Whose Got Your Back?

Have you ever considered why God never mentions armor for our backs?

Here’s what God gives us for armor:

Ø  Belt of Truth (the Truth about God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit)

Ø  Breastplate of Righteousness (the perfect righteousness of Christ in those born again and filled with His Spirit)

Ø  Sandals of Peace (the inner peace that comes from following Christ)

Ø  Shield of Faith (how we live by Faith alone)

Ø  Helmet of Salvation (we are saved through Christ alone)

Ø  Sword of the Spirit (God’s Word).

There is nothing about protecting our backs!

May I suggest the reason why is because He has our back covered?  He doesn’t want us running from our troubles. He wants us to use His strength to face our situations straight on~

If you’ve never used God’s strength to fight battles then this may sound confusing to you.  How does God fight our battles and how would I know it?

Once upon a time I also didn’t have that concept of God. Since my youth, I believed in God, that He is my Creator and that He resided in heaven, where, if I was good enough, I would go after I died. But while here on earth, I truly believed that if it was meant to be, it was up to me. In other words, I needed to fight my own battles and in my own strength.

Then, as Beth Moore* would say, a violent earthquake happened in my life. The name of my earthquake was ‘divorce.’  Imagine the devastation that comes from the ground opening up and swallowing everything in site that is near and dear to the people surviving the quake.

Divorce shook my life. Trying to make sense of it, I realized that I couldn’t fix what was left and the broken pieces were chipped beyond recognition. Even a second husband couldn’t make it all better.  I felt captive to my circumstances.  

But my earthquake happened for a reason. Once the dust settled and I could think more clearly, I was reintroduced to my God…a God that lives in heaven but also in me. 

Perhaps you’re experiencing an earthquake. Perhaps yours is a relationship that you hoped would grow into something more than it has and now you’re left with a broken heart; or maybe you’re a single mom and life is just sucking you dry; or you hate your job and desperately want to leave, but you need the money, so you stay.

So how did God start fighting my battles?

First, like any good relationship, we needed to spend time together.  Why would God fight my battles if I don’t even know Him? So I started reading His Word, the Bible.

The Bible opened up my world. At first, it was dry and made no sense to me. But I kept opening it up and asking those I trusted to explain it to me. Once I felt comfortable with what I was reading, I took my relationship to the next level. I asked Jesus to come into my life and personally change me so I could have the joy that He speaks about and promises to those that know Him.

It didn’t happen overnight for me. Through the years, I’ve stumbled a lot in my walk with God. Trusting and not trusting. But the more I read about the battles He won for others in the Bible and for people I personally know, the more my faith to trust Him grew and allow Him to fight my battles too.

I’m encouraged when I read the Bible. Especially when I read about women who have overcome their circumstances; their faithfulness encourages me to be more faithful as well.   

So that’s how I began to depend upon God to fight my battles. Whenever I get discouraged, I open up my Bible and all of His Truths are there for me to lean on. The armor is waiting and ready to be used. He will do the same for you.

In our current single moms Bible study, we are reading the book, ‘Twelve Extraordinary Women’ by John MacArthur. He does an excellent job of portraying to the reader how God took ordinary women, like you and me, and through life-changing encounters with the God of the universe, he transformed them into Extraordinary women.

If you are struggling with obstacles, regrets, difficulties in your life, please know that you are not alone. God knows about your circumstances and if you allow Him to help, He will show you the plans He has for your future.

I’m not promising you an easy journey. My earthquake was painful. But the bonds, which held me captive to thinking I would never again be a whole person or experience peace and joy in my life, dropped off once I looked to God for all my needs.

‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Until next time~

Blessings,
Nancy

*Beth Moore has a ministry called ‘Living Proof Ministries.’  To attend one of Beth’s Living Proof Live Events, visit her website and click on Events: http://www.lproof.org/AboutUs/