Tag: Armor of God

The Devil Attacks In The Night

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

The Devil Attacks In The Night

I lay awake, the pain shoots through my body, waking me in a fit of coughing. I breathe heavily, and gasp for air. The memory of thoughts I had come rushing back. The voice in my head spreading lies and hoping I break. The lies tell me I’m worthless and I’m not someone anyone could love. The lies tell me I’m always going to be alone. The Devil tries to convince me God has forsaken me and that he no longer loves me. The Devil tells me God is withholding this blessing I pray for every day. I’m weakened by many hardships in recent weeks and some of the lies deep through the cracks in the armor.

 

Alone at night and with nowhere to turn I cry. I feel the anger bubbling inside as the voice of Yoda rings in my mind. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. That is the voice of truth. I have become angry, and as I struggle with the lies and the truth, and the logic somewhere mixed in, I’m left with a mixed bag of complex emotions. What would Jesus say to me if he were here with me? I believe he would tell me to have faith. I believe he would tell me to hold onto his robe and trust that even though I can’t see it there’s a plan. He would tell me that though this trial is a horrible one to trust in Him and believe that I’m not alone. I believe Christ would tell me to resist the lies from The deceiver and cast Satan away. I believe Christ would tell me how special I am, how important I am, and how loved I am. I believe Christ is with me in this dark room, adding light to my despair.

 

The darkness can come at any time, and when you’re down, and depressed the evil will creep in and capitalize on that fear and doubt. My fear is a dent that would cause any para-demon to salivate over. I would lure them in and be forced to face Stepenwolf himself. I know that fear leads to anger, because I want to scream, and yell, and cry. I take a moment and hold my anger in and pray instead. Jesus be with me to calm my spirit, heal my heart, and quiet my mind. I know deep in the storm I will be rescued because God doesn’t make mistakes. I was saved from death for a reason, and though the Devil would like me to forget, the scar on my shoulder reminds me that Jesus is with me always.

 

If you feel like I do don’t worry for Jesus loves you too. Never fear of being alone for simply believing in Christ and he’ll be right by your side. Don’t give up hope because so long as you breathe there will always be hope. Jesus is Pure light and darkness cannot survive in the light. I’ve been so angry I want to scream and hit stuff. I’ve been so down I want to cry and never get out of bed. The doubt I have about myself is strong, and the horrible thoughts of the past run through my mind. All are lies from the Devil.1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” We must remain strong and resist the lies that are whispered. The Devil wants you to believe you’re all alone in your struggles. The Devil wants you to believe that if you put yourself before all things, all things will fall into place. The Devil wants you to believe that it’s in the one thing we want that will make us happy. The Devil wants you to believe that what you can see, touch, taste, feel, is all we will ever need. Lastly, the Devil wants you to believe you’ll never be good enough. These are the lies of the Devil, and they hit us all in a very real, very tangible war. The struggles to fight this kind of war can be difficult, especially when loneliness and isolation begin. How do we fight such attacks, and what do we do when the attack comes?

 

The Devil has seen to it that in the last two years I’ve been isolated and has blocked every chance I’ve had at meeting new people, making new friends, and perhaps even finding love again. The Devil has been planting lies in my head and after two years of fighting, I have seen the cracks appear in the armor. I have wavered in my defense against the darkness, and slowly it creeps in covering my eyes. The thought has crept in that maybe, just maybe it would have been better had I not survived my horrific accident nearly two years ago. The lies have become shrouded in half-truths. The lies have been based on fact, twisting the cause, making me question who I am, my purpose in life, and my self worth. The doubts about myself have been strong, and it feels like the push against my shield is forcing me back towards the ledge, my spiked sandals buried into the ground trying with everything to hold my ground. How long can I hold out against such an attack, I ask myself. How long can I fight the Devils onslaught? That’s when it occurs to me, the truth, the truth enlightened my eyes, the truth from God.

