“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Ephesians 6:17
Trapped in a grimly cold room that appeared to go on infinitely- I sat in solitude letting my thoughts run wild. Out of nowhere, faceless, human-like creatures came crawling slowly towards me- spewing hatred, and taunting me with every fear that has ever entered my mind. Closer and closer, louder and louder, I had no way of stopping it. Unseen one of these evil beings pressed me to the ground. While all were the others remained faceless, this one pinning me to the ground had a spitefully wicked smile.
Fear and confusion encompassed me. With an eerie whisper, he leaned in, still smiling and said, “Where is your God now?”
I woke up listening to my rapid heartbeat and staring at the 3 a.m. blackness. My thoughts stumbled over one another, trying to figure out what had just occurred. Although I knew I was safe in my own bed, my heart was ravaged by this battle I’d experienced in the recesses of my mind.
I felt an overwhelming need to pray and spent the next hour talking (mainly crying) with Jesus. Fears, hurts and longings of my heart overflowed.
God showed me (like in the dream), that we were under oppression. He helped me see I’d been trudging through life unknowingly carrying the crushing weight of fear, disappointment, resentment and stress.
I’d grown weary of praying prayers that seemed to go unnoticed. My feelings overshadowed my faith and I’d been relying on my own advice for handling adversities, rather than seeking God’s wisdom.
As a result, I’d given the devil a foothold in my heart. So much time focused on my circumstances and feelings had inadvertently minimized my time focused on God’s Word and His truths that would set me free.
Spending time with Jesus and choosing His Word as our weapon – not only against life but also against the enemy, who wants to steal our hearts, is the only way to have victory.
God never leaves us to fight battles alone. His Word tells us many times that the battle is His, but we must choose to wrap ourselves in His promises and believe that He’s our Protector who will fight to the death for His children.
In fact, He already did.
