Episode 68: Spiritual Warfare Is Real

As believers, we love talking about Jesus, goodness, and light. And, yes, God’s Word tells us to focus on such things. But there is another side of the spiritual realm that exists and that God warns us about in scripture. There is a battle raging in each of our lives as the enemy works hard to distract, divide, and destroy. Thankfully, God does not leave us defenseless. Tune in this week as Ali and Lisa discuss the realities of spiritual warfare and what God’s Word teaches us about standing firm against the enemy’s schemes to defeat us. (Spoiler alert: Jesus wins!)

Links:

Spiritual Warfare and Prayer article by John Piper

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/spiritual-warfare-and-prayer#:~:text=Not%20Against%20Flesh%20and%20Blood,asked%20him%20if%20he%27s%20king

Stand Firm sermon series

https://subsplash.com/u/hickorycreekchurchil/media/l/n8mvbmz-stand-firm

The Armor of God study by Priscilla Shirer

https://goingbeyond.com/resources/workbooks/armor-of-god-workbook-with-video-access/

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:05

Hello and welcome to the Her Salad Ground Podcast. I'm Alicia Jakubek. And I'm Lisa Bonema.

SPEAKER_00 0:19

So I have noticed something in my life, um, a pattern, that um every time I do anything very um ministry oriented, oftentimes for me that is speaking, you know, public speaking. I have noticed that those happen to be like the hardest weeks.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

Go on.

SPEAKER_00 0:39

Like, I mean, it is just like uh everybody, you know, fighting with my family. Um you and your family fight. Yeah, I know. It's amazing. I mean, usually we're perfect. It's only on the weeks that I speak, just so we're clear. You know, it just like feels like a lot of extra chaos, you know, in our lives. Um, sickness, battling sickness or getting sick, or the threat of sickness, or somebody else is sick, you know, things like things breaking, washing machines, dishwashers, you know, just a lot of extra little nitpicky challenges. And sometimes they've been big challenges. I mean, I can remember several times walking into a speaking not knowing if if we were gonna have to take Brooklyn to the hospital, you know, in a few days. We were monitoring things. So it just feels very heightened in those times. And it's happened enough now that I really notice that that is um something that I'm gonna deal with, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

Now, what do you what do you suppose is going on there? Or what do we know for certain is going on?

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Yeah, it's spiritual warfare.

SPEAKER_02 1:35

Yes, this is a biggie today.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

Yeah, it's a big topic. It's a little bit of a scary topic. It sure is. And we prayed protection over us as we we just kind of dive into this a little bit. Um, we're not gonna go too deep, you know, into the dark side, but it is is worth talking about. I mean, do you have you noticed these patterns too, Allie?

SPEAKER_02 1:54

A million percent. In fact, I'll quote um Melissa Catchin' does a lot of like our Bible study teaching too, and she's a leader for women's ministry. She's definitely created a heightened awareness for me when these things are happening. In fact, certain times with a Bible study, you know, certain times with like one of our big women's events, we feel all of that happening. And she'll say, you know, Satan is working overtime right now, like something so good is gonna come out of this. We need to pray protection. We need to cover our women in God's protection. It's like, how wise. We do need to always be on guard. We need to always be aware of that because sometimes we let those little attacks stifle us and and and stop us from our ministry work, from our mission here on earth. And you said that, like often it's a ministry-oriented thing that we just let that the enemy he he loves getting a foothold and getting in, doesn't he?

SPEAKER_00 2:46

Yeah, for me, it's like I know he's just trying to shut me up. Or he's trying to make me feel he's trying to disqualify me. Yes, yes, you know, so that's why a lot of times it'll be interesting. You know, a a big chunk of my ministry has been to speak with to moms. So I have noticed, you know, he would certainly, you know, make our family life a little chaotic so that I would feel like I wasn't qualified, like a fraud.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

To be a mom. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

Who am I to encourage and and lead in any capacity when you know my daughter said this, this, and this to me. You know, it sure it's it's interesting to to acknowledge that. And then, you know, but it was almost freeing when I was finally aware, like, oh, this is happening every time. He's trying to shut me up. Well, right, that ain't gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 3:30

Well, and I have found that, especially being in a leadership role, you know, different leadership roles at church, you know, Satan's working over time when good things are coming together for the benefit of the kingdom, right? Do we acknowledge this? You know, maybe not. Maybe we just like think it's happenstance, or maybe we're just like, oh, that person's frustrating, or why is something always going wrong in my house, or you know, whatever. But I think sometimes it's just that it's hard to discuss Satan, you know, like to discuss evil in general. We have to appreciate and consider dark forces are always, always at work against us. I think for all of us, it's far more palatable to think about the Santa Claus version of God than to consider the enemy that genuinely is lurking around every corner. He's waiting to attack. And somebody's not waiting at all, he's continually attacking. So perhaps waiting is the wrong word there at all. It's just are we acknowledging it? Are we aware of it? Are we preparing appropriately?