 

I am under attack because I am moving in the right direction. I am under attack because I am sharing the Gospel every day. I am under attack because I am in training. I am Luke Skywalker on the Death Star facing against the darkness, listening to the Devil lie to me, fueling my anger, fueling my hatred, that’s the dark side of the force I feel, and I will not be tempted by it. I will not succumb to it. I will resist with the strength of the light and I will not give the Devil the satisfaction of winning this war. I am a threat to the Devil and I know it. I have the ability given to me by God to deliver scripture to others. I have been blessed by God for a purpose, for a mission that I have now chosen to accept. I couldn’t figure out why this depression had set in, why I had felt so lost, and alone, why so many rejections have been all around me. I realize now, it’s the attack I thought I had prepared for. I knew when I started the Devil would come for me, and it happened so slowly I hadn’t realized I was under attack. The Devil is cunning, and slippery, and determined, but ultimately, the Devil is desperate. The Devil is sad, and broken, and knows He’ll never win the fight. The Devil wants others to join in his misery, his tormented heart. Misery loves company, and he tries to bring others down with him. I felt the draw to the darkness, and for weeks I’ve fought the hopelessness, the hurt, the fear. I truly believed it would have been better off if things had gone differently two years ago. (Not saying I’d do anything now, now worries)The Devil uses anything he can to sway his argument, and he uses our pain, and our fears against us. The fight must continue on, we must remain strong, we must not give in to the darkness. Stand firm, and use the shield and the Armor of God Ephesians 6:10-18 to get you though some of the worst spiritual warfare you’ll ever experience. There is always hope, just follow the light, the light of Jesus Christ.

 

 

I’m Invincible

thearrowpreacher2 Comments

I’m Invincible

Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

 Who am I, when someone asked me in the past I didn’t have an answer, but now I do. I’m a champion, I’m a soldier for the Lord. I’m invincible before the Lord. The Devil attacks and knocks me down, but I get back up. I have the power of the Holy Spirit in my corner and I can take whatever the Devil sends. The power of the Lord and King are on my side and with it, I’m unstoppable. The Devil will hit me but he can’t hurt me, because from this day forward I’m a fighter and I will stand my ground. My whole life I’ve been training for this moment, and in this time I will no longer take the punches, it’s about time I start to fight back. My whole life I have taken the punches and felt the pain and curled up and cried in my corner. From this time forward I will no longer feel the shame and I will wipe my eyes, and stand tall. I will be a champion for the Lord, and I will light the fires and send out the call.

We are soldiers for Christ and we are the front lines of the war against our very souls. What’s at stake is eternity. We must stand tall and fight for what we believe in, and the truth is something worth fighting for. We must buckle up as this world gets darker every day, and be ready for the fight to come. Will you feel the flame from the Holy Spirit and sit back with it, or will you stand tall and scream it from the highest mountaintops? Will you be a man of the cross and share the gospel with others or will you hide away from the world a coward? Stand tall and take the punches like a man, and be the champion.

Champion by: Carrie Underwood (feat. Ludacris)

The C is for the courage I possess through the drama
H is for the hurt but it’s all for the honor
A is for my attitude working through the patience
Money comes and goes so the M is for motivation
Gotta stay consistent, the P is to persevere
The I is for integrity, innovative career
The O is optimistic, open and never shut
And the N is necessary ’cause I’m never giving up

We are made in the fires of the Holy Spirit, forged to be strong, to withstand anything the Devil throws at us, so be the faithful soldiers of Christ and prepare your minds, your bodies, and your souls for the battles. To be a champion of Christ we must take scripture to heart, we must learn it, lean on it, allow it to fill our hearts, and when we are attacked, scripture is the only weapon we will need. Philippians 2:10-11 “10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” What more is needed in this life to live in peace? We must learn to be the ambassadors of the Lord. We must learn when to use diplomacy, and learn when to strike the Devil head on with the sword of truth. In this life we can be strong or we can be weak. We can be winners, or we can be losers. If you are to live in Christ you shouldn’t be focused on everything that goes wrong, but figure out what the attack is, and mount a counter attack. Every challenge is an opportunity to grow and learn, and teach, and preach the Gospel. The world will turn on you, and friends will abandon you, but in all things God is always with you. No matter the trials that comes this life is always going to be temporary, God is eternal. What side do you want to fight for, the winners or the ones that will forever live in torment? We faithful have already won the war, we just need to keep strong and spread the word from the front lines. This war to win the hearts and minds must continue with us. You will take every punch, every kick, every evil trick the Devil has, but you were made to win, you were made to stand tall, and you were made in the Glory of the Holy Spirit. God has created you and God doesn’t make mistakes. God has more faith in you then you’ll ever have of yourself, so stop doubting and get up and be a Champion. You can’t be beat so long as God’s on your side. Be invincible, be unshakable, be an immovable object, and laugh as the Devil tries and tries to break you, and with each stone thrown it just bounces right off you.

