We read about the “armor of God” in Ephesians 6:10-18 with the breastplate of righteousness mentioned in verse 13: Finally, 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 occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Random Rambling of a Princess
While I could come up with a million disclaimers, I won't as you read you will find many heart exposing moments from my life and while they are both good times and bad times I won't appoligize for them. I share them in hopes they lead others into freedom from what once held them captive.
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Breast Plate of Rigtheousness
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Belt of Truth
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Armor of God Introduction
So I decided to start a series of teaching on the armor of God with you ladies. I was blessed as I took the time to learn about it during my quiet time devotions, so I wanted to share it with you. The Armor of God is something we hear about a lot...but let’s keep an open mind and dig deeper together on what the Bible says about it.
Over the next few days, we will be really diving into Ephesians 6:10-18 and looking into each piece in depth. But as we do, I want to share a few things to wet your appetite!As prayer warriors and believers in Christ, God doesn’t want us to carry anything that is unnecessary because it will weigh us down and hinder what He has called us to do. We must not go into battle without the things we need in order to win. Our battle is spiritual and what we accomplish in the spirit realm is as important as what the highly trained, prepared, and equipped soldier does in the physical. We must know our weapons and be highly skilled in using them. We must put on the armor of God in order to stand against the enemy.
The reason we must put on the whole armor of God is to withstand evil. We don’t war against people, but against a spiritual hierarchy of invisible power. We are not only to use our armor to protect and defend ourselves from them-as important as that is-but also to go on the offensive against them as well. When we do that, we close doors to the enemy and open doors to the will of God to be done on earth. We advance God’s kingdom.
Prayer warriors need to put on the armor of God every day because the war is always going on. New battles continually need to be fought so that the evil will be driven back, the kingdom of God advanced, and the will of God be done. Our spiritual armor not only protects us from the enemy it gives us what we need in order to push against him.
Ephesians 6:14-18 (break down)
- 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.
- 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 occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
- be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Matthew 6:13 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17----yes the victory over the evil was accomplished on the cross but the enemy is still here.
When we get up every day, put on our protective armor. Don’t leave your day to chance. Take possession of it and surrender it to the Lord. Don’t let it get out of control and give the enemy an invitation to have input. You need this armor as mentioned in Eph 6:14-18 to stop any onslaught of the enemy’s destructive arrows into your life and the lives of those you care about-both now and in the future.
In closing, my prayer for us as we embark on this journey is Lord, help us to put on the full spiritual armor You have provided for us so that we can “stand against the wiles of the devil” every day. May we take this time to really break down your word and be open to hearing you and learning how to stand as the warrior you call us to be. In Jesus Name. Amen
Looking forward to tomorrow when we break down Eph 6:14.. and what the bible says about the “belt” of truth and how important it is to gird our waist with the truth.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Good Bye 2019
Every year I have taken the time to write a blog reflecting on the year that is ending, so I plan to continue doing this a reminder to myself of God's goodness along the way of life's curveballs and chaotic moments.