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Yeah, and I do think that we, like you had said, you know, we kind of disguise the enemies working or even just um sin in general, and and wrap it in like that's just our human nature, which it is. We are sinful beings, but let's not fool ourselves, you know. Sin is not of God, sin is of Satan.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

Yes, good.

SPEAKER_00 4:51

I mean, he is a liar. Yep. And we have to acknowledge that so that we have the truth ready to to stand against those lies.

SPEAKER_02 5:00

You know what? I shared this with Lisa when it happened a day or two after it happened. This has been a while now, it's a few months ago. But my son shared with me a little issue at school. There's a game, it's a totally innocuous game, to be honest. It's absolutely foolish, like on their Chromebooks, where you all you do, Lisa, it's so ridiculous with passes for a game. You just click over and over and over and over and over and over.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

I know I don't even understand why it's scarcely video games in general.

SPEAKER_02 5:25

No, not at all. And it's called a stimulation clicker. That's the point. You just keep clicking and then things pop up and you get prizes. It's so ridiculous. So apparently, his teacher, in her infinite wisdom, thank you, teacher, was like, This is no, no, we're not playing this game. No one can play this game anymore. Come on, stop it. So he shares with me, hey, um, I did this thing. This other student and I like put my Chromebook on the chair when she was doing something else, and we were allowed to be on our Chromebooks, and I was playing it. I'm like, Zachary. He's like, wait, let me finish. What I think is happening, mom, is I think sometimes like Satan just like wants to tempt me, or Satan says, like, that's a silly rule your teacher made. It's just clicking, it's not even bad. And so, like, what's the big deal? And then I start thinking, what is the big deal? But I think Satan's like really almost encouraging me to do bad. And I was like, mind blown, my 10-year-old's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

Yeah, childlike faith.

SPEAKER_02 6:27

I mean, right? Because what did you say, Lisa? Satan is a liar, and he takes partial truths, he takes a little bit, he takes our discord, our um issues, our okay, what am I self-conscious about?

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 6:43

Okay, what do what do I think? You know, Lisa and I say this. We say it out loud, and I never ever want to stop saying it. We're frauds, everyone. We're frauds. Yeah, we are sinful, messed up ladies who are doing our best and we fall short day after day, probably sometimes minute after day.

SPEAKER_00 6:57

I would say I feel like it's a little bit more than day after day.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

Day is giving us way too much credit. And that is okay. Yeah, because in God's power alone are we redeemed, in God's power alone are we made more whole. And so for even a child to see now I'm disobeying my teacher, now I'm twisting her words to fit my means. We do this so often as adults, but we don't recognize that Satan is creating those little inroads in our brains.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

Yeah, and that every time we make a decision against the right thing, that we are, you know, not honoring God. You know, what seems like a little bit of little disobedience is just you know, we're not on God's team in that moment. You know what I mean? Like we are clothed in his righteousness, we are forgiven and we serve a merciful Father. But I think all of us want to live and serve and honor God in our lives. Sure. And so acknowledging the enemy, it's not that we can blame everything on him because we do have a choice.

SPEAKER_02 7:56

Absolutely. There's free will here. I mean, that would be far too easy to be like, oh, that's Satan again, not my fault.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

But I think the benefit of recognizing the spiritual aspect of all of this is understanding how important even small decisions are.

SPEAKER_02 8:09

Good. Yes, I completely agree with that.

