Strengthen Yourself in the Lord

A slightly different take on the famous “Full armor of God” passages, focusing on strengthening yourself in the Lord.

There is a battle going on around us. Whether you believe it or not, it’s there. I see it every day. Lately, I have been in the midst of a mess of a battle. Chaos and Confusion have been hitting me left and right.

I mean, in general, there is ALWAYS something going on.

• Flooding in the rabbit pens.
• My husband’s battle with cancer.
• A grandchild was in the hospital.
• My washing machine broke.
• My dog needed an expensive procedure.
• and so much more….

It has been a lot of stuff. And then, my head has been a mess. I got caught up in extreme “Busyness” as the seasons have finally changed and we have warm weather. All the outdoor things that I should have been doing for weeks now are suddenly ready to be done. We went from extreme rain and cold to warmer and sunny just like that. I have a bunch of things outside that need to be done, and in my mind, they need to be done only by me and yesterday.

I stressed myself out long before I even started!!

Last week, I broke down. You can only live in that state for so long before you finally just break down. Some can live in that place for years. I know I did. Just not this time around.

We have an enemy who tries to keep us battling in our minds. The negative thoughts and swirling keep us confused. 

We aren’t sure about what we should or shouldn’t do. 

Busyness and stress are tools he frequently uses. 

Confusion. 

Chaotic behaviors. 

Deceptions.

Strengthen Yourself in the LORD: Quiet Time with Him

The morning after I broke down, I got into my quiet time and started to ask God some questions. I told Him all about what I dealt with, how I felt. I told Him everything. I know He knows it already. But there is something that happens in us when we unload it all on Him. Just doing that made me feel so much better.

He then took me to Ephesians 6:10-20 and opened my eyes to see some important truths:

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. 12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore,

with truth like a belt around your waist,
righteousness like armor on your chest,

15and your feet sandaled with readiness
for the gospel of peace.

16

In every situation take the shield of faith,
and with it you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17

Take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is God’s word.

18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. 20 For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should. (biblegateway.com HCSB)

The first thing that jumps out at me in these passages, that morning when I am reading this with my own struggles in mind, is: “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by HIS vast strength.”

Strengthening Yourself in the Lord: Not my strength but yours, Lord

I have been struggling. Trying to do it all in my own strength. Trying to do all, be all, get everything done yesterday. I wasn’t even happy to be crossing things off my list. Instead, I kept adding things to the list. Telling myself I wasn’t doing enough. Beating myself up continuously, proving to myself that I suck at everything, and “you may as well just give up.”

That passage right there hit me. Then, I dug into that. I thought, “How do I strengthen myself in the Lord?”

I did a search expecting to find just the passage where David strengthened himself in the Lord. He and his men came back from fighting battles and found his camp had been attacked while they were gone, and all their wives, children, and stuff had been taken. 1 Samual 30:6 says this, “David was in a difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.”

Well, guess what?

That is NOT the only place we can learn about strengthening ourselves in the Lord. Check out all the passages I found:

Philippians 4:13 “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.”

Colossians 1:11-12 “May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.”

1 Chronicles 16:11 “Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek His face always.”

Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Isaiah 58:11 “The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters never run dry.”

1 Corinthians 1:8 “He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

God is the one who strengthens us. When we turn to Him and ask Him, He gives us the power to do all the things. He is the one who gives us what we need. His power is perfected in our weakness. He knows the plan.

If I am not strengthening myself in the Lord in my morning quiet time by reading the Word and listening for His words to me, then I am just gonna keep spinning my wheels and feeling like I am all alone. (NOTE: I am not saying you HAVE to do a quiet time every morning and read your Bible. Just do the best you can to connect with God. That’s what is important anyway. Your connection with God. Remember, HE LOVES YOU!!)

I am not alone. I am just believing the lies that the enemy likes to throw at me.

Instead, I can come back at him, and my own thoughts, with this:

• I FIND MY STRENGTH IN THE LORD
• HE STRENGTHENS ME SO I CAN DO ALL THINGS
• YES, I AM WEAK. BUT HE IS STRONG IN ME
• I AM THANKFUL TO YOU, LORD, FOR YOU FILL ME WITH YOUR GLORIOUS MIGHT
• I SEEK YOUR FACE IN THIS SITUATION, LORD
• I WILL WAIT FOR YOU TO GUIDE, DIRECT, AND GIVE ME THE STRENGTH I NEED IN THIS SITUATION
• YOU, LORD, HAVE A PLAN AND A PURPOSE FOR ME. YOU GIVE ME ALL I NEED.
• THANK YOU, LORD, THAT YOU LEAD ME AND STRENGTHEN MY BONES
• YOU, LORD, STRENGTHEN ME ALWAYS AND FOREVER

It may not feel true in the moment, but it will feel true in time. I can trust my God to be there for me and fill me with His strength. 

Once I have been filled with His strength, then I can put on the full armor of God. Lately, I have been “seeing” suits of armor that look more like an even more high-tech superhero suit. (When I say “Seeing,” it means I see things in the spirit in my mind’s eye.) I believe that when we are strengthened in His supernatural power, we can access those powerful suits of armor and then be victorious in our battles. 

Knowing we do not battle against people, flesh and blood, rather principalities, powers, and forces of this dark world, we are not victorious over people. It’s the things that are controlling the people. 

We love the people. Just not the things they are doing. God loves them, and we choose to forgive them. Most of the time, they are just believing lies. Lies that could just as easily be believing. 

Now- go strengthen yourself in the Lord. And then put on the armor of God. These days are wicked and evil. Remember who you are!!

Blessings, my friends. 

(Please note: All scripture passages are from Biblegateway.com)

If you need some help remembering who you are, please click here. Let’s just have a quick chat. I would love to pull up a chair and a cup of tea with you!!