The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 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.14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 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 saints.
Dear Maddy,
Even though you are still young, we talk about modesty--what not to wear and why. A lot of moms discuss this with their daughters and that's great. But how often do we bring up what you should choose to put on instead of what should never get put inside your shopping cart? What you need to clothe yourself in, you already own. You owned it the moment you asked Jesus to come into your life.
Consider dressing yourself every morning in the armor of God.
Here's what I mean.
God wasn't kidding when He said that our struggle isn't with flesh and blood. Sometimes our battles go deeper, they're spiritual, they're a skirmish for your self-esteem disguised as a rude comment or someone hurting you by making you feel as though you have no worth and value.
Think about that for a minute. Those comments can be devastating.
If Satan can get you to believe you have nothing to offer God, the world, or yourself, then he's already won the war for your heart. He can't take your heart of course, because you've already given it to Jesus. But he can pierce it and render it useless. When we feel bad about ourselves, we don't fight for what's right and good and true. We give up. We lose the war without ever "soldiering up."
So, when you wake up in the morning, remember to stand behind God's power, not your own. Remember to put on peace and righteousness and faith. Ask yourself what you are doing for your Lord today instead of what He will do for you. Are you believing in His truth and helping others to do the same? He says you are beautiful and worthy and a masterpiece. His masterpiece. He created you for a purpose. Accept it. Believe it. Live it. And He will do mighty things in you.
Dear Lord, Show Maddy Yourself today and help her "see" how much she is worth to You. Help her wear your armor to protect herself and to be a light for you in a very dark world. When comments and actions threaten to render her heart useless, speak your truth loudly in her heart and overwhelm those other voices intent to destroy who You want her to become. You have so much power to offer her, but she needs to reach out and take it in faith. Build a bond with her that nothing can break. You've said in your word, "...neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).
I accept that promise. I believe in that kind of love . And I will live in such a way that shows I am wearing Your battle colors. Help Maddy to do the same. Amen.
Sometimes when we begin a journey, we can't see farther than the next bend.
Step onto the road, prayer for a child in your life, and see where the Lord leads.
The campaign starts here: Take a Spin Down Intercession Avenue
Prayer Moves Mountains: Day One
Take Captive Every Thought: Day Four
Quit Looking at the Old: Day Six
Revisit Your Blessings: Day Seven
What Does God Have For You? Day Eight
The Greatness of our God: Day Nine
You are Not Invisible: Day Eleven
Go After the Best Blessings: Day Twelve
Ordinary to Extraordinary: Day Thirteen
Little Girl, You are Beautiful. Always! Day Fourteen
What Are You Worth? Day Fifteen
Why You Should Never Have Self-Confidence: Day Sixteen
Friendships are Hard: Day Seventeen