You are God’s child. As his daughter, you can walk in the assurance that He can help you today with whatever battle you face—no matter what it is.
But like an unexpected wave, life’s battles can take us by surprise and we might find ourselves fighting for air instead of forging ahead in our God given-purpose. If that is you today – do not quit! Reach for the armor of God. Putting on the armor is proactive and requires action on your part.
Facing a battle?
You are not alone.
Find inspiration through Brooke McGee’s story to BE PROACTIVE instead of REACTIVE. Gear up for battle with God’s armor to gain godly girl power. Find confidence in the middle of your storm.
Brooke’s Story
“I was 28, married, great job, loved the Lord, had just gotten back from another overseas mission trip, and was at the end of the first trimester of my first and long-awaited pregnancy! Life was great, and it was easy to say “blessed be the name of the Lord.” I meant it with all my heart, but it was easy because my life was easy.
A week after seeing my baby move around on the ultrasound, I was completely and utterly devastated when my baby’s heart stopped beating, and I would go in the hospital as a pregnant, hopeful, future mommy and leave empty-handed and heart-broken. This was my first brutal taste of suffering in a sinful world.
All of a sudden, I was forced to face what I had been taught, studied, and believed. Was God really sovereign? How would this be worked into good?
At the same time as this deep sorrow, I also was experiencing the abundant grace of the Lord and the peace that passes all understanding that I had read about and sung about all my life. I had experienced a valley, and there was no going back to who I was before. I felt that I was experiencing such an intense growth spurt as well as a new level of attacks from the enemy all at the same time.
When we are walking through suffering with the Light of the World, Satan hates the glory that the Lord receives as we cry blessed be the name of the Lord and show Christ to the world. The lies of the enemy are crafty.
He would want me to believe this was my fault.
He would want me to withdraw in shame and sorrow without hope and cover my light.
He wouldn’t want me to share with the world the reason for the hope that I have and why I can in my pain lift my hands to my Lord and rejoice.
There was a battle going on and I was a new warrior.
I sought the wisdom of a well-respected friend and asked her to mentor me through this process, and the Lord used this relationship to change my life. She encouraged me to meditate on scripture and to memorize it. I had grown up in church and had memorized verses here and there (and of course knew the key gospel verses), but memorizing chunks of scripture at a time was a daunting challenge. She encouraged me to pick of a book of the Bible and just go for it one verse at a time.
I, of course, was flooded with excuses of limited time and poor memory, but she said to me,”if I can do it, you can do it”. Well, I humbly gave it a go. It took a little bit to figure out what version worked best for my memory and to find a technique that fit me. I was slow, but it got easier and easier.
Then, the most amazing thing happened!!!! As I carried around the sword in my mind and on my heart, it was suddenly relevant all the time! It was relevant in conversations with friends, coworkers, and it was my weapon in the times when I was alone and the enemy would whisper and seek to discourage.
About six months later, I found myself back in the hospital toward the end of the first trimester of my second pregnancy. What appeared to be another devastating miscarriage ended up being a sub chorionic hemorrhage that would resolve, and eventually, I would give birth to my little boy. However, while laying in the hospital waiting for the ultrasound, I thought I had lost him. I remember so clearly praying that the Lord would give me strength and grace to get through this again.
This time was different though- I had my sword!
I had the first few chapters of James already in my head and was able to meditate on it while laying there feeling anxious and afraid. GAME CHANGER! WARRIOR!
For me this was the beginning of a marathon of different trials, but the Lord was teaching me to fuel up with His word and run hard. He is teaching me how to prepare for battle!
My next 7 years would include more miscarriages, an overseas move, the sudden death of my mother, and many other ups and downs.
No matter the season, whether mountain or valley, studying the Word and memorizing the word will always produce fruit that glorifies God and points others to the Light of the World.
Run hard and carry your sword! If I can do it, you can do it!”
“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil….. take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:13 & 17, emphasis mine)
Take the Sword with You
God’s Word is our offensive piece of armor in the battle against the enemy of our soul. Jesus drew from the scriptures to defeat Satan’s manipulative tactics of temptation so he could stand firm (Matthew 4:1-11). You too can walk in victory, as you “take the sword with you” through memory and speak it out loud like Jesus. Memorization allows us to “take the sword with us” by having direct access to life-changing truths anytime and anywhere.
Got sword? Godly girl power flows from a woman geared up with God’s Word.
In this week’s podcast Brooke shares an effective strategy to memorize God’s Word in 7 simple steps. Listen to the podcast, and discover how to “take your sword” with you to be strong in any battle you face. We will tackle every piece of armor and discuss what it means to “put on” the armor of God in our Facebook Live on Wednesday…. See you there!
Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20
Want more? Learn how to apply the Nourish Bible Study Method and develop a deeper connection with God’s Word by downloading Nourishing Your Heart.
Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.
