Armor of God: W6
Take the helmet of salvation.
Google’s definition of salvation is the saving of the soul from sin and its consequences… My definition? Saving me from myself..even though I do not deserve it.
We’ve been getting dressed this whole time, and one of the most vital pieces of our outfit is saved for the end. Your head. The “I’m fats, I’m not enough, she’s prettier, I’ve done too many not-so-good things, the I can’ts”- Honey, that’s your head talking. Your head and your heart both have to align themselves with the truth of His word in order to be completely effective against the enemy- which is not whatever you thought it was at the beginning of this study, remember? It’s Satan using that “whatever.” Nothing outside of the truth of His word matters. Feel His word in your heart then make your mind tell your feet to walk in it. Salvation is an inward transformation. It doesn’t change what’s outside around you, but rather the inside which makes the outside look so much different. Your enemy, whatever “it” is, remains the same; it’s you that is different.
“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:21
notice it says IS ABLE… but will you plant the word and let it grow? You can plant the seed of salvation… but Jesus cannot grow with world, ladies. What is getting your attention? What’s your priority? If you give Jesus a little bit, and others alot… but you’re watering it all- weeds grow faster than flowers, y’all. Take away old seeds little by little or the things of this world will quickly over-grow your small seed of Jesus and His word will be choked out, leaving you open for vulnerability. The other things in our lives have to become less so He can become more. Ask yourself on the regular… What exactly am I watering?
“A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks what his heart is full of” Luke 6:45
So back to this helmet thing… Anybody up for a defensive game of football without a helmet? um… no. That’s unsafe and scary, right? Almost makes you feel inadequate.. hopeless… incompetent. Ever felt like this… maybe not in football, but in life? That would be the mind without protection of truth.. of salvation.
Three things:
1- Know these thought patterns are toxic and recognize them for what they truly are- strongholds. Do you know what yours are?
2-Confess those crazy thought processes to God and admit you’re somewhat responsible for helping construct those thoughts. “The enemy cannot make us do anything. He can only lead us to do things” It’s not all of the enemies fault.
3.Dismantle it. control your thoughts, then renew your prospective and understanding by deliberately applying God’s truth.
The bad guys will always challenge this line of thinking, stirring up insecurities that breed destructive behaviors that are out of alignment with God’s will. You have to know who you are. Not only know yourself for you, but also for who you are in Christ. If you don’t know you.. Satan can easily sneak in and tell you you’re all of those ugly things that, with our helmets on, we know we’re not. Renew your mind, change your perspective, redirect your responses and actions to allow yourself to hear God’s guidance for specific situations that unfold in front of you. Don’t use your busy schedule as an excuse for being lax in wearing your helmet. I have five kids, two jobs, and a new ministry, guys. Can you even imagine what that is like? it’s busy. When you are in a war, and we all are if you haven’t realized that by now, you don’t just take a vacation. Not from this. You do whatever you need to do to keep your helmet on and your Jesus watered throughout your day, EVERY DAY. I don’t know if I’m the pot or the kettle telling you to not listen to feelings of insecurity, self doubt, or insignificance… because I am in a constant struggle of the “not-enoughs” these days myself, but I do know those feelings are not of God. God doesn’t want our hearts to feel like they don’t measure up; He wants them full. Any feeling less than whole is Satan. One time so-and-so said such-and-such and made me feel less than… and Satan saw that such-and-such worked, so he uses things like so-and-so did to put us in a position of defeat. Of course, it’s easy for us to fall there because we’ve been right there in the dark so many times before. Beauty from ashes, ladies. Wear the helmet, even when it doesn’t match your outfit. There’s no inappropriate time to wear the truth of Jesus, and some of the prettiest flowers grow out of the ugliest dirt. You are enough. “I am assure that all things are working together for good” Romans 8:28 Big Loves, Katie
Comments