."

In the fast-paced world we live in today, it can be so easy to neglect relationships and forsake connecting with others on a regular basis, but the Bible is clear that meeting together with other Christians and connecting with others is of the utmost importance, and in this post I'll explain why.

In Ephesians 6:12 we are informed that, "Our enemies are not of flesh and blood. 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.”

You don't have to believe the Bible to realize that this statement is true. Humans are clearly facing a spiritual battle that occurs in the mind, and it is evident to see in the world we live in. Look at how many deaths, suicides, and other life-ruining tragedies have resulted not from bombs, war, or plague, but by human's own self-destructive tendencies (alcoholism, drug use, and suicide to name a few).

Doesn't anyone else find it bizarre that the main battle we face is not with other humans, but the one occurring in our minds? To me, it screams the truth of what this verse is saying: That humanity is facing a spiritual battle. You don't have to take my word for it, like I said, just take a look at the statistics of self-destructive tendencies and you'll know what I'm saying is true.

So once you've acknowledged that a spiritual battle is in fact occurring, the next question is "What do we do about it?" The thought of dealing with demonic forces is probably a scary idea to most people, but the good news is, there are "weapons" we can use that are FAR, FAR MORE POWERFUL than any destructive forces of our enemy (Satan). (I'll get to that in a moment).

But first, have you ever seen a pack of lions on national geographic hunt a tribe of gazelles? If so, then you've probably seen them go after the weakest of the pack: The one that is separated from the rest. The same occurs in our spiritual lives as well. The Bible tells us that "Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

When we separate ourselves from like-minded people who have our best interest in mind, we put ourselves in a position of vulnerability. Like the lonesome gazelle, we are more susceptible to spiritual attack when we are separated from our "tribe" (or our like-minded, Christian brothers and sisters).

As intimidating as that might sound, the good news is that, "No weapon formed against us shall prosper" (Isaiah 54:19), and that "Our weapons are MIGHTY for the destruction of strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4). God has given us His DIVINE POWER to demolish spiritual strongholds (bondages or areas of our lives occupied by our enemy).

So what are our "weapons?"

Ephesians 6:10-18 says we are to "Be strong in the Lord and in his MIGHTY POWER," and to "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes... Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground... Stand firm 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. In addition to all this, 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. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

Prayer, God's Word, Righteousness, the Gospel of Peace, Salvation, Faith, and Truth: These are our weapons, and by them, "we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through Him [Christ] who loved us [enough to die for us]" (Romans 8:37).

If you are facing a spiritual battle, I encourage you to seek refuge and find your strength in God. Arm yourself with His mighty weapons which are powerful in overcoming the ploys of the enemy, and seek consolation, encouragement, and prayer with other trusted Christian friends. Do this, and you will stand strong no matter what kind of attacks are thrown at you.

God bless you all, and may you be reminded of the victory that is yours in Christ. 

Fight the "ANT's" With "TNT!"

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12

 

Spiritual warfare is a part of life that all people should be aware of, especially if you are a Christian. The Bible tells us that there are powers at work that are constantly trying to bring us down and cause us harm. Now, as scary or bizarre as that may sound to some of you, there is good news--there is also a power at work so much stronger and greater that is fighting for us on our behalf, and that is far greater than any force of darkness positioned against us.

Spiritual warfare is a battle of the mind.

In the Bible we are told that it is the enemy's goal is to cause as much harm to humanity because he is jealous that God would so lovingly call humans His children and be willing to die for them. The attempted harm starts by an attack on our thoughts through getting us to believe things about ourselves or our lives which are simply not true. You see, spiritual warfare begins in the mind. The enemy knows that if he can get our thoughts off track by distorting our self-image through feeding us lies, that we will be more prone into giving into self-destructive tendencies and habits. Some of the most common lies the enemy attempts to feed us are things like, "You're not good enough (pretty enough, smart enough, successful enough, etc.)" or "You'll never make it anywhere," or "Nobody likes you, nobody cares, you're just worthless and ugly!" Talk about negative, huh! But surprisingly, we sometimes take those lies our brains feed us and interpret them as true--even when they are not. And our beliefs about ourselves and those around us can have tremendous implications on the way we live, because the way we perceive ourselves is affects all of our actions and decisions.

 

We will be more prone into giving into self-destructive tendencies and habits if our self-image is distorted and our thinking is off-balance.

