Thursday, March 5, 2009

Sabotaged

"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."
Ephesians 6:10-13 NLT

One night my family was in the middle of a battle. We were fighting each other. We were angry, offended, and in self pity. You name it, we had it. Dinner had started out well. Nice talk, good food. Then one thing lead to another and "Wham"--we were at each other's throats. It seemed no matter what we said, we would continue to hurt each other. That's when I realized we had been sabotaged.

God had been using us in a mighty way. Peggy and I were serving on a women's retreat. We had just launched a wonderful marriage enrichment ministry. Our church was growing. My writing was taking off. The kids were good. We were a target for the enemy. The problem was, we were treating each other like we were the enemy.

That night as I sat outside praying for our family, the Lord spoke to me. He reminded me through His word that we were in a battle. Our real enemy Satan, was trying to pit us against each other. Why? Because a house divided against itself cannot stand. Satan may not be able to take away our salvation, but he was trying to take us out as a family.

I so grateful that the Holy Spirit revealed the truth of our situation. I called a friend and asked him to pray for us. Then I went back into the house and we prayed together as a family. Eventually the peace of God returned to our home.

Who or what are you fighting? Why?

"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.
Ephesians 6:1-18 NLT

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