So, what is this armor all about anyway and why would we need to wear the Armor of God? Let me remind you, I’m not a scholar either…just an ordinary, or perhaps not so ordinary at times, gal blogging about what is on my mind. No need to pick apart my writing skills or opinions, it’s just the basics I’m trying to get across here…not some deep theological matter. I just want to reach out and challenge my own as well as a few others thinking…so let’s get to it.

Okay…here’s the scripture I’m pulling from to start with. This one is from Ephesians 6:11-18 using the Amplified Version. It says this:

“Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master of spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit of forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God, And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace. Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one]. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).

Wow! That’s a lot to take in! So you mean there might be a bigger picture than we have previously realized in this life? There is a battle against evil that is even described as not just flesh and blood but spirits and rulers of this dark world…they rule the spirits of the leaders in this world…and they are wicked and have strategies in place to bring us down? Wait! There is more! Not only is this a warning but in order to fight against this craziness we need the armor of a heavy-armed soldier to fight against it all and our God provides it!

So what are we talking about here? We are talking about a powerful deceiver…one who squeezes his way into lives who are not armed and who are unaware of his plans to hurt and harm us and others. The great deceiver who manipulates spirits to get things done because it’s tricky, sneaky and is the only way he can gain power. He sneaks into lives and uses us against each other because it causes discord. It causes us to doubt ourselves, to cause hurt and pain, to cause us to stop chasing our goals, our dreams and more! Talk about an enemy…this is our guy! And he hides behind our friends, our family and others to try to get us on a path of destruction in our lives. To break unity among us and to make us respond back in deceit and unforgiveness. Pretty ugly isn’t it? Where do you see this happening in your life today? Of course, it’s happening all around us on a much bigger scale but, where does it affect you personally?

Okay…here’s the deal. Now that we’ve established the enemy and how he operates, let’s take a look at what our role is in this war we wage. That’s right, God has provided us with the heavy-duty armor to protect ourselves and fight and win this war but we have a part to play also. I think a lot of us think that God has told us about this armor and all we have to do is wear it but it’s more than that. We have to know how to put it on. We have to play our role in it all and do our part. Remember, God is all about choice and relationship. He loves and respects us enough to know that we are either going to jump in the boat and paddle the heck out of it to the other side or we might just choose to sit on the same side of the shoreline sunning ourselves, sipping on coconut drinks, waiting for Him to do it all. Our choice…He allows us to choose and if we choose to stay on the shoreline, it’s probably not going to be all cracked up to how I described it just now.

We are starting with a belt of truth. Pretty straight forward I’d say. Don’t tell lies. If you are going to speak, speak the truth and do it in love.

The breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God. Act and behave as if God was looking over your shoulder…not out of being afraid He’s going to get you but because you know that it is the way you want to live, the way you want to treat others, being respectful and true to yourself, friends and family. One of the quotes I have says it this way: Live in such a way that if anyone would speak badly of you, nobody would believe it…” Don’t try to pull the wool over others eyes, don’t try to get ahead by stomping everyone else on your way there. Know at the end of each day that you’ve lived your best you and that if you have regrets and can recall something that was not done with morality and integrity that you get yourself before the Lord and get yourself right with Him so that you will be able to do better the next time something like that arises.

Shod your feet in preparation to stand firm. It states that this is produced by the good news-the Gospel of peace. Don’t run away from opposition. Stand firm in what you know and believe. Don’t allow others to dictate what you want and believe for your own life. Don’t back down because you are concerned of what others may think. Know your vision, know your purpose and protect it with all you’ve got.

The shield of saving faith to quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one. When someone else throws a missile your way, know and remember how and why you were saved. Grant them the same grace you were granted in faith. Forgive and move on. It’s been said that not forgiving another harms you more than it harms them…it’s true. Remember this and use forgiveness as a weapon to aid and protect yourself.

The helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields. The Word of God. Know your Bible. The truth’s in it is what saved you and will continue to save you. The Bible is not a book that just sits on the shelf like all the other books in your bookcase. There is something special about this book…there’s power in it, there is life and there is unsurpassed wisdom and knowledge that you won’t find in any other book. Check this out…

**God’s word is alive and powerful! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts. (HEBREWS 4:12 CEV)

**God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what. (Hebrews 4:12 MSG)

And finally, Pray. Not just when you are going through a rough time, not just for yourself but in good times and for others as well. When? Always! Prayer is a part of our relationship with God. He wants us to pour out our hearts, minds, souls so that He may pour into us. When we let go of our “stuff” and trust Him with it, we are literally pouring it out…and in turn He pours right back into us and fills us back up with His goodness, His love, His strength, power and might.