SPEAKER_00 8:11

So it's like, you know, I don't I some people don't like to spiritualize everything. But yes, it's everything is a spiritual issue.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

It is, and you know what, you're bringing that up, you use that phrasing, like do the right thing, one little right thing. Uh at Lisa actually had sent me this John Piper article. If you want to link it in the show notes, it's kind of long, but it's called spiritual warfare. He actually spoke about this, and I loved it. It's so basic, right? It's like the easiest principle imaginable, okay? But he basically says, like, Satan is going after you, spiritual warfare is real. We've got to be equipped. So what do we do? How do we prepare for that? We don't know. Well, we right, there's just some mysterious elements. We know that is real, like, no doubt. But how do we combat it? And you know what he said? Just what you said, Lisa. Like, the simple act of doing right things. That's a level of protection. The simple act of doing right things. What does the devil want? Do wrong things, do bad things, go against God. So when we are doing right things in the power, again, of the Holy Spirit, the devil's pushed back. I mean, he's on the sidelines. So, as simple as that is, just do the next right thing. Frozen, right? This is my telling it makes me sing it. But you're exactly right. How do we combat these things? Do more right, do more good, do more God-honoring actions, thoughts, behaviors, fill in the blank, right?

SPEAKER_00 9:34

Yeah, because those right decisions add up, and so do the wrong decisions. You know, we can find ourselves on a path of sin if we keep justifying. Yeah, it's a slow, or they say you can't turn a boat with one full soup, it's one small turn at a time, right? Like that. Ends or a ship or whatever. I'm not a captain of any sort of ship. Not even my own mouths have the time. Dingy.

SPEAKER_02 9:54

Like we don't, we don't know. We're our nautical terms are terrible.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

But I think that the point is it's just one small turn away can take us all the all of a sudden we're 180.

SPEAKER_01 10:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:04

You know, and then we find ourselves entrenched in sin. And the consequence that comes with that, forgiven, yes, but then not leading a life that's honoring the Lord, which is what I know we all genuinely want. You know, s uh Pastor Scott spoke on this um very topic. You know, he didn't go too far into you know the spiritual well realm and evil, but he talked about this and he talked about the fact that so often um we think that it's up to us to defeat Satan. But the truth is, and what the Bible tells us is actually that's not gonna happen until Jesus comes back. Right. Good, yes. So the goal here is to stand firm because the battle is raging right now, and as children of God, we are the focal point, you know, for the enemy and all of his helpers. Yes, keep going. You know, and so we have to figure out okay, how the battle is raging, this is real, you know, good, you know, evil and good are both existing simultaneously right now under the sovereignty of God, right? So, how do we stand firm in this? What is how do we persevere? And so he and he spoke on Ephesians, which is what we're gonna dig into today.

SPEAKER_02 11:07

But thank you for correctly framing that, right? Because we think in so many of these things, we take the oneness on, right? Yes, this is my battle, or I can uh provide salvation for someone, I can give them the gospel message. We need to remember, right, that that is not on us alone. God has the power, and so then we need to look at what we can do. What how do we equip ourselves? I love that. How do we stand firm, right? That's so good.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Yeah, and what does the Bible tell us to do? Not what our own ideas, what does the Bible instruct us to do? And so it only naturally leans into Ephesians 6, um, verses 10 through 18. It's it talks about our enemy and then it talks about the armor of God, which I think are some familiar verses, but this is one of those ones that if you splice it out and you don't see what's before it, it's not just a good way to look as a Christian, right? It's so much more than that. It is how we, you know, persevere through the battle. That is this life, because it's hard. It is hard, and it's going to be hard for all of us.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

You know, and you talked about that recently. I can't remember the episode, but it was like the circumstances. Like, don't let the circumstances because things could go um not awry. You used ara sideways, sideways, yeah. Things can go so sideways so quickly. Yeah. Health issues, family issues, dear friends and loved ones, like marriages falling apart, people losing jobs. I mean, there are horrible things that legitimately happen. So if we don't have this armor, if we are not protected, if we don't know how to equip ourselves and deal with these battles that are always raging, it's gonna all feel fleeting. It's gonna feel tepid and and like we have no strength or control.

SPEAKER_00 12:49

Yeah. Yeah, it's gonna feel heavy all of the time.

