Stand!

 Yesterday, as some of you already know, my lap top blacked out. Considering the fact that I am in college, taking my last two courses in order to achieve my bachelors degree in Biblical studies, losing my computer would be a big blow. Instead of letting that be my focus, I went old school ~ pen and paper. I outlined my thoughts for my one assignment; a 4 page paper answering a few question prompts over this week's required reading. I talked to complete strangers about my faith, my Lord, the message of grace, abundant living and hope. I even spoke about how being fully dressed, I knew what was truly going on and instead of freaking out and fighting my computer, I closed it and prayed that God take care of it. I did mention to Satan that one computer glitch would not stop me. I told him I'd do my work on my phone if I had to! 

This is not the first time that a lap top black out has happened to me. When I was in the middle of writing my second book, Satan came after me like a crocodile. While I knew what I was hearing in my head was not coming from me and was indeed warfare, I was in a fight for my life! The oppression was so great. The fight was so fierce, I compared it to being in a full blown crocodile roll. Even fully armored, I was doing all I could to simply stand. A major piece of armor has to do with spending time with God; reading a little bit of his story, heading the warnings in his word and following his advice. In the end, my battle was broken with a combination of speaking out-loud about the battle I was in, by the grace of God an unexpected moment of hilarity followed by a connection to that mornings reading as I stood firm. Literally the moment my eyes took in the duplicated word, the first from my morning's reading of Scripture and secondly within the first 4 words of an opening paragraph from the chapter I was proofing, Satan vanished from my head. This is why your armor is so important!

The very next day though, he came at me again. My laptop that I loved was going on 4 years old and I knew that I needed to have a back up computer as I was in school back then as well. Not only did I need a laptop for school, I was also blogging almost daily and as I mentioned previously, I was working on the manuscript for Marriage, Motherhood and My Moral Meltdown. It was black Friday and I had grabbed a lap top at a great price. So here I was, two laptops one old and one new and in the same day, back to back, they both blacked out on me! As if that were not crazy enough, I had given the one to a friend of mine whose husband worked on laptops in hopes that he may be able to recover my manuscript. Stupidly, I had not saved a copy anywhere else outside of my documents. Crazy enough, he opened it up, turned it on and the darn thing came to life as if it had never hiccuped. Unlike this time where I closed the computer, prayed, walked away from it waiting a full day, I fought with that thing for a full hour before I went for the new one only to have it also go black screen on me. In the end, nothing was wrong with either one of them. Instead my friend's husband revamped my favorite laptop and it lasted another 4 years! 

I say all this to bring to light that often with technical stuff, it is the enemy messing with you and as crazy as it may seem, a quick prayer to God, the creator of all, including man who is credited with the advancements of technology, truly does make all the difference in the world. When things don't work these days, you better believe this girl prays first and then I say okay LORD, I must not be meant to get this done today. Was there something you needed of me while my other stuff is on hold? He always has something fun planned. 

Yesterday I talked to a mom of 13 children. A few of her kiddos are on the road with her. They get requests to sing at various events and even other churches. I also was able to listen to a woman talk about her life and her older son and we discussed prayer and free will. From there I chatted with another person about the journey of faith I had been on. My day was blessed in multiple ways. 

I could have elected to get all freaked out about my laptop. Insisted it had to be fixed or replaced ASAP as my two papers are due by Sunday at midnight, but I didn't. I know that each day has its trouble and that day was not the day to deal with the computer when I could manage to complete things on paper for the moment. Trusting that God won't allow me to fail as long as I do my part, turn to him and keep doing the things I can do while they can be done and putting the rest off for another day is a joy all of its own. You only find rest like that when your faith is firmly planted in Jesus. 

In the midst of all of this, I sang a song / wrote a poem. It will be added to the current manuscript I am working on; In the Midst of Spiritual Warfare. It's still in its rough draft format, but drop a line and let me know what you think! Until then, Stay Fully Dressed, Realized you are Blessed and be a blessing in the lives of others!

Oh whisper of contention

I know full well your desire

Don't you know I see you

Throwing wood on my fire?

Listen closely Satan,

My eyes are crystal clear

and as for my ears

Just know they're amped to hear!

Be warned, I got fully dressed this morning

I sang praises, put in petitions and prayers

Strapped on my breastplate of righteousness

Put the helmet of salvation upon my head of hair.

You may have conned me more than once

Back in the day when I was a mere youth

But presently you dirty dog devil

I'm protected by wearing the belt of truth!

Your fiery arrows have no effect today

For my shied of faith is raised up high

I'll walk shod in the shoes of the gospel of peace

Until that fateful day on earth when I die!