Do not be conformed to the lies this world will spread. Do not fall for the tricks of the Devil because for every soul brought to Christ their name echoes in the halls of Heaven. They are celebrated, as they will one day go home. The perseverance we will show will one day pay off as we walk into Heaven and we lay our gifts at the feet of our King and Savior. We were made for this, and we were born to win, so hold your head high, today and forever as a natural born winner. Fight for what you believe in, and know that to believe in Christ is to be the greatest winner on Earth. A Champion, a Soldier for Christ. With God in my corner I can’t loose, I can’t fail, and I will hold my hands high and I will forever be in the winner’s circle.

 

 

Lego Therapy

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Lego Therapy

Some days are harder then others. For whatever reason we as people have different ways of handling stress, or negative emotions. Some people turn to liquor, some turn to being workaholics, some turn to gambling, or drugs, and while some things are absolutely okay in moderation, some things are not. I’ve known people who’ve turned to drugs, and I’ve known people who’ve turned to sex to hide the pain they are in. I’ve known others who have gotten so involved with work that they no longer make time for anyone or anything else in their life. Obviously some of these are better then drugs, and others in some ways are just as bad.

Last year when I was going through some of the worst emotions I’d ever faced in my life, I found poor relief in alcohol and Ambien. At night when work was over, or even on my days off before I’d go to bed, I would mix the two and would proceed to black out for hours. I wouldn’t remember anything from the night before. I’d wake up in the morning and find I would record myself talking incoherently, sending gibberish texts, and sadly making everything public on Facebook. Obviously in a time of crisis my decisions were less then desirable. I made poor life choices for about 3 months. Eventually my situation would escalate to a boiling point and things would get worse.

DSC_7300

Now, when I’m in high stress times, or feeling depressed I turn to Lego’s. For one person I know, she colors to help her relax and face stress. Now when I have a hard day, or I just need to have a distraction for a couple hours I get a new set, and I build. I put in a movie, and I start building. For me it gives me a chance to clear my mind, and focus on a goal. I have found that even a short term, but a very achievable goal helps me to let go of the things that are bothering me. It releases the stress to see what I can do, what I can create with my own hands. I think it’s important for all of us to find something. There are always productive, healthy ways to handle stress, to handle the worries of the world.

26166495_10159691090720304_5737386549241912642_n

Finding peace in troubled times can be difficult. Finding comfort in ways that are healthy can be even more troublesome. We often desire things with our hearts that are just out of reach. We allow emotions like pain, and guilt and shame to be the driving force of our decisions and we can easily be led astray in the midst of what can only be described as spiritual warfare. We cannot hope to win the war if we don’t understand how to rest and reset ourselves when we can. James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” We know that Jesus is the one true way, and when we are able to rest our minds, our bodies, and our souls from the weary days, we can follow the words in Luke 21:19 “Stand firm, and you will win life.” The war is never an easy place to be, but war isn’t easy. Those who are faithful, who are living the life, are always going to be the ones targeted most. This isn’t to say others won’t endure hardships also, but the ones who have Jesus in their heart will be targets for the Devil and the temptations of the flesh start. Psalm 94:19 “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

DSC_7297

26219718_10159691090570304_1388284053696471500_n

War is Hell, and enduring the pull to the dark side is tough. The power of flesh is strong, and the desires we often hide deep down can surface. Know though, that we are all human and we all make mistakes. I have found new ways to deal with my stress, deal with my pain that led me so far astray, but damage was done. I can only hope that in my day-to-day life now, those mistakes of the past aren’t how I’m defined forever. In our pursuit to find our way we will follow the wrong path and find comfort in all the wrong places. No one wants mistakes to be how they are defined or seen, so we must learn to forgive. We must trust those around us who mean for us to be happy, and healthy and safe. Have faith in the Godly council, and have faith that God will give us what we need, when we need it. That includes people in our lives, the tools we need to succeed, and eventually flourish. We just need to be able to move day to day, and come what may. Find ways to handle stress that is productive and doesn’t harm yourself or others. Find the courage to resist what you must, and embrace what you should.

