Fighting the Battle of Cravings with the Armor of God

• How does the Armor of God apply to your cravings? 
  • Belt of Truth: Identify lies about food.
  • Shield of Faith: Trust God for strength over temptation.
  • Sword of the Spirit: Use scripture as your weapon.
• HERE ARE 3 STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TODAY TO BATTLE YOUR CRAVINGS? 
• Memorize a scripture to recite during moments of weakness. 
• Pray before opening the fridge.
• REMEMBER YOUR PRAYER, LORD GIVE ME WHAT I NEED? 
• Replace unhealthy cravings with healthier, spirit-led alternatives. 

Your battel belongs to the Lord, so lay it down, once and for all and step into your newfound freedom from cravings.

Are you sick of trying diet after diet and NOT losing weight?

Hey there friend, I'm Lindy Schlabach, Christian Fitness & Nutrition Coach. I gained 100 pounds in my late twenties and struggled for years to get it off. Seven years ago, I found a basic system that worked and has helped me lose 90 of those pounds. I’ve been working with women in online fitness and nutrition ever since to break chains of diet culture, embrace their bodies and fueling instead of dieting.

In this podcast, I'll teach you how to:

• • Lose Weight in a Way that honors God without obsessing about the scale
  • Meal Plan and Prep for Your Family
  • Follow a MACRO based plan that allows you to eat the foods you love.
  • Recognize and pray through triggers keeping you stuck.
  • I’ll help you Plan your week and schedule your self-care time.
  • Cultivate a spirit of self-discipline in your workouts you actually enjoy.
  
  It's time to give God your health journey and watch Him make you new, from the inside, OUT.

Join The Biblical Weight Loss Framework: https://www.herweightlossmindset.com/framework

Join my FREE Community: https://bit.ly/JoinTheChristianWeightLossCommunity

Join my Insiders List with weekly tips for weight loss for Christian women: http://herweightlossmindset.com/herweightlossmindsetinsiders

Transcript

It's exhausting and overwhelming it is to crave change in your body and making new choices.

But you can't seem to make the necessary changes because you're still unprepared and you're scared to fail.

Instead, we're craving all of the things of the world.

Cravings can feel like a battle, especially during ice cream season for me.

Are you equipped with God's armor to fight them?

Are you sick of trying diet after diet and not losing weight?

Are you tired of doubting your ability to actually lose weight in a healthy way?

Do you wish you could find a laid out for you plan that will help you stay accountable to your goals?

Hey friends, I'm Lindy Slayball, Christian Fitness and Nutrition Coach.

I gained 100 pounds in my late 20s and struggled for years to get it off.

Nine years ago, I found a system that works and has helped me lose over 90 of those pounds.

I've worked with women in online fitness and nutrition ever since.

In this podcast, I'll teach you how to reframe your thoughts about weight loss and your ability to achieve lasting results and lose weight in a way that honors God without obsessing about the scale and meal plan and prep for your family.

So, grab your pre-workout and let's chat.

Don't forget to go review my show on Apple Podcast.

On May 22nd, I am giving away three free one-hour coaching calls.

But you have to review my podcast, join my free community and share a screenshot of your review in my free community.

May 22nd, I will be announcing in my free community the three winners of the one-hour live coaching call.

So don't forget to go do that today.

You'll find the link to the free community in the show notes, or you can search Facebook at Weight Loss Tips for Christian Women.

So let's get into God's Word today.

And we're going to read in Ephesians 6 verses 10 through 18.

It says, finally, I'm reading through the NIV.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore, put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.

Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the blessed breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all of the Lord's people.

Oh my goodness, how does the armor of God apply to our cravings?

Here are a few images that you can hold on to.

Think about the belt of truth.

The belt of God's truth allows us to identify lies about food.

The enemy has been tempting women with food since Eve in the garden.

You are not alone here.

This is a struggle that I still face today.

You are not alone.

But when we can start to recognize the lies about the choices that we make in our food journey, God's truth, his belt of truth wraps around us and leads us to operate in his power.

Maybe you find yourself saying, Oh, I'm not hurting anyone.

Maybe you find yourself saying, Oh, this isn't really a big deal.

Or, Oh, you know what?

I messed up today.

I'll start again tomorrow.

These are all lies from the enemy.

Sugar's not hurting me.

This is a lie from the enemy.

Think about the shield of faith.

What is the shield of faith?

If you picture a shield back in the Bible times where these men would hold up the shield over their arm, we are trusting God for strength over temptation.

We are lifting up that shield with Holy Spirit power to block these lies about food.

We are trusting God for strength over our temptations.

Because when we ask him to break the bonds of cravings and chains in our lives, he will answer.

And then it is our duty to walk that out with Holy Spirit conviction and obedience.

Think about the sword of the Spirit.

What is the sword of the Spirit?

Well, we read in verse 17, it is the Word of God.

The Word of God is living and active.

It is the same as true 2000 over thousands of years ago as it is today.

There is nothing new under the sun.

We read that in scripture.

The sword of the Spirit allows us to use scripture as our weapon.

So when the lies about food come and the temptation comes, we have God's Word to lead us.