SPEAKER_02 12:52

Yeah, yeah. No, this is good.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

Okay, so I'm gonna read through Ephesians 6, starting at verse 10, and um go all the way through. Oh, I think actually we might stop. We might stop after twelve ten through twelve, and then we'll continue on. So 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 the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Yeah, this is an important moment to stop. Yeah. Read the first part of verse 12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Real talk, Lisa. This has been you and me. Yeah. Hey, um, shock.com. Lisa and I argue sometimes or don't see eye to eye. I mean, gently and lovingly, but we are well, not always. I mean, right, you just for the most part. But what I love about our relationship is like we both want to honor God. Yeah. So we have differences of opinions. We don't always see things the same way, or we're hurt by one another. Right. But then we could take a step back and be like, wait a minute, I'm not, we're not, I'm not fighting you. You know, like you're on my side, I'm on yours. You're like, we love each other. We're we're desiring the same things. We might not see the world the same way, but we're desiring the same things. How often is this you, listeners? We turn on our boss, on our spouse, on our friends, on our parents, our children, whoever. Our enemy is not a flesh and blood enemy. We're seeing that all wrong. And you want to tell me, you don't know my boss. Well, that's true. I don't. But I know that to be true. Because the Bible tells us we are really fighting against the evil forces. I mean, would you agree with this, Lisa? Oh, yes. This is what tears people apart.

SPEAKER_00 14:53

Yeah, and it's it's we're all dealing with it. You know, it's it's it's not, it's it's Satan working in all of our lives trying to distract us, divide us, you know, um, take us down. He wants to destroy, kill, and destroy. And and so Jesus came, right, to to give us life and to so that we could live it abundantly. And so what we miss out on is the abundance when we let ourselves get dragged down and have all these like little mini battles with people instead of acknowledging, okay, this is far bigger than anything I could ever handle on my own.

SPEAKER_02 15:26

Okay, look. We have to think bigger. So, like Lisa, your example. She's getting ready, she's gonna give a speaking to a room full of moms, right? And she feels Satan's attacks. Now, listeners, conceptualize that in your world. You're getting ready for a big family holiday. Well, Satan would love nothing more than you to walk into that already aggravated with your sister-in-law and already aggravated with, you know, fill in the blanks. And that's gonna screw up that day.

SPEAKER_00 15:52

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

Right?

SPEAKER_00 15:53

So instead of a day of like, you know, fellowship and family and love, now he's gotten his little tentacles down there and caused all sorts of problems.

SPEAKER_02 16:02

Party. We joke about it, right? Lisa's famous line that I have now stolen for my own. Getting ready for a party, Lisa, is the worst version of Lisa. Fill in your name. No, fill in your name. I mean, all of us, right? That's all of us. You know, getting ready for a party blank is the worst version of blank. But it's true, we let those little stressors, we let like silly things. And so we got to be careful. That's not our battle.

SPEAKER_00 16:26

Yeah, the battle is the belongs to the Lord, and we are his children, and we are um equipped, you know, we are clothed in his righteousness, and we'll keep going. Tell read us that because that's sorry. I'm already going into it. I know, I like you know what it is, it's like because it's so good, it's so true. It's so good. Yeah, and it's so kind of our God. To hear he he through Paul, he is acknowledging this enemy's real. It's dark. It's almost like a little like, oh, well, thanks. Thanks for the good news, Paul. But yeah, in the in in God's kindness, he doesn't leave us there.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

Right. And so give us this armor now to tell us.

SPEAKER_00 17:02

Therefore, starting at verse 13, 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 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 of 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 the Lord's people.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

We should just like sit in this.

unknown 18:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:05

I mean, listeners, pull that up. I mean, print it out, put it on the wall, pray it over your family. So good. Right? No, this is this is like essential to our faith.

SPEAKER_00 18:16

It is because it's acknowledging that there is the battle. Like the battle, the armor needs to be on because we're in the battle.

SPEAKER_02 18:24

And you think about a very, very dear friend of mine, she's just gone through it. You ever have somebody in your life like it's a year? Holy cow, it's two years. Now it's two years. So when it rains, it pours. The tragedy, the the un I mean, some of it to me feels unimaginable. It's like insurmountable amounts of loss, devastation, issues. And we met recently, and she said, Allie, I don't understand how anyone could ever get through this life without faith. I don't. And here's me praying protection over her, so concerned about God, like steal her against this. Please don't let her lose her faith. Please don't let her lose step with you. And she tells me the opposite. I I'm stronger than ever. I have so much peace. I know who God is. You know, it's like, yes, even in the face of trying in in the next sentence, she's telling me, I can't stop crying. I'm hysterical when I'm alone. I try to keep it together when the kids are on. Every moment I'm alone, I I'm I'm just I'm heartbroken. And then she tells me how good our God is. Like, isn't that beautiful?

SPEAKER_00 19:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

That's the armor of God.

