Preparing for a Fight

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Part 3 in The Armor of God Series

I've had my share of fights. 

I was notorious as a kid for fighting. I liked to say I never started them, but I always finished them. (Thanks Dad for instilling that ethic into me)

But fighting never really got me all the results I wanted. Instead of respect I got fear. Instead of friends I made enemies. There is a time to fight, and a time for peace. 

So when we fight, we need to know we are first on the winning side and second we need to get prepared well before the battle even comes to us. 

Get Plugged In 

We do not generate power on our own. Power must have a source. 

Our source is God. 

"Be strong in the Lord and the POWER of His might." 

We talked about the armor of God as an uniform, however there is more to the armor of God. Wearing it can save our very lives from attack. 

We do have an enemy. He roams about looking for the weak, unprepared, and over emotional to prey on. He devours these like a lion. 

But when we are strong in the Lord and we are prepared to face any adversary and our cares and emotions are rooted in our Supply, (the Father) then there is nothing that can harm you. 

So how do we prepare? We put on the armor. 

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" 

How can we be prepared for any and every situation the enemy may throw at us, if we do not first know the Word, and second know how to apply it correctly? 

Get Your Feet Under You

Firm footing is everything in a fight. Lose your footing and the "Ground and pound" begins. Without firm footing braced by the gospel (good news of what God has done and will do in you) you will not be able to gain victory in a fight. 

A good fighter understands the importance of a firm stance. It gives you power and defense, mobility and stability, range and balance, and flexibility and security. 

A popular boxing tutorial says this: 

"Your foot placement is probably the most important aspect of your boxing stance. Where you place your feet on the ground determines your advantages and disadvantages in offense, defense, and mobility. Because everything starts from the ground, it is crucial that you learn proper foot positioning before any other aspects (hand placement) of boxing stance."

We are no different. We must have our feet properly grounded in the Word of God and in our own testimony so we can overcome anything the devil throws at us. 

If sickness comes, what scriptures do you know right now to battle the attack? If flood or fire comes, what words will you have that will bring peace and restoration: even protection? If persecution comes because you are God's, what scriptures would you know to overcome the pain and doubt that the persecution will likely bring? How will you bolster your faith? 

With every punch, will you be able to adapt, deflect, absorb, counter punch? Only if you have your feet firmly planted in the Word. 

In order to withstand, we must first be able to stand. That is why this part of the Armor of God is so crucial. It is the foundation of it all. 

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Do we Really Appreciate God's Word?

This ten minute video brought me to tears, and it is a few years old, but I had to share it. This made me wonder, do we take advantage of the grace God has so richly bestowed on us by making His word so readily available? I do not think we do.

The word is a weapon, the Sword of Truth. We have not wielded it well. We must treasure it, must get it inside us like the Living Bread it is. It needs to be our substance.

We need to believe that it is full of God's words, and since God is not man that He can lie, we must believe every word that has proceeded out of His mouth and been written within it.

Believe it and act on it. Take it in like air and breathe it out like unbridled fire, passionate, alive, glowing, life sustaining fire.

John 1 says in the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with GOD and the WORD was GOD! Jesus is the embodiment of the Word of God, and now we have the WORD of GOD in our hands, in our homes, in the back window of our car, in our bedrooms, and our living rooms, in the drawers of our hotel room bedside tables and we do not read it. We do not see it. We pass over it with our eyes and ignore it with our hearts.

How can we cry out to God, but deny that His word is true? How can we separate who He is from what He said?

We cannot!

I see this video and I cry out to God to forgive me. To give me this kind of passion for His word. To eat of His table, and to share the word with all men, that they might come to know the love of God and all He has to say about them.

It is for this time, this day, this moment that you see this video and read these words. We are called to pray, we are called to give, we are called to go. To find out more about the organization that made this possible, go to http://www.worldteam.org/.

Have you read the word today? If you get God's words inside you, you get God's Life inside you!


This video is available in Spanish and in German