 

I Am One With The Force, The Force Is With Me

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

I Am One With The Force, The Force Is With Me

Being a child of the King I know where my worth is. Knowing I belong to God sets me free in so many ways from the bonds of darkness I once lived in. Being a child of the King gives us forever hope. No matter what happens to us in this life we will always have eternal salvation in the end. Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” No matter how bad things seem to be we have hope. Psalm 71:14 “But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.”

The Devil will try again and again to break you, and to bring you to your knees in defeat. The Devil wants us to fail, he wants us to step away from God, to blame Him for our sorrow. The Devil will try and sway us, to persuade us that the darkness is better then the light. The Devil wants to try and hide in the shadows, that our sin if no one knows is okay, and it’s better to indulge and be free of worry. That’s when you look at the Devil and respond “Every word that you just said – is wrong.” (Luke Skywalker) We have to have faith in the Lord. We have to have faith the lure of the Dark Side is not stronger, that we can overcome the pull and remain in the light. Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

IMG_6676

As long as God is with me, I know I am one with the force for good. I cannot be defeated so long as I keep God in my heart. When you feel as if you’re about to crumble under the pressures of this world close your eyes, take a deep breath and feel the light of the world inside you. Feel it flowing through you. The Holy Spirit is all around us, it is inside of us, and when you open yourself to it, it can help guide you through any struggle you may encounter. There is no greater force in this universe, but the force and power of Christ. I know I am one with the force, and the force is with me.

Tighten

thearrowpreacher1 Comment

Why am I still standing here? Being called out is something not for the weak. So many times in our lives are we afraid of change, afraid of the future, afraid we aren’t good enough, afraid we did something wrong to deserve the pain and suffering were going through. What kind of faith does it take to walk to the top of that mountain? What kind of faith does it take to run into danger? What kind of faith does it take to take that punch and stand back up? There will be obstacles that laugh at us, that try to hold us down, hold us back, but the truth is God is with us, God is for us, and it’s our choice to let God be in our corner. We have been given the greatest gift, Love. The first place to start is to love Jesus Christ. Then it’s to love ourselves, and then once we learn how to love ourselves we love our neighbors. Have the faith to move that mountain, have the faith to step out into the storm, have faith to fight that giant in front of you. Tighten up that armor, put that helmet on straight, and hold that shield tight. You can change the world with one testimony at a time. veni vidi vici

Warriors

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Warriors

Surrounded by God’s glory, I fall to my knees and lift up my prayers. God’s glory is bigger then me, it’s bigger then all. I pray for clarity, I pray for peace, for comfort, guidance. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” We walk our path and we stray away, we loose the light and we wander in the dark. We are afraid of the dark and we loose our control. We wrong one another, we hurt one another, but someday light must shine. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” WE must face God and before God answer for our sins. WE must look to those who we have wronged, and ask for forgiveness. WE must not hold onto hate, or hold a grudge. We must learn to love and allow others to love us. We are not alone on this world. It’s never too late to turn around, to find that faith again. It’s never to late to trust in God. It’s never too late to listen to the voice of truth and realize all those fears and all those lies that seem to be laughing at you, saying you can’t do it, it’s too big. Simply put “Do or Do Not, there is no Try.” You have the Armor of God and you have thousands of warriors behind you. We are all warriors for Christ so pick up that sword, pick up the helmet, the breastplate, and buckle those sandals for when you are pushed you can dig in and defend yourself. Saten will try to get in. He will try to find a chink in the armor so be aware of the word, be aware of the falsehoods of man. Listen to the voice of truth of God and on that day you too can withstand the Whiles of the Devil.