SPEAKER_00 19:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 19:27

She's protected, she's equipped, she's ready.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

Sometimes all it means is falling into the arms of Jesus. You know, when you're in grief. You know, that's standing firm too. That is standing firm. Because we are relying on the power of who Jesus is and what he did for us on the cross.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

I am totally with that.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

So as we read through the armor, you know, there's a million studies out there. Priscilla Schreier's one um study on the armor of God is phenomenal. I would encourage you if you're ever wanted to do a study, it's fantastic. But and so we could go through each part of this armor, but we wouldn't we'd be here for the next two hours. So I Well, I'm just saying. No. But the one that stuck out to me was um the shield of faith. And you know, it talks about you know the arrows that the enemy shoots at us. And I think so much of like a shield, right? Like our faith in who God is, our faith that he's gonna work it out for our good and his glory. Like that's a defensive weapon that is so powerful. You know, anytime we have those lies of doubt or fear, you know, of the future, we have that shield of faith in who God is to protect us. And so I think that's the one that I just that one really stuck out to me, like how true that has been in my life. You know, when the arrows keep coming and they feel like they keep coming, it's like, nope, I know who God is, I know he is good, I know he has goodness in store. Nope, my God is more powerful than this. He is working, he is working a mighty work in my life and in my child's life. Like I can feel how true that is and has been for me.

SPEAKER_02 20:59

I love that. It's so good. Okay, I'll pick a different one. Yeah, okay. Again, I have the benefit of Amazing Lisa, who sent me resources on this that I perused first. No, I'm serious. I thank you for that. Um, and I mentioned it early, that spiritual warfare article um from Piper was really good. And actually, so I'm stealing, right? The best ideas are always stolen ideas, aren't they? Um you know what he spoke to, and that's what sticks out to me. When I'm reading this, I'm a little focused on verse 15, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. And even a little in um 17 where it's like uh the word of God here. But verse 15, feet fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. You know, John Piper was saying in that same article how important it is that we have a steady diet of the gospel.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

I love that phrasing.

unknown 21:53

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 21:55

Because it's like we have to eat, right? We have to eat in order to sustain SSG. Part of our human nature. So I love that phrasing.

SPEAKER_02 22:02

I think so too. And I think that makes us further equipped, right? So if we have a spirit of readiness, in so much that we are reading our Bibles, that pushes back the devil, his hordes, those evil forces, right? They're defeated in our knowledge of the gospel, of the truth of who Jesus is. We need to be ready to speak the gospel, to pull those examples to our minds and to share that. Because if we can do this, if we can conduct our lives by making the study of God's word, specifically the gospels, a central part of who we are in our faith walk, look at verse 15. Then our feet are fitted with readiness. The gospel of peace, knowing the gospel, that does bring us peace. That brings us assurance. We are certain of whose we are and who we're fighting for and who we're fighting with and who's fighting on our behalf, right?

SPEAKER_00 22:54

Yeah, so good, Ellie.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

It it really takes away those concerns. So like your feet fitted, I love it. I'm like thinking of like lacing up sneakers, like with Bibles on the bottoms or something. You know, it's like a great visual for us. But I think it's like never stop reading the Bible. Never. And each time I read it, something else sticks out to me. And I know I'm known for saying this. There are certain books in the Bible I get to. I'm like, I swear I've never seen it before in my life. It's brand new information. It's like you've read the entire Bible more than once. Like, nope, brand new, right? Because God uses it each time differently and it equips us.

SPEAKER_00 23:29

Yeah, it's the premise of this podcast, her solid ground, us having that firm foundation under our feet and standing firm in that. But then there is a uh you gotta put on the shoes, right? In order to be able to stand firm. Otherwise, you are, I think you are making yourself vulnerable to the enemy's attacks.

SPEAKER_02 23:47

Yes, go to the example we see of Jesus. Go to Matthew when Satan comes. Yeah, when he tempts him. Yep, and he tempts Jesus. And what does he do? Oh, that Satan is a deceiver. He takes the words of scripture, he takes the Bible and he quotes it to Jesus. And what does Jesus do? Now let me throw you Deuteronomy. You know, because it's like, no, you're taking that out of context. This is just like, and I'm gonna tell you something, I don't actually like the word hate very much. But haters gonna hate, ladies and gentlemen. Haters gonna hate. We are saying that a lot in our family because there's a lot of negativity. And I noticed that this is a way online nonsense, people will like spew God's word against God's people. Hey, we can splice anything out of context, right? Anything out of context to use it as a weapon. Do not weaponize God's word. Never. Not a weapon. It's to equip us, it's to prepare us, it's to fill our hearts with what is true, right? And so look at even even Jesus was in a position where his knowledge was, you know, put to the test and he stood firm. His feet were fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. He knew what was true in the Bible, and he could repeat back what was true to Satan. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

