Arming Ourselves for the Battle

Sometimes, the battle in our minds is the hardest one we fight. Our thoughts can be our demise. Or, they can be "captured," reigned in, and used to equip us emotionally. Even though our lives are being lived out day-by-day in the natural and we are dealing all day long with stuff we can see, that's not our biggest battle. One stray thought can cripple me emotionally for the day and sometimes longer. But we can prepare ourselves and arm ourselves for the battlefield of our minds.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our battle isn't in the natural but in the spiritual realm. We can also hold on to verse 11 which indicates we can defeat our enemies. 2 Corinthians 10:3 also reminds us that we don't war in the flesh. It also tells us that our weapons are mighty in God. We have hope. We have victory. We are overcomers. But there is a fight, and it starts in our minds most of the time.

How do we arm ourselves for this fight? The short answer is by embracing God's word. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that the Word of God is a sword. One that is alive and sharp. It's our weapon. Reading and memorizing scriptures gives our minds something solid to run back to when our thoughts run wild, or our emotions go crazy. The Word gives us something solid to stand on when the world feels so frail or we feel frail in our circumstances.

Just a couple of days ago, I remembered a scripture, and it encouraged me. I immediately went to prayer and told God, "Thank you." I thought about Psalm 119:50. It says that my comfort in my affliction is that God's word still gives me life. I spent a few minutes just thanking Him for the encouragement and comfort. The Word provides something for me to grab a hold of when the world around me or inside of me is shaking like crazy.  I like to think of reading the Word as a way to arm my mind.

When the pandemic started, and the world (including myself) was going crazy with fear, I started a FaceBook Live morning devotion called Peace Out. The premise was to give our minds something to hold onto while we were being inundated with information and misinformation. I started with John 14:27 - Jesus gave us peace, and He didn't take it back! I may not have helped anyone else, but it helped me come back to something solid and still does.

I know that as caregivers, we don't always have a lot of time. But if we just read one powerful verse in the morning and meditate on it all day - it becomes a part of our arsenal. It is then available should we need it. Here is a very short list of some of my go-to scriptures that I have on quick-draw. :-)

• Psalm 46:1 reminds me that God is present in trouble.
• Isaiah 26:3 reminds me that He keeps me in perfect (mature) peace as I keep my mind on Him.
• Lamentations 3:23 reminds me that His mercies (plural) are refreshed for me every morning.

This list could go on and on, but you get the idea! When the elements of life start bombarding our hearts and minds, the scriptures become our best, most effective weapon to ensure we can outlast the storm. They remind us that we have His strength and grace on our side.

Today, I'll remind myself that His mercies were made brand new for me today. I'll arm myself with His word by reading, meditating, and memorizing them so they are stored in the arsenal of my mind. My thoughts will be on how He equips us to make it through each day and how He is ever present, no matter what. I can definitely trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

____________________________________________________________

Now Published in Paperback!

I will be doing a caregiver-only only video series using this book. In each video, I'll read the verses given each day, read the affirmation, and briefly discuss the prompt. Please grab a copy of the book and plan on joining me each morning in January. The links to the videos will be posted here each morning, you don't want to miss it!!

I finished publishing Affirmations for Caregivers last night! It contains an affirmation, a verse or two to read, and a prompt for a very short response for each day.  You can download the eBook from the Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore right now and print it and and start today! The print version is also now available on Amazon! Check it out!