I Stayed: Healing Past Hurt, Betrayal & InfidelityPrøve

Stand Firm (Part 2) Let’s take a look at the last three parts of the full armor of God we are to fight with. They are the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Notice that these scriptures all start with “take” or “take up.” We have to take these things and put them to use. God is not going to do it for us! It requires action on our part. Take up the shield of faith The scripture tells us that with the shield of faith you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. We have salvation through Christ by faith, so believing is an imperative part of the equation. In fact, Ephesians 3:12 says, “In Him we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.” Take up your shield of faith as you go to war for your peace, your marriage, and your life. Know in your heart that, just like God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire, God is with you as well and will quench the flames. But you have to believe this with your whole entire heart. This makes me think about Pseudocyesis, the clinical term for false pregnancy. This is the belief that you are expecting a baby when you are not really carrying a child. A woman’s body may produce some pregnancy signs, like a swollen belly, enlarged breasts, and even the sensation of fetal movement. The woman's brain, what she believes, then misinterprets those signals as pregnancy and triggers the release of hormones (such as estrogen and prolactin) that lead to actual pregnancy symptoms. If a woman’s brain can misinterpret signals and release hormones, what do you think will be released in your life if you truly believe and have faith in the good news and in God’s hand on your life? It’s time to start believing. Take up and use the shield of faith. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit Because we are saved by faith, we are protected from the blows of the enemy. Will it always be easy? No. Will it sometimes hurt? Yes. But it will not take us out unless we let it. Keep your helmet on. The enemy will try to attack your mind, to make you lose your footing, but know with confidence that you’re not fighting alone because God’s going to fight for you and with you. Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and use it. When you’re telling yourself negative things or when the enemy is whispering to you to throw you off, tell the lies the truth. The truth is the Word of God. Use it in this offensive battle every time. If you don’t, the thought you chose not to deal with can take root and grow out of control. In Matthew chapter 4, even Jesus used what was written when he was attacked. For example, when the tempter said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” He answered, “It is written, man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” We are to use the way Jesus fought with the Word of God as a template for how we are to fight the enemy. The enemy even tried to use what was written to persuade Jesus, but Jesus did not fall for it. He told him, “Go away Satan!” The enemy reminds me of an annoying fly, always buzzing around, trying to land on my food. I always ask my children, “How in the world did this fly get in? Who left the door open?” If you knew that a fly was waiting on the other side of the door, would you open the door? You either wouldn’t, or you’d be prepared to fight it once you saw it. Well, guess what? The enemy is waiting on the other side of the door of your life, trying to find any opportunity to get in. You know he’s there, waiting to steal your peace. Don’t open the door, and when you see him coming, be prepared to fight with the Word of God. Read and meditate on today’s scriptures and spend time journaling your thoughts and feelings. Conclude your thoughts with a life statement where you speak life to your situation. For example, "Today I’m feeling broken, but I will not always feel this way." Keep fighting. You will grow, you will overcome, and you will heal past hurt, betrayal, and infidelity.