Do you ever walk through trials that seem like mountains only God can move?
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I certainly do – Every. Single. Day!
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The older I grow, these daily battles also seem to grow in intensity, and the stakes seem to rise higher. I have learned through many missteps and battle wounds that I cannot walk into daily life unarmed and ill-prepared, nor can I believe that I can fight battles only God can win. As His child, I know that my job is to put on the full armor of God every morning, but honestly, how often do I forget to get appropriately dressed ready for battle?
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For the past few months, I have been meditating on the scriptures about the armor of God. Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasion with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
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According to these verses, God calls me to show up daily prepared for battle, but after I’m dressed and ready to fight, it is a bit surprising HOW He says I am to go forth. Instead of swinging my sword in vengeance and shooting flaming arrows in rage, He tells me to ready my heart with the Word of God and to shield in faith the flaming arrows thrown towards me. Instead of seeking out battles to fight, He tells me to stand firmly planted in truth and righteousness wearing shoes of peace. Instead of reacting in my own flesh and dishonoring WHO I represent, He tells me to cover my thoughts in His helmet of protection through my salvation. And lastly, instead of using my tongue to lament my daily struggles to anyone who will listen, He tells me to use my tongue to pray in the spirit “with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
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Examining my heart, I question the worldly habits that my sin nature typically turns towards to resolve conflict in my life. I have begun asking myself, “Am I relying on my flesh to fight today, or am I pressing into the Spirit — allowing Him to work through me?”
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Unfortunately, more often than I would like to admit, I rely on my flesh and make my trials much harder than necessary. But God is growing me, and over the years, He has challenged me to rise above my typical fleshly reactions. I am also learning now as a mother of three little girls who are watching my every move that the stakes are much higher. My heart’s desire is to model an example of godliness to my children. Even under the pressure of various trials, I want my girls to witness me take the high road. Children are natural imitators of what they see. If my girls witness me explode with anger or seek revenge, then as they begin to face their own battles, they will react in the footsteps of my example. But if my children witness me intentionally putting on armor daily through reading my Bible each morning and creating an environment of prayer in our home, then they will also see God daily showing up in my life because God ALWAYS shows up for His children who seek Him.
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As my children grow and as life brings about various trials as it is sure to do, I pray my girls will be better equipped to walk hand in hand with God into their own battles because they witnessed me, their mama, walk hand in hand with God as my Way-maker. My continual prayer is for God to help me remember that it is my responsibility to show up daily wearing my full armor so that I am able to model a life of godliness before my children. I hope that my children are able to look back on the trials that I walked through and that we also walked through as a family and say, “If God paved a way for my mama and our family when our trials seemed like mountains, then He surely will pave a way for me as well.” ❤️