Yeah, and Satan is cunning. Again, you know, to quote our friend Christy Lulu, let's not get him to give him too much credit. Yeah. But he does, he takes the truth because he knows it backwards and forwards, he knows, and he'll twist it just enough and cater it specifically to the way you know we see the patterns we have shown him in our lives, and he will twist it just enough, right? He even did it to even the garden. Yes. Did God really say yes? You know, and it's the same thing. And so if we are not, again, at that steady diet of what's true, we can we can miss it. We can miss the detail, we can miss the nuance that he adds, that creates doubt, that leads us down that wrong path, or to make that one wrong decision that now takes us in a different direction. Sure. And so, yes, that's so good to just make sure that that study and honestly, prayer. Can we just talk about that? I mean, he that's the end of the verse there. Yeah, pray in the spirit on all occasions because I will tell you that that is what I have done in those weeks leading up. I have specifically prayed for the Lord to help me stand firm, to help me endure whatever is thrown my way, and to remember that Satan is not gonna shut me up. I'm going to do what the God has called me to, sometimes imperfectly, sometimes exhausted, sometimes with a cold. But you know what? I am gonna do it because I understand what's at stake. Yes, and what an honor it is to be able to share God's word with other people.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

Well, and he there will there's an endless amount of methods and schemes, right? Yes. For every situation, something else can come. So that armor is in place so we can discern how to be protected against these new schemes. We have to be on guard. We need to acknowledge spiritual warfare is real, it's always coming at us. Again, I use my 10-year-old son. We need to know when it's there, but we can't blame it. I love that you said that quote, right? Like, let's not give the devil too much credit. Yeah. We can be equipped and ready.

SPEAKER_00 27:04

Yep, that's right. God does not leave us, he will not leave us or forsake us, and he will empower and equip us through his power, not our own. I did what there's one quote from Priscilla Schreier, a study I had to say that I just felt really like I thought it was such a good way of saying it. It says, um, the enemy always fails miserably when he meets a woman dressed for the occasion. I love that, right? I need to do the study.

SPEAKER_02 27:28

Everyone, everyone talks about this study.

SPEAKER_00 27:30

Yeah, she, you know, what's really good is she um not only does she break apart each part piece of the armor.

SPEAKER_02 27:35

I'm sorry, that wasn't so good.

SPEAKER_00 27:37

I just feel like for our audience, that feels really real. I mean, good outfit, right? This is our outfit, our faith outfit. But um, honestly, like she, the study itself, she does break apart each of the individual parts of the armor and really helps us understand that. But then she really helps you develop like a prayer strategy to you know, using prayer as as in your arsenal, having that in your arsenal. And she includes like these prayer cards. And I still, I mean, for I carried them with me for a long time. So you can like identify different things you see in your family patterns that you see in your family or someone you love or in your own life, and you like write out a prayer with the Lord's truth in it, and you pray it. And it's and I've I kept it in my purse. It's really, really powerful.

SPEAKER_02 28:15

No, that's so good.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

So there's this verse in First Peter that I want to mention really quick.

SPEAKER_02 28:21

Oh, it's really it's very vivid.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

And I think we all have heard it before, but I think it's really applicable in this. It's first Peter 5, verse 8. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Devour. Yeah. And um, I remember, you know, this verse, you know, obviously it speaks for itself, but I can remember I became a believer um right around the time I met Jeff. In fact, his family played a huge role in my salvation. I'd gone to church my whole life. We we lived a very moral life, I guess you could say, but I didn't um recognize that Jesus was my savior until after I met Jeff and saw something different in his family. And I can remember having a conversation um with Jeff's father, who now is in heaven. Um, and he he told me very early on to just be aware that the more I grew in my faith, especially if I I started to go into church ministry or leadership, that that puts a target on your back. That that the enemy is looking to get the most bang for his book.

SPEAKER_02 29:23

Well, what would be better than taking down someone in the church?

SPEAKER_00 29:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:27

What would be better than taking down someone who is a professing Christian, who has an audience and listening ears for who God is?