Until then, you'll see me coming boldly into the darkness

The Sword of the spirit held firmly in my hand

A mighty warrior in the army of Christ

This girl will do all she can to stand!

Wendy Glidden- Lincoln 2.10.2021

Father, Bless me indeed, bless my ministry, bless my marriage, bless my husband, bless our family and our home. Bless all those who are still captive and all those on the mission field, bless those in authority. Soften their hearts, open their minds to your ways. Bless this nation. Bless Pastor Grant and his wife Susan, bless all my sisters and brothers in Christ, bless all my friends and those who consider themselves my enemy. Bless us all indeed LORD! In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, girl who walks with God, mom of many.

The Coolest Outfit You Can Own and Wear is Invisible to the Naked Eye!

Ephesians 6:10-20

All believers should know about the importance of wearing their full suit of armor every day so that they will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

I. Be strong in the Lord and get dressed for the battle.

            A. Our fight is not against flesh and blood

            B. It is important to know what we are fighting against.

                        1. Rulers

                        2. Powers

                        3. World forces of this darkness

                        4. Spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places

II. How a believer is to dress daily in order to stand firm against the evil day.

            A. Loins to be girded in truth.

            B. Hearts to be protected by the breastplate of righteousness

            C. Feet prepared with the Gospel of Peace.

            D. A shield of Faith

            E. Our Heads are covered by the Helmet of Salvation

            F. Our only weapon is the sword of the Spirit (the word of God).

III. Be alert and pray in the Spirit at all times.

            A. Pray for all things in the Spirit.

            B. Petition for all the saints.

            C. Always be alert and aware.

            D. Pray for boldness and courage for all who share the gospel.

There is not a single person, outside of Christ, who has lived a full life and not felt like the world was against them at some point. This is the exact reason why all of us who believe in Christ should be fully aware of the spiritual armor that God has blessed each one of us with, for as Paul warns us in Ephesians 6:12 (NASB), our struggle is not against flesh and blood. If it were, we would be more capable of dealing with things in our own strength. Rather, our fight is against things that can only be defeated by the implementation of all the spiritual weapons that are provided to us by our Heavenly Father. It is in the verses that follow that we will discuss just how all of us can protect ourselves against the fiery arrows that the evil one launches toward the children of God, as well as how we can best help our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Don’t be fooled, there is not one of us that does not come into battle with the dark side. It is only in learning how to dress for battle daily that we can be assured of standing firmly in our faith no matter what this world and the dark forces within it have to throw our way!

Professor’s notes: The main theme of Ephesians is, of course, the disclosure of God’s eternal divine purpose, which is the uniting together and reconciliation of all things in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ. In God’s plan of reconciliation, Jesus Christ is at the heart and center of all that the Father wills. And at the heart and center of Christ’s work is his church. Christ as its Head has given the church an awesome responsibility and role as the redeemed organism by which he brings unity to this alienated, fragmented and fallen world. As the body of Christ, the church is to live out the purposes for which it was called. The church’s calling is to exemplify before the world the unity and love of reconciliation for which Christ died and rose. The gospel of God’s grace has bestowed upon believers a higher calling in Christ. Therefore, believers as a body and as individuals are to conduct themselves in this fallen world accordingly “in Christ” to his glory.

Paul, who once was Saul, is the author of Ephesians. Paul was formerly Saul until he had an encounter with Christ Jesus. Saul truly believed that he was a defender of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob until that fateful day when he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus.

There are many interesting details regarding Saul who became Paul that I believe add flavor to all of his letters as well as his personal story. “Saul of Tarsus was born in approximately AD 5 in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia (in modern-day Turkey). He was born to Jewish parents who possessed Roman citizenship, a coveted privilege that their son would also possess. In about AD 10, Saul’s family moved to Jerusalem. Sometime between AD 15—20 Saul began his studies of the Hebrew Scriptures in the city of Jerusalem under Rabbi Gamaliel. It was under Gamaliel that Saul would begin an in-depth study of the Law with the famous rabbi.” (http://www.gotquestions.org/Saul-of-Tarsus.html)

It is Paul’s extensive knowledge of the Old Testament combined with his persecution of the first believers that makes his preaching, his ministry, and his letters so passionate. Paul truly desired for people of all kinds to come to understand the message of grace and then continue to grow from that foundation.

It is obvious that Saul loved God by his devotion to studying the law and his willingness as well as eagerness to travel in order to bring followers of ‘The Way’ (One of the first names given to the early church) to court and to what he felt was justice. After Saul’s transformation into Paul, he considered himself to be the worst among sinners and the very least of all saints.

