First things first, I want to give a shoutout to some dear family friends, Teri Burton and Angela Renner, whose recent donations to my Race have brought me great joy, and allow me to continue pursuing Him in Argentina. I also want to give a shoutout to my cousin Megan, who turned 21 last week!
So Chile has come to an end, and the entire Squad has been reunited. We spent 5 days in Chile together during debrief, and have now moved to Mendoza, Argentina. We are staying in a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) encampment just outside of town, and are doing all sorts of ministries. (More on these in the accompanying blog!)
But what was revealed to me during debrief will be the subject of this blog post; Chile was incredible. My relationship with Christ became more intimate than ever before, and continues to grow now. However as any battle goes, any time ground is gained, the enemy is prone to launch a vicious counter-attack. During my first two days of debrief, I gave Christ minimal thought at best. This temporary lapse, this weakness, exposed me to past struggles, doubts, and temptations. Satan got the best of me once or twice.
But our squad has been blessed to have our two coaches, Jay and Denise Heesch, with us these past two weeks! During a one-on-one with Jay the other day, he reminded me of my black-and-white, mathematical, military mindset, and the significance of being a “warrior”. Now I’ve always thought the phrase “spiritual warfare” was something Christians said to declare their intention to be better Christians, but now I’m discovering it actually refers to a real struggle. The enemy knows us better than we do. But fortunately, our God knows us better than the enemy.
I often find myself reading Ephesians Chapter 6, where Paul urges the church in Ephesus to “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Verse 11). As the devil preys upon my weaknesses, I feel the “Shield of Faith” plays perhaps the most crucial role in my defense.
Luke 11:24-26 reads, “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
I promised myself the first person to read my personal journal would be my future wife, but it seems appropriate that I include a short excerpt here, which I wrote after first reading this verse last week:
“God, many times I have cast my demons aside, and many times they have returned with a vengeance, stronger than before. I pray to You now Holy Spirit, now that my house is swept and in order, that it would be fortified seven times over, that I might resist their return.”
I have faith that He will shield me. I pray for discipline, wisdom, strength, and patience to ride out the storm ahead. I pray for victory in the battle before me, and rest assured that God is with me.
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-Matt
PS- I have minimal internet access here in Mendoza, so if my posts are erratically-timed, please be patient.
