3 Strategies for Chronic Battles
Some of us have been fighting a battle for a very long time, and it’s starting to wear us down to a nub. Life has been very stressful, whether it be from a chronic health condition, under employment, an addiction, difficult relationships, caring for a sick family member, or facing constant opposition to completing a project.
Hang in there…there’s hope! Here are three strategies to give us some much needed relief:
1. Put on the full armor of God
I’ve heard about the armor of God for years, but I’m just now beginning to understand how to put it on and why it’s necessary.
How to put it on: Let’s use our imagination in putting on the full armor of God daily. My friend, Kelly, visualizes herself putting on each of the items below with all of their significance attached and says it really works! I’ve adopted that method and hope it works for you, too.
Why wear it: For me, I want to wear the armor so that I can partner with God and all His might instead of doing things in my own strength. Wearing His protection will also help us stand in the authority He has given us as believers and followers of Jesus. As the apostle Paul tells us, we’re in a spiritual battle so we need to fight with spiritual armor because earthly methods (strong arguments, logical reasoning, working hard) aren’t going to be effective. (Ephesians 6:12).
Here are the pieces of armor from Ephesians 6: 10-19 with a brief description:
• The belt of truth, which is God’s Word
Remind yourself about the truth of who you are in Christ and who God is. Then make sure every thought that comes into your mind lines up with those truths and with what He says in the Bible. For example, if you have a thought that says, “The doctor said there’s no cure for my disease,” check it for accuracy. What does God say about diseases? Matthew 8:17 says, “He [Jesus] took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” Isaiah 53 says Jesus took on the punishment for our sins and “by His wounds we are healed.” When our thoughts don’t match the truth of God’s word, we can ask God what He has to say about our specific illnesses, and then listen for an answer. He may have a cure that doctors know nothing about. Starting with God’s truth is the key to all the rest of the pieces of armor.
• The breastplate of righteousness
Righteousness is being in right relationship with God, others, ourselves, and creation. It is living upright in a way that is pleasing to God. Putting on the breastplate of righteousness helps us draw a line in the sand, creating boundaries of what’s okay and what’s not. When we put on God’s righteousness on top of our sinful nature, we’re putting on His right living, which helps avoid sin. We need God’s help because there’s no way we can live this way without Him.
• The shoes of the gospel of peace
Let’s picture ourselves putting on a pair of God’s shoes, which will help us remain calm in the face of chaos. I imagine them being way too big for my feet, but when I slip into them, they shrink to be just my size. A war can be breaking out on our street, but with the shoes of the gospel of peace securely on our feet, we are perfectly calm. When we step into His shoes, let’s imagine chaos and confusion held back from us. We can now calmly assess the situation, call on Jesus to help us, and keep our eyes focused on Him (not the chaos around us) as He restores order.
• The shield of faith
The shield of faith is powerful. According to the apostle Paul, every time we hold up the shield of faith (ie. step out in faith), that action extinguishes the flames of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16) That’s pretty cool! When we hold up the shield of faith, we show the enemy that we have zero doubt that God will do what He said He will do. It’s that complete lack of hesitation or doubt that gives Satan and his minions nothing to hold on to. They know we’re not going to fall for their tricks so they leave us alone. That’s great news! The key is to make time to listen to God so we can hear His clear promises and direction, which then gives us the confidence to act out in faith. (More information on promises in #2 below.)
• The helmet of salvation
When we put on the helmet of salvation, we are reminding ourselves that as believers in Jesus Christ we’ve been given the gift of eternal life. But it also has benefits for our daily life today. The helmet of salvation signifies that we are not only redeemed, but that (a) we have the mind of Christ, and that our identity is in being an heir of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16) And I love what Priscilla Shirer says about the salvation: “it doesn’t just involve escaping death but also entering into a state of heath, wholeness, victory, and safety. Our God’s salvation is holistic and involves the well-being of the whole person.” (Armor of God, p. 155)
• The sword of the Spirit
The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. Even though this is the only actual weapon we’re given in the armor of God, the rest of the pieces of armor are also powerful weapons. Putting on the true, inspired, infallible Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16–17) means making time to read and study it so we can learn more about who God is, what His character is like, and who we are in relation to Him. Why does this matter? Because the more we know about who He is, about who we are, and about the Word, the better equipped we are to come against the schemes of the enemy. When Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the desert, He answered Satan’s lies and temptations with Scripture verses. The Bible is the most effective and most powerful spiritual weapon we have to defeat the enemy, so it’s so important to know what it says. That way God can bring truths and verses to mind for us to counteract attacks and lies from the enemy.
• Prayer – Pray at all times
Prayer is a vital piece of the Armor of God because it’s our communication back and forth with God. He is the Creator and King of the universe. When we pray, we are communicating our heart’s desire to the Lord and also listening for His response. In prayer, we are partnering with what God is already doing, and we are activating the heavily realm to act on our behalf and on behalf of God’s kingdom. Prayer calls down from heaven the spiritual blessings that are available to us in the heavenly realm. (Ephesians, 1:3) But sometimes things don’t change for us because we’re not praying. Sometimes God waits for us to ask Him before He helps us. “You do not have because you do not ask God.” (James 4:2) So let’s pray and keep praying!
2. Remind yourself often about God’s promises to you
When we’re being beaten down day after day with a stressful situation, it’s super important to take the time to pray and listen for God to speak to us. Listening to God takes time and patience, but those who routinely practice this spiritual discipline experience the incredible gift of His voice and His Presence. He will often give a rhema word from scripture, which is a spoken word from God given to us specifically for our personal life. You’ll know if you’ve received a rhema word if the Bible verse or passage is highlighted to you in some way. You may feel as if the verse jumped off the page, or you may sense a stirring in your heart as if God is speaking directly to you about your situation as you’re reading the Bible. It usually creates some sort of excitement that God has actually spoken.
If you’ve received a rhema word from God, ask Him for confirmation of that word so that you are sure it wasn’t just your imagination or wishful thinking. It also needs to line up with the whole of what it says in Scripture because God will never contradict Himself. When you’re sure the Word is from God and it’s been confirmed, hold that promise close at hand and remind yourself often about what God said. His promises are true.
Keep remembering his promises to you. Recite them out loud and declare them over yourself. Do this for everything God has promised you, no matter how small. I pray that you will keep asking Him, “Lord, what do you say about my situation?” I pray that you all will press into Him more and more and keep your eyes focused on Jesus rather than on what the enemy is doing.
3. Read Graham Cooke’s Blogs
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It’s super easy to get discouraged when something bad happens or when our circumstances are challenging. One of the best ways I’ve found to help renew my mind is to read and meditate on Graham Cooke’s blogs. His ministry is centered around helping believers replace negative, doom and gloom thinking with God’s brilliant perspective. I encourage you to read Graham’s blogs. Since I’ve been reading his blogs, I feel like I have more joy in my life and less discouragement. Graham’s blog help me remember to look at things from God’s viewpoint, which is always more brilliant than mine. Here’s a sample: BrilliantPerspectives.com
For further study
I’m currently using Priscilla Shirer’s “Armor of God” workbook and am finding it to be expanding my knowledge of God’s Armor. My hope as I work through this study is that the armor of God will be implanted in my heart and become part of me. That is my hope for you, too.
Enjoy! And drop a line in the comments below. I’d love to hear how things are going for you and what strategies you use in fighting chronic battles.
The Armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-19 (NLT)
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
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