He is credited with writing a major portion of the New Testament and was recognized as an Apostle of Christ by the other Apostles even though he never walked with Jesus while Jesus was here on earth. Paul truly longed for the Jews and the Gentiles to understand that they were all now part of the same promise and should to act accordingly.

[6] to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, (Ephesians 3:6, NASB)

On Paul’s third missionary trip he ended up staying in Ephesus and ministering to the church there for almost three years.

This particular letter was written by Paul while he was being held as a prisoner in Rome. I think the most interesting thing about Paul’s time as a prisoner in Rome was the prison he was held in. As I mentioned earlier, Paul was a Roman citizen. This citizenship allowed him the opportunity to be held in a private room instead of a prison cell and he was watched over by a Roman soldier. Paul wrote this epistle (letter) somewhere between the year A.D. 60-62 and due to Paul’s captivity while it was written, it is often referred to as a prison epistle. One can almost envision Paul glancing at his fully dressed guard, realizing how referring to a Roman soldier’s full suit of armor would provide him with the perfect outline for all believers to fully comprehend how a warrior for Christ need to dress each day to stand firm in their faith.

The Epistle to the Ephesians truly highlights everything that a believer needs to know and understand in order to stand firm and grow in their faith. The first three chapters of Ephesians emphasize New Testament doctrine; that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. The last three chapters walk us through the ways Christians should behave; to always be thankful for their immeasurable blessings in Jesus Christ which should also produce a desire to live in a manner worthy of such blessings. All Christians will go through various trials, tribulations and temptations of Satan. It is for this reason that Paul shares with believers the full and sufficient spiritual armor supplied to them through God’s Word and by His Spirit.

Be strong in the Lord and get dressed for battle

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. (Ephesians 6:10, NASB)

This verse alerts the reader that Paul is finishing up his letter by opening with the word finally. He has one last important piece of advice to give his readers. He wants to prepare them all for the battle he knows full well from his own experiences, we all will face. “We have one important need as we fight this war. It is the power of God. We ‘must be strong in the *Lord’. You cannot make yourself strong. God must give you strength. He must give it to you more than once. He must give it to you all the time. The *Greek word means ‘continue to let God make you strong’. Then Paul says ‘in the *Lord’, not ‘by the *Lord’, although that would be true. The strength comes from being united with Jesus. It comes from being ‘in Christ’. This is what Jesus taught (John 15:1-5). Apart from Jesus, the Christian can do nothing. So the strength that we have is in ‘his great power’. You could also say, ‘in the strength of his great power’.” (1997-2005, Wycliffe Associates (UK). http://www.easyenglish.info/bible-commentary/eph-lbw.htm).

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ( Ephesians 6:11, NASB)

Paul uses the armor worn by Roman soldiers as an analogy that the readers of his day would be familiar with. He wants them to fully grasp how necessary this armor is for one to hold their position while under attack. The Greek word for schemes carries the idea of one who is clever, cunning and deceitful. The evil ones schemes include all sins, the lure of false idols, the teaching of false theology and religion as well as all worldly enticements.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12, NASB)

Some translations use the word “wrestle” in the place of struggle. Both of these words paint the picture of a type of hand-to-hand combat. Satan and his hosts often attack with trickery and deception. While these types of attacks are not truly hand-to-hand, they can truly make you feel like you are in a physical battle. I call these types of attacks “crocodile rolls” for the enemy comes at you swiftly with your greatest fears and if you are not prepared, you are sure to be taken under. Being prepared, you will have to use all of your armor to stand firm. Not many escape from a crocodile roll in real life!

The struggles we face, we are told will not be of flesh and blood, there are unseen spiritual forces at work. “If we do not guard our hearts, Satan has the ability to fill them with evil thoughts (Acts 5:3). If we do not “gird up the loins of our minds,” then Satan can blind our eyes and lead us astray (II Corinthians 4:4; 11:3). The Bible warns us that through some “snare,” Satan can take us captive to do “his will” (II Timothy 2:26). This snare is evidently the devil's allurement (temptation) to do evil. Of course, this does not teach us that Satan can force us to do his bidding against our own free wills, only that if we are not careful he can fool us or snare us through the “deceitfulness of sin” and the “deceivableness of unrighteousness” (Hebrews 3:13; II Thessalonians 2:10). Finally, the Bible clearly informs us that Christians, even in the 20th century, must not be ignorant of Satan’s “devices” (II Corinthians 2:11)” (A Study Of Ephesians, 2002 by Allan Turner, Allanita press, http://www.allanturner.com/eph_6.html)

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you sill be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:13, NASB)

Paul simply reiterates the need for Christian soldiers to be prepared in their full armor so that when the evil day arrives, they will be ready and able to resist. The girdle, breastplate and shoes were items that the Roman soldiers wore at all times on the battlefield. The shield, helmet and sword were readily available should fighting begin. Every day since the fall of man has been evil. Our every day goal should be to stand firm against the enemy. The only way we can accomplish that is to be fully armed.