I always had it in my mind that if I wanted to be a good Christian gal that it somehow meant pleasing everyone, not getting others upset and going with the flow as if not to cause disruption in someone else’s life.  Let me tell you, that is likely some of what caused me to go in the wrong directions I went in as I grew up and was able to start making choices for my own life.  Adulthood that is.  What I just described is not easy to live up to and so I ran in the opposite direction to try to “find myself”.  Thankfully, I eventually learned what I needed to and that the choices I was making weren’t any easier either.  I finally hit the bottom and realized I needed Jesus in my life to get things going in the right direction…but not on the terms I once understood to be His…instead learning His terms and a little secret called “Boundaries.” 

See, Jesus knew all along that He wasn’t about pleasing others.  He had a mission in life and He was determined to follow the path regardless of if and who it might offend.  He knew the path He needed to take and if people got in the way, He kept walking to His goal.  If others opposed what He was on His way to do, He simply dealt with it and moved onward.  And I thank the Lord each day that He lived just in this manner.  For it He had not, He likely would have never made it to the cross and never would have died for my sins that I might have eternal life in Heaven with Him someday!  Because He followed the path He was called to regardless of what others thought, supported Him or not, I am FREE today and the hurts and harms that I have had and have in my life no longer have to stand in the way if I so choose.

So today I ask of you…What is it in life that you are sensing, feeling, hearing from God in your spirit and in your soul that you need to press on toward?  Let me give you a word that you may need to hear.  Stay the path!  Do not steer off the path you need to follow.  Let Him be your guide and do not allow any opposition to stand in your way!  Others may question you, even doubt what you dream.  Do not let them determine your destiny for you!  If you feel that you right in line with what God has directed and you know that you are sensing His Holy Spirit with you…do not allow others to challenge it.  He has a plan for you and expects you to allow no others to stand in the way.  If you are destined to greatness, it will take this type of action to get there.  And friends, I tell you this…if you are destined for greatness, I guarantee you have others in the path all along the way that need you to make to the end goal!  There will be lives changed, lives Unchained and lives that will be called to greatness all along the way!  I’ve never known a story of God to work in any less than the multitudes and if you are called to greatness…you are just the same!

Now for the scriptures:

“A huge door of opportunity for good work has opened up here.  (There is also mushrooming opposition.) ”

 I Cor. 16:9 MSG

“Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size–abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks.  I just let Christ take over!  And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”

2 Cor. 12:10 MSG

“We had just been given rough treatment in Philippi, as you know, but that didn’t slow us down.  We were sure of ourselves in God, and went right ahead and said our piece, presenting Gods’ Message to you, defiant of the opposition.”

2 Thessalonians 2: 2 MSG

“Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off.  Don’t give the opposition a second thought.”

1 Peter 3:14 MSG

“

Be prepared…There will be opposition in your path, on the journey.  You’ve got to be crazy to think that anything so great of an outcome would be so easy…just because God called you to it doesn’t mean the road will be smooth sailing!  It means it will be tougher than any other road you choose in life…because the outcome is devastating to the enemy and He will put up every roadblock possible to get you to stop!  Do not retreat…do not give up! 

Stay the path and the Lord is sure to be by your side.  It may not seem He is there but He is there every step of the way.  Do not allow fear or what looks to be failure set a stone in your way…if it does, start working on moving the stone aside that you may continue on the path.  Be prepared!  Take humility, pride, and even weapons for defense along the way.  If you are not prepared in your mind and heart that they will be there, you will be shocked and surprised when they pop up.  But, if you are prepared to defeat them, they will be of no surprise and although it may take you some new strategy here and there, you will recognize the battle and be ready to fight it as necessary!  Remember, friend or foe, no matter what the reasoning to oppose you (jealousy, fear of defeat, questioning of your motives and so on) it is not their journey…they are not called to it.  Stay the path and you will be blessed!

Interesting enough even the dictionary defines success much like what I have just described…here’s what is outlines:

success

1. the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.

2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

3. a successful performance or achievement: The play was an instant success.

4. a person or thing that is successful: She was a great success on the talk show.

5. Obs. OUTCOME.

Now that we’ve got all the “facts” about success out there…let’s talk more in-depth. I want to be successful. I’d say for the most part, we all have a drive in us to be successful and at some point in life, whether large or small, we’ve likely all experienced success. This success I would like to discuss however is not the success that is described in the above definitions. The success I want to discuss is what I consider to be above and beyond all of that.

Success to me is something so much bigger than how it is defined. It is not simply a meeting of a goal or the completion of a task. It is not just winning the game or getting the job. It’s not getting married, having a family and moving into the house you’ve wanted. The success I’m talking about is the type that you live out in your life. The deep-rooted success system that takes you to all those mini successes and short goals in your life, and where you get that type of success and develop it.