Verse 18 says, and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Think about that.

We've read the verse about Corinthians and whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

So here are three steps that you can take today to help you battle your cravings.

I want you to memorize a scripture to recite during those moments of weakness.

One of my favorites is Galatians 6, 9.

It says, Oh, my word, it totally just lost it.

Fortunately, it's hanging on my wall.

Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap harvest.

If we do not give up, do not give up on your God-given goals.

He has placed this in your heart for a reason.

We read in Romans 12.

It says, Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

This is your true and proper worship.

Verse 2 says, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

The Bible is filled with steps to praying, with repetition and thanksgiving.

Claim what you want in prayer.

Thank you, Father, for breaking the chains of cravings in my life.

And the lies that tell me that it doesn't matter or that it's not hurting anyone, I know it's hurting me.

My body is your temple.

Let me feed her as such.

Convict me, Lord, when I fall, and help me do the next right thing.

And instead of waiting till tomorrow or waiting till Monday, let me make the next right choice.

Step 2, I want you to pray before you open the fridge.

Remember the prayer that we talked about before?

Lord, give me what I need.

Maybe pray before you even walk to the fridge.

One of the things that we do in the Biblical Weight Loss Framework is we plan out your daily meals and snacks included, so you're less tempted to eat outside of your meal plan.

Because there's so much food already, your treat can apply in your macro plan if that is where God is leading.

Pray in the morning, Lord, lead me to my healthy choices today.

Break the chains of cravings in my life and let me fuel my body as you call me to.

Step 3, we're going to replace unhealthy cravings with healthier spirit-led alternatives.

Hey, what a thought.

Maybe how about a cup of tea without added sugar?

Or get up and go around, walk around the block with your puppy.

Maybe write some letters to people that you miss, or maybe there are shut-ins at your church that would be blessed by a handwritten note.

But get up and get moving.

Maybe get out your journal and start writing down why you're craving.

What are you craving?

Was there something that happened in your day or in your thought that thought, oh my gosh, I need to eat something?

Did you have a moment of anxiety that pushed you to the pantry?

Start writing down these things that you're feeling and ask God to speak truth to you.

Reveal to you something that you need to pray through or forgive through.

Sometimes cravings come from, like if you're eating a lot of sugar, your body will continue to crave sugar.

They say that sugar is 10 times more addictive than heroin.

And if you think about like the dopamine rush that you get after a sugar, like eating a lot of sugar, like I don't eat a lot of sugar.

So when I do eat it, it's like sometimes I can like physically feel my body convulsing.

It's horrible feeling.

Lay your hand on your journal and ask God to fill you with his truth.

So think about the armor of God that we've talked about.

Think about the belt of truth.

Think about the shield of faith.

Think about the sword of the spirit.

Or maybe the helmet of salvation or breastplate of righteousness.

Maybe you want to think about the gospel of peace, peace in your cravings journey.

Peace in your cravings journey is attainable when you take it to God.

You have the full armor of God at your disposal.

But so often we think, oh, he's so tired of me praying over my cravings, but he's not.

He's just waiting for you to fully lay them down at the foot of the cross and stop picking it up.

I think sometimes God has to be so exhausted by my cravings, but he's not.

He knows that your spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

That's why he gave us Christ on the cross as the perfect lamb sacrifice and sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of us because he knew that we couldn't do it on our own.

But so often we try to do it on our own.

So start praying for a plan to prepare.

Start praying if the Biblical Weight Loss Framework is the right place for you.

We're going to take a one-on-one approach to the personal struggles and triggers that you face and help you create tactical plans to overcome those, pray through those, forgive as necessary, and watch what God will do to heal your cravings.

Watch what he will do to heal you in this part of your weight loss journey.

I don't care if you're 25 years old, 85 years old, 125 years old, if you still feel conviction to get healthy and break chains, God is calling you to something bigger.

He's calling you to lay down your flesh, to lay down your pride, to lay down your ego, to lay down your control, and give him your hurts and your struggles.

He is there.

He is listening.

He wants to do this for you.

But you have to be willing to step out in obedience and do the hard thing that most people aren't willing to do.

Most people aren't willing to do this work.

If you are here, if you are listening to this message that I preach constantly, you want to do this work.

You're willing or you wouldn't be here.

Pray for strength.

Pray for healing.

Pray for forgiveness.

Repent and be saved.

Repent daily.

Forgive me, Father, for putting food ahead of you.

Food is an idol in my life.

Sugar is an idol in my life.

Caffeine is an idol in my life.

Break these chains, Lord.

Lead me.

Guide me.

I don't want to crave anything else but you.

He made us to crave, we read in Lisa Terker's devotional.

He made us to crave, but he made us to crave him.

Not the next sugar rush.

You can do this.

It's time to step out in faith and let God lead.

Hey Sis, I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

If so, would you take 30 seconds and share it with a friend?

Also, please leave a quick review for the show on Apple Podcasts.

It lights me up to know this podcast is helping you.

Okay, it's time to go make a protein shake and get my sweat on.

No more standing in the kitchen waiting for motivation to appear.

I will meet you back here for another episode.

God bless.