How a believer is to dress daily in order to stand firm against the evil day.

Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, (Ephesians 6:14, NASB)

This is the third time that Paul has called believers to stand firm. It is here that he begins giving more details on how we are to use our spiritual warfare. A Roman soldier dressed in a tunic of loose-fitting clothing that required a belt to be worn to cinch up the hanging material. (Exodus 12:11; Luke 12:35; 1 Peter 1:13) Often our lives can become loosely raveled and this is a reminder to stick to the truth, refraining from hypocrisy. The breastplate that the Roman soldiers wore covered their entire torso, sufficiently protecting their heart and other vital organs. This is a great analogy of how the righteousness of Christ protects the believer in spiritual battles. Without this righteousness, we are left vulnerable to the enemy of our souls, Satan himself.

And having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; (Ephesians 6:15, NASB)

The boots that the Roman soldiers wore had nails in them so that they had a better grip in the ground while in combat! The Gospel of peace allows the believer that same type of grip. When you are prepared with the Gospel of peace, you standing on a firm foundation. It is in our confidence of divine support that we are able to stand firm understanding that we are at peace with God and have nothing to fear. God is our strength and power. (Romans 8:31, 37-29)

in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16, NASB)

This Greek word usually refers to a shield that is 2.5 x 4.5 ft. This shield was large enough to cover the entire soldier. It also had hooks on it so that the soldiers could stand together, locking their shield in place forming an invincible wall. In the same way, Christians can stand in faith together and move mountains. Our faith is a vital component as we are reminded that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“As faith is the grace by which all others are preserved and rendered active, so it is properly represented here under the notion of a shield, by which the whole body is covered and protected. Faith, in this place, must mean that evidence of things unseen which every genuine believer has, that God, for Christ's sake, has blotted out his sins, and by which he is enabled to call God his Father, and feel him to be his portion. It is such an appropriating faith as this which can quench any dart of the devil.” (Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on Ephesians 6:1", “The Adam Clarke Commentary". http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/view.cgi?bk=48&ch=6. 1832.)

And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17, NASB)

As mentioned earlier, Satan schemes. He is not opposed to trying to destroy the believer’s assurance of their salvation. In battle, a helmet is worn to protect your head. A helmet of salvation is meant to be worn so that you never forget that you are saved and therefore have nothing to fear, including the loss of your salvation!

The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, is an amazing part of our armor. It is by the word of God that Jesus battled Satan in the desert. (Luke 4:1-13) As far as the readers of this book would have understood the analogy of the sword being used for the word of God, one only has to take a look into the training of the sword for all Roman soldiers. “The Spanish gladius, a two-edged sword which was used by the Romans during Paul's lifetime, was two feet long and two and one half inches wide, and was designed primarily as a thrusting weapon. With it, the Roman legions were successful in conquering the world. A great deal of skill was needed to master the gladius sword. It has been reported that the Roman authorities thought it needful for their soldiers to train for up to five years before they ever saw combat. Often the sword the soldier practiced with was twice as heavy as the one he would actually use in combat. Developing the strength to wield the heavier practice sword enabled the soldier to use the gladius sword very effectively.” (A Study Of Ephesians, 2002 by Allan Turner, Allanita press, http://www.allanturner.com/eph_6.html)

“Likewise, “the word of God,” which is actually “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12), requires practice if it is going to be used effectively. Therefore, in his instructions to Timothy, Paul wrote: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15). The skillful use of God's Word “belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14). When used skillfully, the sword of the Spirit pierces the heart (cf. Acts 2:37; 7:54). In order to defeat the enemy, the Christian soldier must learn to use the sword of the Spirit expertly.” (A Study Of Ephesians, 2002 by Allan Turner, Allanita press, http://www.allanturner.com/eph_6.html)

Be alert and pray in the Spirit at all times.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, (Ephesians 6:18, NASB)

This verse reminds all believers of the importance of prayer. We aren’t simply to pray, we are to use all forms of prayer and we are to pray at all times. Giving thanks to God is a form of prayer. Talking to God about the troubles you face is a form of prayer. We are also informed here that it is okay and expected to present petitions before the Lord. It is by being alert to the battles we face against unforeseen evil forces that we learn to pray in the Spirit. We are to not only pray for ourselves, we are to pray for all the saints and others as well.