This year started out very...draining and emotional, to say the least. Let me back up a bit to 2018. 2018 was a year of my life. I never want to repeat it or wish it on my worst enemy. It was filled with betrayal, lies, malicious slander and so much more trauma for my family and me. It also was a year where I was shown just how strong I am and how much I can find the strength in Christ to stand and fight for my family despite the pain, vulnerability, and persecution I face. So as 2018 closed out, it caused the start of 2019 to be very overwhelming for me spiritually, emotionally and mentally. If I'm 100% honest the whole ordeal even took a physical toll on my body, I began to struggle with anxiety, physical pain and so much more. The damage from 2018 had me stuck, I couldn't move forward or backward. It was like I sat in a room in the middle of the floor staring at a filing cabinet that had just been emptied but every file and paper were scattered in no specific order around me piled high to my neck around the room and I was to sort it all out...It was somewhere around the end of June beginning of July when I got some devastating news that added more insult and injury to the damage that 2018 brought me. I call the year of 2018 The Kiss of Judas. So fast forward to around maybe late August/September 2019 I began to get alone with God because I didn't like who I was becoming from all of this, nor did I want to stay in this place. My pastor had preached a message during this time that talked about our weapons of war and how we are to fight our battles....I have heard and applied this message a million times over my walk with God, however, this time as my pastor spoke I began to piece it together with what Daddy God had been speaking to me in my quiet times. I began to apply what I was hearing both from God and through my pastor. I started seeing changes! Changes not in others around me, not in those who kissed me with betrayal and caused me so much pain in 2018, no the changes started taking place in me! The anxiety left, the mental fog lifted, the spiritual paralyzation began to subside. I was able to start living again and heal. The journey that took place over these months was intense but in a good way. I was forced in a loving manner by God to confront somethings in my life that I wasn't aware of were "holding me back." How you ask? Well, he took me during my quiet time to Job 6:24 "Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray." and then God reminded me of His promise found in Philippians 1:6 "God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns." This is just one verse that became alive to me during this journey of healing. I was also reminded of Psalm 37:7 "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!"
Daddy God, I'm reminded of when David defeated Goliath against all odds, and even after being on the run for his life from King Saul, he cried out to You in faith to deliver Him. Even after he made terrible mistakes, but You delivered David, loving him still. For Paul, who tortured and had other Christians killed, You never left him even in his own jail cell. What we don’t understand is how much You love us regardless of our faults and fears. Help us to believe and strengthen our faith in Your love, for the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Galatians 5:1 calls us to action, to stand firm in our faith. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Help us turn from shame, make a way for kindness, and rise up for those who can’t speak for themselves and find a way to make sure those who are burdened by distorted thoughts of who they are. Equip us, through the lessons of our own deliverance, to become ambassadors for Your love. You assure us when we seek You, we will find You, when we seek You with all of our hearts. (Jeremiah 29:13)
Daddy, I am grateful that You hear us and care for us beyond our understanding. “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” Psalms 34:17. We prayerfully proclaim deliverance in our own lives, and in the lives of those suffering in our family, and around the world. We cry out to You in faith that You will deliver us from our physical pain and mental anguish. “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” Psalms 107:6
Help us to let go of our timeline and embrace Your process and Your perfect timing. We live in a “have to have it now” world, but Your ways surpass the convenience of free shipping and next day delivery. Give us the faith and patience to embrace Your process and purpose for our lives, remembering Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” When others mislabel us, give us the grace to pray for and empathize with them, but maintain the truth of what You say about us, and who You say we are. May we always remember to love others above all else (1 Peter 4:8) but have the inner strength to discount and discern lies from Your Truth. Kids aren’t the only ones that are bullied and teased. Tune our ears to Your voice of grace, love, and kindness, as we respond and react to the attacks of others. Heal our distorted thoughts and broken-down boundaries. Help us to shield our hearts from shame and separate our mistakes and missteps from our magnificent purpose in life. Grant us the courage to be brave and courageous as Jesus was when we walked this earth, yet kind and compassionate at the same time. Make the impossible possible in our lives as we seek Your will in our lives over our own vindication and defense mechanisms. Help us to remember this powerful truth: “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.” James 5:13 Deliver us, Father, from the everyday attacks on our conscious, health, relationships, and beyond. From what can see coming and would never expect, protect and deliver us from anything that threatens to throw us off Your course for our lives. Give us the strength to love people that are seemingly unlovable without compromising our character as Christians. Build confidence in us that is unstoppable and immovable but guard our hearts against pride. Deliver us from our distorted thoughts, sickness, debt, sadness, struggles, hunger, pain, fear, oppression, conflict, and unbelief, for we proclaim Your Peace over our lives through prayer, today. “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10 Help us to put on Your armor, daily, Father. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Forbid Them Not.....
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
A Child Shall Lead Them
Sophie, just hours old |
Sophie, a few months old |
Sophie Now! |