SPEAKER_00 29:35

Yeah, and it's like you can look at that personally, but also this should um prompt us to pray for our pastors.

SPEAKER_02 29:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 29:42

You know, because I think of that all of the time. I'm thinking if my like speaking here and there, like they're doing this as their full-time job, and they're speaking every Sunday, but they're doing far more than that, and they're they don't have regular hours, which means that they are entrenched in this all of the time.

SPEAKER_02 29:59

You know, I said that to you recently off mic, like I don't think we consider how much our pastors have to deal with. Yeah. There's so much. Yeah. And it's like what an amazing role they assume.

SPEAKER_00 30:18

Yeah. So that should prompt us to pray. In fact, that's gonna be my live it out. Um originally I had actually my live it out was going to be that um I was gonna something I do often is like we we live on pro on our land with um my mother-in-law and my brother and sister-in-law. And um oftentimes I will like walk our property and pray over it. Um and I've done it even in my own house when things feel extra chaotic. And I and I do it, I pray for us all the time, but there's something about walking in the different spaces that um is as powerful. But I actually feeling convicted right now as we're speaking is I'm gonna commit to praying for our pastors by name, individually, every day this week. I love that. I mean, I should do it more often than I do, right? But I think I really want to commit to that. I feel convicted in that right now. I I agree, and I would actually add, challenge you in that.

SPEAKER_02 31:06

I would pray for our pastors and their wives. Yeah, sometimes good point. There, the sweet ladies who support all of that get kind of overlooked. It's a only place to be a pastor's wife.

SPEAKER_00 31:16

Yeah, for their families then. Yeah, I'll do that. I'll do because even their their children, yeah, you know, this affects all of them. Um so yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna commit to that for the mine is like a very practical one.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

Are you ready for this?

SPEAKER_00 31:28

Yeah, shocking.

SPEAKER_02 31:31

But I want to do that, Priscilla Shire study, like the armor of God.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_02 31:36

I I've actually never done it. We've led it at church, like multiple women's groups have done it. I've just never been a participant in it. And I really love the author. I think she's so solid in the Bible. And um, I I want to do it because I'm always like, anytime there's a sermon series or anything on this topic, I love it. Yeah. Um, but I think I just like for real, I'm gonna go on Amazon, order the book, and start that study, even if that means doing it solo. I'm I'm good with that. Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 32:03

I'm gonna actually I'll link that in the notes in case anybody else is feeling led to live it out with that.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

Well, and you know what? One of the girls um that I'm her mentor, she said that that that is really what led her to salvation, that particular study.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02 32:16

Yes. Yeah, she's like, that changed my whole life. Ephesians is the best. Like it's it was very encouraging. So I've already felt the stirring for a while now. I need to like really lean into that study. I wonder if there's someone in your workplace you could do it with, Allie. Oh, look at Lisa in the oven. You know, it's because I said to pray for the pastor's wives. Now she's gonna push me.

SPEAKER_00 32:36

I'm gonna push you, girl. Love it. I love it. Ellie, will you pray for us?

SPEAKER_02 32:40

Yes, let's go to God for this. Oh, Lord, listen to us. Giggling, even when we're talking about tough stuff. God, thank you. You are so good and kind and loving to us. We take this topic seriously, though, Lord. You know our hearts and you know our minds, but this is heavy. And God, we want to honor you in the spiritual realms as much as we are able, Lord. We want to accept your protection. We want to put on your armor, and we want to fight with you. God, we don't want to fight against flesh and blood. We don't want to divide your kingdom as Satan is so desperately hoping we will, Lord. Help us to reconsider our stances, our words, and our actions to be fighting with you. To be united, Lord. To consider the beautiful example of your son, Jesus. And so that we can be encouraged by the love that he demonstrates. So when we are fighting these battles in the spiritually, spiritual realms, God, we can be emboldened for you. Give us salvation and truth and righteousness and the gospel of peace and all the ways that you equip us, Lord, so that we are yours. And that when you come victorious, Lord, when you send Jesus back to earth and evil is defeated, that we can celebrate, we can be part of that victory, Lord, as we are right now, because we our victory is yours. God, build us up, strengthen us, prepare us, keep our minds alert. Those schemes are constantly evolving to try to break us down, Lord, but you build us up. Thank you, God. In your heavenly name I pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 34:42

Amen. Listeners, we can take heart. The enemy's schemes are no match for our Almighty God. He alone is our sound ground.