[19] And pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, [20] for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:19-20, NASB)

Paul doesn’t ask for the believers of his day to pray for his physical comfort or well being. Rather he asks for them to pray for his boldness and faithfulness. It is truly his desire to continue proclaiming the gospel even to his own detriment!

“Observe, Paul had a great command of language; they called him Mercury, because he was the chief speaker (Acts. 14:12 ), and yet he would have his friends ask of God the gift of utterance for him. He was a man of great courage, and often signalized himself for it; yet he would have them pray that God would give him boldness. He knew as well what to say as any man; yet he desires them to pray for him, that he may speak as he ought to speak. The argument with which he enforces his request is that for the sake of the gospel he was an ambassador in bonds, v. 20. He was persecuted and imprisoned for preaching the gospel; though, notwithstanding, he continued in the embassy committed to him by Christ, and persisted in preaching it.” (Matthew Henry's six volume Complete Commentary, 1706, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/ephesians/6.html

Application for Ephesians 6:10-20

In today’s world it is vital that believers get up each day dressed in their full suit of armor. The battles that Paul spoke of to the church in Ephesus are the very same battles we face today. Without being fully dressed, our fast paced world is certain to take us under.

When Paul speaks of the shrewdness of Satan, he is leaving nothing out. At all times, we must be alert and we must pray in times of duress as well as in times of blessings. Our faith is something that is meant to be shared for by sharing we strengthen one another much like the Roman soldier’s strengthened their defense by sharing their shields to form a formidable wall.

In recognizing the training that the Roman soldiers went through in order to use a sword, we should understand that we simply cannot read the bible here and there and be prepared in battle. As the Roman soldier had to train, so must we. Not a day should go by that we don’t pick up the word of God, described in this letter as the sword of the Spirit and do a little reading. It is in reading the word of God that we begin to hear God himself.

Our armor is designed to keep us focused on the truth, having confidence in our salvation and always being prepared to share the gospel with the world.

It is in discovering that we have been set free that we should share the glory of God with all who come into our lives. By being alert and always praying for others, we should be able to discern evil for evil and recognize where our light needs to shine.

Bibliography

A Study Of Ephesians, 2002 by Allan Turner, Allanita press, http://www.allanturner.com/eph_6.html

Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on Ephesians 6:1", “The Adam Clarke Commentary". http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/view.cgi?bk=48&ch=6. 1832.

Duvall, J. Scott; Hays, J. Daniel (2012-05-08). Grasping God's Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible (pp. 229-230). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Got questions ministry, 2002 - 2015, http://www.gotquestions.org/Saul-of-Tarsus.html

Matthew Henry's six volume Complete Commentary, 1706, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/ephesians/6.html

The MacArthur Study Bible, 2006, Thomas Nelson

Wycliffe Associates (UK), 1997 - 2005, http://www.easyenglish.info/bible-commentary/eph-lbw.htm

© Wendy Glidden 2015

Do You See What I See?

Recently I was driving a stake into the ground in order to place a tent out front for my grandchildren to sleep in. As I drove the stake in the ground, one of my grandchildren made the comment that it looked like I was driving the stake through some fabric. I took advantage of the moment and told him that sometimes things we see with our own eyes can be deceptive.

A great piece of advice I received as a child was that I should not believe everything I hear with my own ears, read for myself, or see with my own eyes. It took me some years before I fully appreciated that advice. Everytime I hear children playing the game 'do you see what I see?', I am reminded that our eyes don't see the same things as everyone else. We all have our own 'point of view'.

This morning, I found myself in 1 John, Chapter 4 and wouldn't you know it. That same type of advice is in the bible!

[1] Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. [2] By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; [3] and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. [4] You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. [5] They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. [6] We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

I am always intrigued by those who not only doubt who Christ is, but those that also doubt that the evil one is in this world. Not only is he here, he is active! When you pick up your bible and read it you soon realize that Satan is mentioned time and time again; almost as often as Jesus. Not only does Jesus talk about him, Satan engaged Jesus in the desert and tried to tempt him! What I find most interesting about this story is the way in which they spoke to each other. Allow me to take you back in time:

[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. [3] And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." [4] But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD'."

[5] Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, [6] and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU; and 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE'." [7] JESUS SAID TO HIM, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST'."

