Arrived in Trujillo, Peru on March 8th after 37 hours of traveling. We are staying at a soon to be children’s home. The home is still under construction but when it is finished it will be a home that gets children out of the dump. It is beautiful and such an honor to be a part of building this home. The first day we arrived we walked around the property and prayed over it. I instantly felt a heavy spirit. I felt darkness and the light of God. I felt the battle between the two. I don’t know how to discern it all but I do know there is a war going on that we can’t see. I continued to pray for wisdom and discernment and the Lord lead me to Ephesians 6:10-17.
The Armor of God
“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 of 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.”
I started to really mediate on these scriptures. As I did the Lord continued to speak, we are at war, so arm yourself. As I read the Lord gave me a picture of a battlefield and many soldiers. Each soldier was fully prepared for battle. They were covered from their heads to their feet in protective gear. They stood in confidence and were fully prepared for the enemy to attack. That is the stance the Lord wants to awaken my soul to. To stand fully dressed in the armor of God in confidence and in readiness for attacks to come. If I do that then when darkness comes in I will not be shifted. It says you are to hold the shield of faith up to put out the ‘ flaming arrows of the evil one’. If someone was throwing flaming arrows at you, would you put down your shield even for a moment? I have seen the evil one throw those flaming arrows at my heart this month. The names of those arrows are doubt, fear, unbelief, and insecurity. We need to have the armor of God on so that when those arrows strike, we will reamin untouchable.
I had my eyes opened to the unseen when I was reading a book called, Waking the Dead. I will just share his words so I don’t lose the solid truth within them.
“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. At that time I, Daniel, mounred for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. ” Daniel 10:1-3
“Something has happened that Daniel doesn’t understand. I think we can all relate to that. We don’t understand about 90 percent of what happens to us, either. Daniel is troubled. He sets out to get an answer. But three weeks of prayer and fasting produce no results. What is he to conclude? If Daniel were like most people, by this point he’d probably be headed toward one of two conclusions: I’m blowing it, or God is holding out on me. He might try confessing every sin and petty offense in hopes of opening up the lines of communication with God. Or he might withdraw into a sort of disappointed resignation, drop the fast, and turn the on the television. In an effort to embrace the difficulty as part of “God’s will for his life.” He might read a book on “the silence of God.” That’s the way the people I know handle this sort of thing. And they would be dead wrong. On the twenty-first day of the fast an angel shows up, out of breath. In sort of apology, the angel explains to Daniel that God had actually dispatched him in answer to Daniel’s prayers the very first day he prayed-three weeks ago. (There goes the whole unanswered prayer thesis, right out the window) Three weeks ago? What is Daniel to do with that? “The very first day? But… I’ve… I mean, thank you so very much, and I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but… where have you been? The angel goes on to explain that he was locked in hand-to hand combat with a mighty fallen angel, a demonic power of dreadful strength, who kept him out of the Persian kingdom for three weeks, and he finally had to get Michael( the great archangel, the captain of the Lord’s hosts) to come and help him break through enemy lines. “Now I am here, in answer to your prayer. Sorry it’s taken so long.” Things are not what they seem. This is a world at war.” – John Eldredge
We have been told that it is not safe to walk the streets outside of the Children’s home. If we do leave there are two rules: be in a group and carry your bible. If people see you with your bible they are less likely to attack because there is a common respect for Christians in the community. We literally have to carry the bible in our hands for protection. Going back to the armor of God…What is the sword of spirit? The word of God. What a cool picture this has been for me! That we need to be carrying the sword of the spirit, the word of God, at all times. That God has equipped His word to be a sword, a powerful weapon. It is for our very protection.
Having my eyes opened to the unseen is causing my heart to want to get lost in the word of God. To drown my soul in the word because I don’t want it to ever leave my hand. I need it to not depart, for it is my protection. Several times in this scripture it says PUT ON the full armor of God. God has given us all we need to be fully protected but we must be the ones to dress ourselves. We have to be the ones that step out of bed every day and put on His armor. We are at war. Arm Yourselves.
“With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.” Psalm 60:11-12