True success is a lifestyle. It’s the realization that when something works as a result of a change, you take recognition, and implement it into your life…you do not go back to the old way of doing things or you will likely no longer stay on the path of success. Success is about discipline, follow through and the desire to be more than you believe you could be. So why don’t we all have success and why does it appear that some have success but truly aren’t happy? Not all of us have been able to tap into the power to bring us into that type of existence. Here’s why:

“True wisdom and real power belong to God; from him we learn how to live, and also what to live for. If he tears something down, it’s down for good; if he locks people up, they’re locked up for good. If he holds back the rain, there’s a drought; if he lets it loose, there’s a flood. Strength and success belong to God; both deceived and deceiver must answer to him. He strips experts of their vaunted credentials, exposes judges as witless fools. He divests kings of their royal garments, then ties a rag around their waists. He strips priests or their robes, and fires high officials from their jobs. He forces trusted sages to keep silence, deprives elders of their good sense of wisdom. He dumps contempt on famous people, disarms the strong and mighty. He shines a spotlight into caves of darkness, hauls deepest darkness into the noonday sun. He makes nations rise and then fall, builds up some and abandons others. He robs world leaders of their reason, and sends them off into no man’s land. They grope in the dark without a clue, lurching and staggering like drunks. (Job 12:13-25 MSG)

I think this says it all. We have no power, no strength and no success without God! I don’t know about you but God is the one who has given me the hope for success. The hope to know that even though things sometimes look like failure, people don’t always support me and sometimes even get in the way to my path of success…I know that the Lord will provide for me and I will continue to follow the path He has laid out for my life. Only He can give dreams and visions like what I have. Only He can give me the freedom from myself to live out what He has planned. Only He can give me the passion I have for others and the drive to keep the pedal to the metal to reach each and every goal and desire He has laid in front of me. He is the answer to success. He is the answer to being happy when you find true success. If you seem to keep missing the piece that brings it all together for you in life…perhaps this is your answer.

Don’t confuse fame with success. Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other.
- Erma Bombeck

“Die when I may, I want it said of me by those who knew me best that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”
- Abraham Lincoln

Case in point…Success truly is about WHO you are, not WHAT you are. – Missy

There are different types of trees and they are all out there, open to the environment, harsh weather and all.  Some keep their leaves in certain seasons and lose them in others.  They go through different processes just as we all do in life.  What I always seem to notice when I see a tree blowing in a strong wind is how it shakes and sways.  Some of them bending in one direction almost touching the ground yet still staying in tact.  My eyes are always drawn to the bottom of the tree to examine what it is that is holding it in place and how it is withstanding the torment of the weather.  Even these small trees with not much to them still seem to withstand the wind.  And what is at the bottom of a tree?  As you well know, it is the bottom of the trunk.  At what is at the bottom of the trunk that we cannot see is deep underground.  Yeah, I know….you are fully aware of this but just humor me for a bit longer….

You’ve figured it out by now…I’m talking about the trees root system.  When you get to the bottom of it all, you know that in order for a tree to survive, it must dig deep through the mud and muck and keep on growing into this massive root system in order to survive.  It literally grounds itself so that it can grow, prosper, beautiful at times and just twigs blowing in the wind at others.  Sounds kind of like us huh?  We experience a lot of ugly in our lives because that is what this world consists of.  We have to dig our way through the mud and muck in order to develop our root system.  Along the way, we find that certain things make our root system stronger and others make it weaker.  Some of us eventually figure out on what we need in order to keep growing and digging in to survive, others of us end up stunting in our growth and we struggle to survive.  

We can easily identify in most cases what it is that is stunting our growth.  Perhaps it’s that really awful relationship you just can’t seem to let go of for fear of never being loved again.  Maybe it started with the abuse from a parent, friend or relative early on in life and you’ve never been able to let go of the question in your mind…What did I do to deserve this?  Perhaps it’s the addiction that you have been using to run away from the pain of a situation in your life.  Maybe it’s the feeling of being worthless regardless of how hard you try…never being able to please others.  Maybe it’s feeling like you don’t deserve this sickness or disease that you struggle with day-to-day. Maybe you feel like you are a good person, you do the right moral things, treat people well and yet there is just still a void that leaves you feeling that it is all for not…nobody else ever seems to return the favor or notice how good you are so why bother if I’m doing all I can and still not fulfilled….