[8] Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; [9] and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." [10] Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY'." [11] Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him. (Matthew 4:1-11, NASB)

You see, Satan quoted Scripture back to Jesus. Just let that truth sink in for a moment. We even have a story of a demon inside the church who sat in the pews and listened to what was being taught! We also have false teachers that twist Scripture in order to make the points that they desire to make. In some scary movies we are shown that people protect themselves with holy water or by holding up a cross.In the bible, we don't see Jesus throwing holy water at Satan or even holding a cross up. Instead, we read that he used a vital piece of armor as protection; the Word of God. If you don't know what your spiritual armor is, allow me to share that with you as well so that you too can stand firm against the schemes of the devil:

[13] Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. [14] Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH THE TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, [15] and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; [16] in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [17] And take, THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:13-17, NASB)

We live under several truths, evil is in this world. Satan walks among us and his only desire is to steal, kill and destroy the children of God. Don't be fooled into thinking that you he can't reach you. He is the tempter, the evil one, the whisperer of lies. He is shrewd. For all of these reasons, you must dress in your full armor daily.

I know in times that I have neglected putting on my full suit of armor, I have been pulled into what I call the crocodile roll. Satan is quick and you can find yourself in a battle for your life before you even realize the first fiery arrow has been launched your way!

Take the advice of the Word of God; don't believe everything you hear and see. Test it all against the Word of God. If what you think you see and hear does not line up with the truth, ignore it. Keep your focus on the truth. Keep your thoughts on the things Paul suggests we all focus on:

[8] Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:8, NASB)

Today I pray that you are fully dressed in your spiritual armor. I pray that you indeed focus on all mentioned in Philippians 4:8. I pray that your eyes and ears are opened to the truth so that you can indeed see the schemes of the devil and that they have no effect on you. May you be so well braced for the daily battle that you are able to help others who are not prepared for the fight. I pray that countless others begin to wake up and see the truth for themselves. May the body of Christ recognize the body of Christ and may we begin to function at 100%. In Jesus name I pray! Amen!

Wendy, Mom of Many, walks with God

© Wendy Glidden, 2015

I Am FREE!! Do You Know Who You Are in Christ?

Today is Terrific Testimonial Tell All Tuesday! My tell all testimony is this. KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST!! It will completely change life as you know it. I was reminded of so many things this morning as I opened my mail and checked out a status update from a few of my uplifting friends out there on Facebook. I started out by reading a status update from a special friend of mine. I will be seeing her tonight at the monthly meeting for her ministry 'Hagar's Fountain of Hope'. Interestingly enough I met her by going to an event she was putting on last year. I went because the girl that had returned my wallet to me with a message from God had invited me to it. Funny enough, they are sisters. I didn't even know that until I went to my first monthly meeting this past January. I have attended the meetings every month since then. It's awesome to have a strong group of God loving women to surround yourself with. It truly helps to keep your focus on the things that are important. I'm super excited to share with them how I have shed 23 1/2 inches of fat off of the main areas of my body since the last time we hung out! I still have to double that loss to get to my final goal but you could certainly say I'm busting a move toward that goal!! I will share this, it's truly about nutrition and after three years of marketing in the wellness field, I have learned a boatload about nutrition. Add that with my experience with various types of exercise and I am absolutely killing it. I must openly admit that this all began with a heartfelt prayer for my health to be given back to me. I truly believe that as long as my passion is for the Lord, He will indeed honor His promise and give me the desires of my heart. I have been witnessing desire after desire come to fruition. It is very hard to deny the truth of God's word when it manifests itself around you constantly. Honestly, it makes me feel like I'm getting a constant edge on this faith thing! My faith overflows. I love our Father for he is always Faithful, even when we aren't 100% faithful ourselves. His love is amazing. His grace is amazing. He IS AMAZING. My heart breaks for all who have not found their way home. For all who are longing for a relationship with the Lord but don't know where to start. Start in His word. Start with simple prayer. Talk to Him as if you would a friend. When trouble smacks you in the face, before you pick up the phone to vent or discuss with a friend, I encourage you to get to your knees and connect with God. The more you seek Him, the more you will recognize Him. You see, He is already around you, watching and waiting for you to invite Him in so He can better help you. The Father of Lies will always be working on destroying that relationship for when you draw close to the Lord, he loses more of his power. This does not make him happy and he will work harder at taking you out of your happy zone. Don't allow him to take that from you. Make sure to put on your proper fighting attire every day. If you are not sure what this is, I covered it pretty well last week. Check out my blog entitled 'Are you Dressed for Daily Battle? Here's the link:  http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/10/are-you-dressed-for-daily-battle.html 

So back to where I started, my friend was talking about how she did not always use her title 'minister'. She commented that when someone else introduces her they mention all her titles and she is thinking, "Dang, I want to meet that girl!" and then she realizes it's her. So today she mentioned all the titles she is described as when others are introducing her and it reminded me of this song by Matthew West. You know I went and found it for you! Please take the time to listen and understand this is who you are in Christ:

I love this song. When it comes on the radio, every one of my children sing it LOUDLY with me!! Great words to hear from the mouths of your babes!! Count me loving life and living it abundantly just the way my Savior intended me to!! Speaking of my Savior and all He has taken care of for me, here is today's encouraging word by K-Love:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

