Armed with the Armor of God

      

 Armed with the Armor of God

            I hauled the helmet over my head, released my grasp on the chunk of metal and let it clash against my petite shoulders.  I continued to clothe myself with armor, snatching the handle of the fierce round shield and seizing the most important piece, the Bible.  My soul overflowed with strength gifted from above.  As I marched into my high school, others bombarded me with questions and shot down my beliefs. School life was a battle as the Jesus Freak on campus. 

Who I was in Christ was not a secret. The Lord allowed me to be bold and strong with my words and my actions. As a result, I was infamous for my love and faith in the Lord. Daily my school saw how I identified myself; not separated from Christ but one with Him. I wore a Jesus Freak bracelet, put Scripture up in my locker, and never backed down from a conversation that would prove the glory of God. These things made me extremely different. Nevertheless, because I was willing to be transformed instead of conform, the Lord used me in incomprehensible ways.

I recall many incidents when I was filled with the Holy Spirit. One event stands out in my mind. It was an overcrowded art room with three rectangular tables. Each held at least eighteen students. My teacher paced vigorously at the head of the tables.  Engrossed in the lecture I was unaware of the shuffling around me; a group of eight encircled my chair. This group previously persecuted, attacked, and questioned all that I believed. An in-class activity distracted the rest of the class from the assault.  I bowed my head, clasped my hands, and begged for the Lord’s strength and wisdom. When I opened my eyes to confront the challenge ahead, my teacher placed a Bible in my hands, and suddenly became blinded to the happenings in that corner. The other students began questioning me and, with Scripture to stand on, I defended my Lord. Eventually, the Holy Spirit broke through the barriers of their hearts. It was over an hour of exhausting ministry. As the conflict rolled to a resolution, I could see changed faces and hearts around me. 

The Lord blessed me with an overflowing peace during the battle.  However, when the group separated I shook, wept, and turned deathly pale. The story does not end there.  A majority received Christ as their Savior and regularly attended church while the others followed up with questions.

        Throughout my high school experience, the Lord used me in miraculous ways. He gave me the strength to fight armies, the wisdom to change hearts, and a passion that will never end. He continued to protect me with His armor. The Lord allowed me to see the fruit of my ministry.  Many of the students and faculty returned and told me of the new desires of their hearts, Jesus Christ.  

            Today, I am growing in my new environment at The Master’s College. I am surrounded by Christian people who are striving for the same goals. Classes, chapel, worship, and discipleship have already strengthened and changed me. I started as a warrior for Christ constantly in the fire; everything was about ministering to other people. Now I am the person being ministered to. The journey continues as Christ leads me to new schools and new environments where I am able to shout His Word and His purpose for all people from the rooftops. 

    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


All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved.
You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Where Does Your Strength Come From?

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ: 

Without the Lord’s strength these words would not be. I am at a loss for words, sleeplessness is taking its toll, and continuous illness is dragging me down but I write to you because you need to know that it’s when you are at your weakest, the Lord’s work is the strongest. We think we are the victors, worthy of praise and honor. We believe we are keeping our heads above water, we are winning the battles, and we are overcoming the struggles. Our strength does not win battles, it loses them. Who do we think we are to give ourselves that kind of glory? In our own strength, all we create is disaster. We stumble once, attempt to patch up our skinned knees, and then conjure up a pride-welling motivational speech that we think will keep us moving. A few seconds later, we are found back on the ground. Our stumbling never ceases. Without the Lord’s strength, you will live on your scuffed knees.  The question is, "will you look up from there?" We are fighting a losing battle against our own flesh and the evils of Satan. We are turning our backs on the Lord’s perfect plan. To counter these things you must walk up to the foot of the cross and lay down your strength and self-praise. And instead, rely on the Lord’s strength for every breath and step you take. The Christian life is not possible in our own strength. 

I do not know why we constantly depend on our own strength when we know our flesh is weak and powerless. Not only are we physically weak but we are spiritually weak. We are sinful creatures that follow our desires when they speed by. Our sin spews out into our actions and taints all that we try to make right. Jesus tells us to “[k]eep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). Christ points out this flaw, but we still carry on as if we can do it all on our own, this is the weakness of the flesh. “If we …[take] the glory [for ourselves] His strength [will] go unnoticed” (Roberts). Only when “the Lord takes our hand and makes us strong” (Roberts) do we enter into success. No matter how willing we are, we can do nothing in our own strength. Paul says, “For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it” (Romans 7:18). No matter how much we will it, we are weak in carrying out what is good, which is God’s law. Even if we attempt to follow God’s commands, because we are weak, we will fall into sin.Therefore, the idea of living on our own strength is abolished because it is not possible given our constant failure to do good and follow the Lord’s commands despite our strongest desire.

Satan and his deadly evils envelops us. Temptation is lurking around all corners, present on every billboard, seen in every magazine, and found in every place your eyes may wander. It is extremely difficult to stand strong amidst such persuasive temptation. Satan has fallen; he wants to take you down with him. And, in your own strength, he will succeed. Why would you try to stand up to him alone? Just think, you have the choice of fighting Satan by yourself or you can fight him with the help of the all-powerful God. Any tribulation is bearable, sometimes even enjoyable, when you are in the arms of your King. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10: 12-13). The Lord will be your escape when times get tough. He will only ration out what you can handle and you can trust that God is always faithful. Therefore, we must rely on God for strength because we are not able to stand up against the devil and his wicked plans on our own.

The Lord created us in a way that makes it necessary for us to rely on Him. Our flesh is weak, sin tempts us daily, and our salvation is nothing we have done or can ever imagine doing. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). God’s gift of grace allows us to be saved! The reason salvation is a gift and is not able to be earned is so we won’t brag and boast about what we did to be saved but instead see it is from God. If it weren’t for God, we would not be saved and He wants us to realize that. He wants us to see His mercy and grace. Paul says, "For God has made all people prisoners of disobedience, so that He might show mercy to them all" ( Romans 11:32).Can’t you see He wants you to come to Him? He wants you to say Father I need you, carry me. He gave us the gift of salvation so we could reside in Him, why do we stray from Him? 

            The Lord loves us more than we can ever imagine and He only wants what is best for us, so why don’t we just surrender? In our own strength we will fail, we must trust in Jesus! I pray that you give up your life to Him, tell Him you can’t live without Him, and remember that in His strength all things are possible. Surrender your strength and dive into God’s plan relying on Him to fight “all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). Life is hard enough as it is! Just, let go and let God. Rely on Him to be your strength.

                                                                                                            God bless, 

                                                                                                                        Amber

2 Corinthians 12:9 

         "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Works Cited

Roberts, Sarah. Essay on Suffering. California: Sarah’s Services Inc., 2007.

All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved.
You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Perserverance

Have you ever felt exhausted by life's difficulties, obstacles and tests? Have you felt like today you have run many of those races and are just too tired to continue?  Do rising up, victory, and perseverance seem so distant, unreachable, and to be just mere words? If you are feeling this way, you are feeling human weakness. The beauty of this weakness is that there is strength, their is power, their is peace, and there is victory in Christ. He can give you the extra step, He can give you the peace of mind, He can give you the joys of a life in Him and so much more. When you think you can't do it anymore look up and rely on the God who is the definition of victory. Let the Lord Almighty support you, strengthen you, and give you the extra ability you need to succeed or to just keep on moving with a purpose. Remember in everything there is the beauty and blessing of the life that the Lord has given you and the God moments He has placed in your path. Open your eyes and heart to see them. Stop and smell the roses, look at the clouds in the sky, and take in His heavenly surroundings.


2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But [the Lord] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.




All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.