You don't have to take my word to know what I’m professing is true. Just take a look at the statistics of how many people die each year because of drug overdose, alcohol poisoning, STD's, or suicide. It is clear that there is a force at work attempting to bring harm upon humans; call it our own tendency to have a self-destructive human nature, call it spiritual warfare—but the truth is it exists. And the internal battle we face begins with what beliefs we allow into our minds.

The battle we face begins with what beliefs we allow into our minds.

If you still aren’t convinced about the battle which occurs in our minds, you can take a look to science as your proof. Dr. Daniel Amen, clinical neuropsychologist, founder of the Amen Clinic, and author of the Best-selling book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, explains that that "ANT's" or "Automatic Negative Thoughts" are negative thoughts that our brains have a natural tendency to automatically and systematically generate. The good news, Amen says, is that we can talk back to those negative thoughts and get rid of them by replacing them with positive thoughts instead.

Believing “ANTs” (Automatic Negative Thoughts) makes us prone into giving into self-destructive tendencies and habits.

 

Think of spiritual warfare as tuning into a radio station. There is a positive frequency of truth and goodness, which inspires us to be the best version of ourselves and live life to its fullest. And, there is a negative frequency that feeds us lies and evokes feelings of suffering, sorrow, loss, and inadequacy. This negative station can cause us to choose a path of self-destruction. If we truly believe we are ugly and unlovable, we will go through life searching for love and human approval in places that may lead us down very harmful paths. If we believe that we are unsuccessful, stupid, or a loser, we will live and act in a way that is in accordance with those beliefs. But, if we believe that we have the ability to succeed, triumph over circumstances, that we are loveable, and beautiful in our own way, then we will live a life that is in accordance with success, striving to be the best we can be, and living to our full potential. Are you beginning to see how important our self-beliefs are?

Monitoring what we believe to be true is important, because will live and act in a way that is in accordance with those beliefs. The Bible tells us that, “As a man thinks in his heart, so he becomes” (Proverbs 23:7). Think about what that means for a moment. This Proverb is telling us that what we believe about ourselves, what we hold to be true about ourselves, actually determines what kind of person we become.

This is why the enemy attempts to attack our thoughts more than anything else. If we can buy into the lies that are an attempt to destroy and bring us down, then we are in a vulnerable position. We place ourselves in the position where we will buy into the idea that we need to find fulfillment in temporary, yet highly destructive pleasures like drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, etc.

This is why God’s word wisely instructs to: “Guard your heart, because everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV). This verse is saying that we must guard what we perceive to be true, because what we perceive to be true affects every single decision we make.

We must guard what we perceive to be true, because what we perceive to be true affects every single decision we make.

The Bible tells us that in order to win the battle, we have to be on guard not to feed into the lies (or “ANT’s”) (1 Peter 5:8), and that we must learn to combat and replace these lies with God's positive truths of who He has created us to be. In fact, the best way to combat the “ANTs” is by fighting them with what I like to call “TNT” or “Transformative New Thoughts!” We are instructed throughout scripture to “Be transformed by the renewing of [our] minds” (Romans 12:2), and that transformation occurs when we renew our minds with the TRUTH of who God has created us to be! Below I’ve included only a few of some “TNT’s” that you can read through, meditate on, and speak ALOUD so that you may affirm to yourself and re-program your mind on what is TRUE! God's word tells us that we his beloved children, that we are beautiful in his sight, that we are his masterpiece in the making! Those are the wonderful terms that our Creator saw fit to label you with! Those are the kinds of thoughts and truths that will help you combat and defeat any negative lies you may face.

Take the time to fill your mind with these positive truths by reminding yourself of who our Creator says you are, re-program your mind onto the truth of how our Savior sees you:

You are a child of God (see 1 Peter 1:23).

You are forgiven of all of your sins and washed clean (Eph. 1:17, 1 John 1:9, Heb. 9:14, Col. 1:14).

You are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

You have been blessed (Gal. 3:9, Deut. 28:2).

You have been set free (John 8:31-33).

You are strong in the Lord (Eph. 6:10).

You are accepted by Christ (Eph. 1:6).

You are blameless in His sight (Eph. 1:4)

You are more than a conqueror In Christ, and overwhelming victory is yours. (Rom. 8:37)

You are loved and forgiven by him (John 3:16, 1 Peter 5:7)

You are His masterpiece and workmanship (Eph. 2:10)

If you’ve found any of what you read helpful or encouraging, or want to read more “TNT’s” you can read more in my book TNT: TeeNage Transformation –ExplosiveIdeas That Will Blow Your Mind And Change Your Life Forever!