~ Acts, NLT 

Many people will say oh you will be saved as long as you believe in God or you do more good than bad or what ever it is that they come up with. It's right there in God's word that the only way you can be saved is through Jesus Christ. I would encourage you that if this topic is a struggle for you that you seriously give Jesus a true look. I encourage you to pray for wisdom on the matter and read the gospels. Follow the gospel of Luke for the first one you read. You will realize all four gospels share the life of Jesus from a slightly different angel for they are writing to different sects of society. Many of the things the four share are almost word for word. What makes the gospel of Luke the best to follow for the first one you read is that he is the only one that writes it all in chronological order. As you read it, you will come to understand that Jesus fulfilled messianic miracles prophesied about in the Old Testament and your belief level in who He is will grow. For a mere human to complete just 8 would be phenomenal. However Jesus completed many more than that. To save me a little time, I cheated and found what I think is the best written article of facts regarding this. Feel free to check it out for yourself. http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm

It is my prayer that you recognize the truth and become a follower of Christ yourself.

Father, today I pray that the evil one is bound from those in search of the truth. May his lies be kept silent from the ears of all who are searching for salvation. May they come to know your son, our Messiah, Jesus Christ. May they too begin to follow Him and share the good news with others. May the workers grow, may the fields be harvested. May we work as the body of Christ as you intended us to. I want to thank you for all you have done when it comes to strengthening my faith and all my many blessings. You are so kind and loving and your grace amazes me daily, hourly, minute by minute. I am so blessed to have the relationship I do with you. I never want to be disconnected from you again. Thank you for clearly laying out the armor I will need every day to protect myself from the dangers of this world. Thank you for the wisdom you have shared. Thank you for the freedom I have. To be able to openly read your word where ever I am. So many of my brothers and sisters do not have such freedom. Go to them Father and lift them in your loving arms. Shine your light so that doubters are changed into believers. May the truth be so clear even the blind are given perfect sight. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

** For the full story of my wallet being returned these are the links to the two blogs that cover this testimony. May you find yourself blessed in reading them.

1. http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2012/12/show-me-sign.html
2. http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/07/unpacking-treasure-show-me-sign-part-ii.html

Wendy, walks with God,
Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Are You Dressed For Daily Battle?

Totally Tripping, Tremendously Thankful, Thoroughly Thoughtful Thursday! So makes sense that K-Love would have this as the encouraging word of the day:

Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. ~ Psalm 100:2, NLT 

All that the Lord does for us every day why would you not willingly almost without thought come before him worshiping with gladness and singing with joy in your heart. I find myself overwhelmed by God's Love for me. I haven't always been that way though. There was a span of almost 30 years where I felt completely unworthy of God's love so it was my own self that denied myself much joy and peace of mind and in return did not sing praises or worship my Lord. I was blind. I allowed the enemy to keep me in bondage, holding me hostage for the majority of my life. Me! A girl who was told in her youth by an angel that she WAS indeed a Child of God!! This is why it is so important to understand that Satan is REAL. He is the SOURCE of ALL EVIL. BIG Evil and Almost Unrecognizable Evil. Let me see if I can break this down so that it makes undeniable sense. 

Let us pretend that you have a child whether you do or not. Now, due to a divorce, you are separated from said child. From now on you only get to see this child when they call you and ask you to come get them because this is the way your visitation was set up. They must seek you for you to have a true relationship with them. Your child spends the majority of their time with their other parent who is always 'in their ear' with negative thoughts. Every day they are being told that they are a disappointment.  They are told that they are stupid, unworthy, a failure. They are told they are not really loved by you. They are told so many negative things about themselves and you, that when they finally do pick up that phone, their trust level is incredibly low. They long to be loved by you, they just don't feel enveloped in your love. All due to NOTHING you yourself have done to this beautiful child of yours that you long to lift, for you see the pain they are carrying in their heart. 

Would you not classify that other parent as both destructive and evil? I believe all of us would. Consider yourself fully introduced to Satan because he does this exact thing to EVERY CHILD OF GOD!!! This is why you must both KNOW the ENEMY is REAL and you MUST LEARN how to ARM YOURSELF AGAINST him, the Father of Lies!!!!