So, if you can identify what it is that is stunting your growth, what is it that is needed to make it stronger?  Deeply rooted so that when the storms blow in, you can hang on and survive?  It is experience, success and a willingness to allow the help of another to ground you.  It is the hope that there is something to live for.  If all I had in this life was messes and mistakes, I’d be pretty apt to be stunted in my growth and just do what I had to get by.  Who wants to live with a constant feeling of failure, never feeling valued because you are always messing up your own life or someone else’s?  I have your answer.  There IS more to this life, beyond this life, an eternal life if you so accept what was done for you!  Jesus Christ died on the cross to forgive all of your mistakes, past, present and future.  If you just accept Him and what He has done for you, if you can accept the grace He has planned for your life, you can be rooted in Christ.  He will be your strength to grow and set your root system in place.  He wants you to accept that you are forgiven.  To let go of all the thought that you can ever be perfect and do everything right.  To be able to grant you forgiveness and forgive yourself and others when there is wrong done. To live each day feeling free from all of those unworthy, not good enough feelings.  To live each day free, not second guessing yourself, just being yourself and being the best you that you can be.  Good or bad days, you have a hope of eternal life to hold onto.  The eternal life that comes after the death of your human life here on earth.  The life you will have in Heaven with Jesus.  No pain, no fear, no tears, no death, no hopelessness, no worries, no sickness, disease, addiction, abuse or anything related to anything negative we feel on this earth!  Why the heck would you NOT want that in your life here on earth?  Why would you NOT want that eternal life in Heaven with Jesus, your Creator, the One who loves you more than any you will ever have in your life.  Stop doubting there is a God, stop doubting there could actually be someone out there that created you with purpose and there is a reason why you are here.  Do you really think so little of yourself that you wouldn’t want more?  Accept Him today, allow His love and grace to penetrate and change your life.  Be free!

Psalms 52: 7-9 Common English Bible says “Look at them!  They didn’t make God their refuge.  Instead they trusted in their own great wealth.  They sought refuge in it- to their own destruction!”  But I am like a green olive tree in God’s house; I trust in God’s faithful love forever and always.  I will give thanks to you, God, forever, because you have acted, in the presence of your faithful people, I will hope in your name because it’s so good.

Proverbs 12:3 The Message says “You can’t find firm footing in a swamp, but life rooted in God stands firm.”

There seems to be a great debate at times that questions the term “reborn”.  This leaves me to believe that there are some out there who simply do not understand the use of this term, those who may have questions of what this means, or just plain out doubt to challenge it.  I mean truly, how can you be “reborn” once you have already been born into the world the one time you came through your Mother’s birth canal and began this process we call life?

Let’s get to the bottom of this.  Let’s take into consideration the life of an addict, the life of a cancer patient, or perhaps the life of a victim of sexual abuse, mental or physical abuse.  There are so many more examples out there and I’m certain you can find one that you identify with.  Each one of these situations can lead to a very uncomfortable and painful path in life.  However, once clean and sober, disease free, or abuse free you have a choice.  You can choose to do the work to deal with the painful circumstances and come out a better, stronger person who no longer lives the previous life.  Is this not somewhat of a circumstance of being reborn?  New thinking, new patterns, a new appreciation for life as you now know it?

Last summer my family decided to do an experiment that I’m sure many are familiar with.  The Live Butterfly Garden.  This year, we opted for the Ladybug Garden.  Most are familiar with the transformation of a butterfly but not as many realize that the ladybug also has a very interesting and amazing process.  When they arrived to us via mail, we removed them from their tube and placed the food and larva into the garden provided.  All we had to do was add water ever so often to insure there was enough moisture for them since they like the humidity.  The food, which resembled sawdust, was provided and they were on the way to experiencing life. 

In the days to come we watched as they grew bigger and bigger until reaching a size of about 1/4″ inch in length.  They explored their environment, ate the food and who knows what else.  However, they soon started to settle down and began to stay in one place turning into a cocoon-like body.  They turned a darker color, started curling and no longer looked like bugs.  In the next week or so they began breaking free from the cocoon-like state and looked totally different from what they had been.  As they first emerge, they have black dots but the rest of the body is very pale and not by any means red.  As time goes on, they get more brilliant in color and become what all of us recognize as ladybugs.

After seeing this with my own eyes (not that I had any doubt previously) I fully realized that there really is something such as being “reborn”.  These ladybugs started a life as larvae, growing into what I what call a fully functional bug, went into a time of resting and were totally reborn as a new creature!  Is there really any more questions that need to be asked?

I never thought I’d say this but I know exactly what that ladybug went through!  The miserable first steps of life in which I made horrible choices and didn’t realized the pain it would cause, the knowledge of right and wrong, parents who taught me very well about right and wrong choices and rewards and consequences that go hand in hand with those choices.  It wasn’t however until I came to the end of myself realizing I was tired of this life I had chosen, tired of living on my own strength and tired of being burdened down and trapped in this life…I wanted more, I wanted different and I wanted to be free!  That my friends was one of my lowest times in life and I would say I felt as if I was in a deep dark cocoon curled up and just waiting for answers.  It was then that I found Jesus.  And I will tell you, when I found Jesus, I was REBORN!  I am a new creature and have a new life ahead of me.  I am still pale in body, just as the ladybug, but with each new day and each new experience I am getting brighter and more beautiful than ever!  I am FREE and I am in the middle of my continued transformation.  I have a new life, a new outlook and great perspective with hope knowing I am loved and cared for and it is a blessing to know that many of you are too!