This month we are staying at a missionary house outside a little town called Talanga. Our hosts are amazing and our ministry has been awesome. We have been involved in a number of different things:
- We have been teaching English at a nearby school which currently employs one teacher for all the kids.
- Once a week we help out at a feeding center for kids in the mountains.
- We work at a clinic doing patient intake, praying for each patient before they see the doctor.
- We help out at the pharmacy.
- My favorite thing we’ve had the opportunity to do this month is preach. I don’t particularly enjoy public speaking yet I find myself doing it more often then not throughout the race.
- Last but not least we have done manual labor for the majority of our time here. This includes painting churches, cleaning, mowing lawn and helping build a house.
Today our team was digging the foundation for the pastor’s future house while Jonny and I were taking care of some squad leader tasks. An hour into the morning I started to get frustrated. This changed my mood and I started to get into a funk. I decided to go out and dig with the rest of the team, thinking it would solve my problems and change my mood.
It turns out that the team was also going through it today. I walked out to a few of the girls praying over each other and some awkward stares when I asked what was going on. It turns out satan was onto us today. He was hittin us hard from all sides.
As I dug I thought about the real solution to my problem, to our problems. The solution to satans sly, subtle attacks…… The Word!!! The Truth!! The sword of the Spirit!!
I know what changes my mood. I know what makes me feel better. When I worship and pray to God it lifts my spirit. When I get into my bible and read the truth it changes my mood.
I already knew those things but I still went outside and picked up the wrong tool. I grabbed a shovel when I should have been picking up my sword, the bible.
How many times have you had a bad day and you ran straight to your hobby, friends, social networking, or the TV. Let’s be real maybe you’re running to things more like sex, drugs or alcohol.
Picture a warrior on the battlefield but instead of a sword in hand he has a bottle of beer. That would make no sense. In the natural nobody goes to battle without proper protection. In the spiritual we constantly go into battle with things that actually hinder us from reaching victory.
I’m sure the devil loves when we’re at the end of our rope and instead of going to God for help we go to the bar. We beat ourselves.
I have to admit, I’m guilty of this. Maybe I wasn’t at the end of my rope today but God is building me up and preparing me for greater battles. It’s about time I realize I can’t fight the devil with a beer in my hand. Even a shovel won’t defeat the enemy. He’s sneaky. He’s so sneaky that sometimes I don’t even realize I’m in the middle of a spiritual battle.
These last few months I’ve been learning more about the spiritual realm and how real it is. Satan came to steal, kill and destroy. Although we can’t see him it doesn’t take away the fact that he is real and sometimes he even affects us physically. God has already won the war and He has given us the power and authority to overcome these battles. The key is knowing who we are in Christ and walking in that authority.
Thank you good Lord for equipping me with your armor to be victorious over satans little, cunning schemes!!
Read Ephesians 6 to get ready for battle!
Strong in Him!!