So, what is the real armor against such an evil unseen entity? It can all easily be found in Ephesians. This was one of the first Books in the Bible that I fully dove into with my small group. I find it priceless. Allow me to share the attire you should put on daily with you:

Straight out of my MacArthur Study Bible, from the Book of Ephesians, Chapter 6, beginning at Verse 10. My subtitle begins as: The Armor of God

verse 10: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

verse 11: Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

verse 12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

verse 13: Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm.

verse 14: Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 

verse 15: and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;

verse 16: in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith which you will be be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

verse 17: And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

verse 18: With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

verse 19: and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in that opening of my mouth, to make known with the boldness the mystery of the gospel, 

Often when we read the bible, it is hard to make sense of what is meant to be taken from the text. This is what I get from these particular verses:

I need to read or listen to God's word EVERY day. The truth within the pages when read/heard every day, even if it is just a verse or two, will help to armor and renew your mind. You will have God's truth inside your head and it will be growing daily. As you learn more about your Lord and the Love He has for His children, your Faith will grow. It is your shield of faith that helps you when the attacks begin. I KNOW THIS FOR TRUTH because when the evil one came after me hard and strong this last summer, I KNEW, I mean with every fiber of my being I KNEW MY GOD Had me. I didn't understand the attack and the viciousness of it but I cast my own understanding to the side and I leaned on God and trusted Him with all my heart and even in the midst of one of the most brutal storms of my life, I managed to not only function, I was able to press head on! I could not have done that on my own strength for in my own strength I wanted to crumble to pieces and hide under my blankets. SERIOUSLY. It was my FAITH that allowed me to stand firm. A major part of your Armor is your Breastplate of Righteousness. This plate guards your heart. This righteousness comes from Jesus Christ. We can never become righteous through our own good works. IMPOSSIBLE to do! When Jesus died on the cross, his righteousness was credited to all who believe in him, through justification. Because of this, when you believe, God sees you as sinless. Accept your Christ-given righteousness and let it cover and protect you. This belief will keep your heart strong and pure for God. Do the Romans study if you are still unsure of who you are in Christ! Next we come to our foot ware. We must shod our feet with the Gospel of Peace. When in battle it is important to have the right type of shoes on. Any soldier knows this! So where do you find these shoes? How does one go about getting a pair to wear? First you have to discover 'True Peace'. True peace comes only by being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. That is salvation from sin and its consequences of condemnation by God. Since that reconciliation takes place because of God's initiative, God is called the God of peace. You can verify this by reading Hebrews 13:20 as well as Philippians 4:9. It is This good news that is the message of the gospel of peace. We are to stand firm in the gospel of peace and when we do, we can remain calm regardless of whatever may come our way. Regardless of any temptation we might face or any lie someone claims, even slander or any persecution Satan may bring against us. We are controlled by God's peace instead of fear. Satan operates through fear. If you are controlled by peace rather than fear, you my friend will win the battle Every time! Next we must carry the shield of faith as well as the Helmet of Salvation and the sword of the spirit. The Helmet of Salvation protects our mind. Jesus Christ said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31 - 32, NIV) The truth of salvation through Jesus Christ indeed sets us free. The shield of faith can be whipped out when you are under attack. Again, Satan's biggest weapon against you is Fear. With Faith you easily distinguish the fiery arrows he will launch at you during an attack. The sword of the Spirit is God's word. This is why it is wise to read God's word every day, even if it is only a verse at a time, within one month you will have renewed your mind with over 30 verses. There is something about picking up God's word and reading it. It becomes something you crave, even more so than food. Suddenly during times of trials and tribulations rather than pacing back and forth full of fear and anxiety, you are able to rest in peace and dive into God's word. Suddenly you will be floating through storms that you used to almost die in. This is the difference of fighting in your own strength and allowing yourself to rest and lean on God's strength. 

Just like with anything we do, don't think you are going to become well versed and full of faith in one day of reading a little bit of scripture. You must make this a practice. Kind of why it is called your DAILY armor! I promise if you truly seek God and His truth, your world will change. In all the things you do in your lifetime, getting to know your heavenly Father and building a relationship with Him is the most important thing you can do. It truly makes all the difference in the final outcome. 

Father, today I pray that your children come to know the truth. May they seek you Father and find all that you have to offer. May they suit up for battle daily and begin to turn back to help more fellow brethren as they grow strong themselves. May we feed upon your word father. May we thirst for it. The other day when as a lady heard about my circumstance she said, "Oh honey you really have it hard. Even prayer won't help you." I laughed and quickly said, "Oh prayer helps me every day." May countless of us begin to pray and believe in the power of prayer Father. I truly know faith can move mountains. May this truth become more visible to countless across the world. May we get on our knees and pray as the spirit moves us. More and more often the spirit moves me to pray for others. May I get more in tune with this Father. May I not doubt where the draw to pray for someone comes from. May I begin praying in the Spirit with Full Faith in Knowing I am being used to help heal others. Please use me more often and in greater ways Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013