I just got married and that was the most stressful, yet the most amazing experience of my life! Adjusting to living together has been quite awkward. It's great because I'm with my best friend all through the night, but it's also weird knowing that dinner is now being made for two EVERY night.
I'm sure a lot of newlyweds that have never lived together find it quite interesting. But in general, have you ever just started feeling weak? Or like everything is stressful? Or your relationships in general are just in a lull? Do you feel under attack and like everyone is out to hurt your feelings? Have you ever felt like the people closest to you don't even KNOW you?
Well, the devil wants anything BUT a happy home. He wants to separate people joined together, make them question God's pairing, make faults seem unforgivable, make small problems into immovable mountains, and make open wounds never find healing.
God wants the complete opposite. He had a plan and a purpose for marriage. He also had a plan and a purpose for the family that surrounds you. He KNEW the battle would come..but he also gave you the armor to fight it.
That is what I realized the other day. After ANOTHER little argument, we heard the preacher on the radio talking about the armor of God. I KNEW God opened my ears to that word. I realized that the devil is out to seek, kill, and destroy.. and I'm ultimately letting him beat me down when I don't put on my armor!
Had I been securing myself with belt of truth knowing what God says about my body, about my marriage, about our problems AND our victory, I would be able to hear the lies that satan subtly puts in my mind when I take something personally that wasn't said to hurt me. If I had been reading my Bible and doing my quiet time, I would have had the sword of the Spirit to reason with me, and help me realize when it's my fault too. His word shows me where I slip. He shows me things that I could do to bring more intimacy to my marriage, instead of placing blame and pointing my finger. Had I been filled with the Gospel of peace, I would have not bursted into rage and been slow to anger, diffusing arguments with peace and forgiveness.
I am determined to put up my shield, put on my armor, and let satan know that THIS battle has already been won! That I realize this is not against flesh and blood, nor husband versus wife. We, as a couple, will stand against the devil and his schemes. We will not only fight BESIDE each other, but FOR each other- ensuring that two gathered in the Lord are better than one. And like the preacher said on the radio, "As believers, we are not fighting FOR victory, we are fighting FROM victory" because the battle has already been won. Put on your armor DAILY and enjoy the stress being lifted, the relationships being restored, and the confidence to face life again.
Ephesians 6:11-18
11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For 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. 13Therefore 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. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And 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 saints.
