How to fight the silent battle | facing spiritual warfare + the armor of God

 

The Silent Battle

“God knows the weight of your silent battles, even when the world doesn’t. He’s turning your pain into purpose and yourstruggles into strength.” —unknown

The past week has been a mix of the most amazing breakthroughs and deepest depression. I’m living in breakthroughs I never knew I could get to. God has helped and healed me and I’m so thankful. My health is getting better after years of hard struggles with nothing working. I'm writing a story for children I believe God has set on my heart. I’m speaking out the word of God on a podcast I'm so excited to be sharing. I’m living a blessed life. If I could have seen where I am now a few years ago I would simultaneously not believe it and be so thankful.

I also find myself struggling. I’m trying to do the good work and what God has called me to do but feel beat down. Why am I struggling so much? Why is this so hard for me when I see blessings all around me?

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.”

—1 Peter 4:12

It’s not a surprise. As Christians we will face hard times, trials, challenges, hardships, tribulations. It’s not some strange thing that is happening to you. No wonder when I see a breakthrough the enemy comes in to try and destroy it. Make her depressed. Make her not see the goodness of God. Get her so distracted with her sadness she doesn’t see what God is doing in her life.

What should I do? What do we do as Christians when we face an attack from the enemy?

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 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.”

—Ephesians 6:11-13

We take up the armor of God. We kneel and pray. We fight with the word of God.

Just like a real battle—think knights and dragons—you need to have your armor secured to withstand the attack of the enemy. We fight against the principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of the age, spiritual hosts of the wickedness in the heavenly places. We don’t fight against flesh and blood. We fight the spiritual. The only way for us to fight the spiritual is with the Spirit—with God by our side and the armor secured to our body. God has given us the answer. He has given us the tools—the armor—to withstand the enemy.

You will still face hardships. You will still have trials and tribulations. Armed with this knowledge you can have your armor at the ready. You may not get it perfect—I know I don’t—but we can be better prepared to withstand the attack of the enemy.

Right now I feel like God is teaching me how to use the armor. It’s funny—or rather perfectly timed1—that the stories I am writing for children are about learning how to wield the armor of God. Now I’m being shown how to use the armor in my own life. It shouldn’t be a surprise to me that when learning how to use the armor you will have to actually start fighting. You will probably get banged up but that doesn’t mean you have to be defeated. I cannot teach in a story how to use the armor to children if I have not myself learned how to wield it properly.

So now I head into battle. I may not be able to see my foe but I am learning (or attempting to learn) how to use my armor well. Thankfully God is a patient and gracious teacher. No matter how many times I fall, He is right there to pick me up.

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 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, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—“

—Ephesians 6:14-18

 

 

Thank You For Reading   

Thank you for being here and for being a part of my life! I hope you are all having a wonderful rest of your day! I’ll see you in the next one!

Love, Moriyah