I Come

You remain, Lord.

In my darkest moment 

And in my deepest despair,

You speak softly, 

“Child, I love you. Come here.”

My heart, longing, aching,

And reaching, 

I come.

I come vulnerable,

Broken of self.

I give you my pain—

My loss. My rejection. My offense.

I hold nothing back.

Stripped of all pretense,

I own nothing.

You paid it all—

So I owe nothing.

There is no image to save.

No mask to hold in place. 

No perfection to maintain.

No expectation to meet.

No hindrance.

Only you, Jesus.

You in me, 

And I, in you.

Deep calling to deep,  

I draw you from 

The well within.

Your waves crash over me.

Praying what I cannot,

You finish me.

My faith takes flight,

Trusting without measure.

I am—

Not abandoned, 

I am known.

Not rejected, 

I am accepted.

Not fearful, 

I am at peace.

Free of pain and loss.

Rejection and offense,

I am filled to the fullest

Of you, Jesus. 

As a deer pants for flowing streams,
So I thirst for you, 

My Living Savior.

You satisfy my soul.

Without our fellowship,

I thirst, and I thirst

So I come, and I come.

My hope remains in you, 

My salvation and my God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

—Isaiah 42:11

Come Here

The Lord longs to be gracious to you. He waits on high to have compassion on you.

—Isaiah 30:18

I have never left you.

I am that gentle stirring—

That faint kiss against your cheek—

That quiet whisper,

Waking you and lingering.

I’m your prayer from long ago,

A remembrance of closer times

When your heart beat as my own.

I wait in your darkest moment

And in your deepest despair—

Heart longing and arms reaching

Aching to hold you once again,

Speaking softly

Hoping you will hear

Child, I love you.

Come here.

The Whole Armor of God

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

—Ephesians 6:14-18 (ESV)

Ephesians 6:14-18 shows us how to be a winning contender in spiritual warfare. The whole armor of God powerfully overcomes powers, principalities, and all the power of the enemy. Each weapon in the armor comes from the Word of God, residing within you.

The belt of truth, like that of a Roman centurion, serves as a unifying force, holding all the armor together. By diligently reading and studying the Bible daily, believers establish the Word of God firmly in their hearts until it becomes their foundation, holding everything together in their lives.

Ephesians 4:14 says, “having fastened on the belt of truth.” 

“Fasten” means to make fast or secure (American Heritage Dictionary). “Fastened” is in the past tense in this verse, and it means something you have secured. When you’ve “fastened” on the belt of truth, you’ve disciplined and prepared yourself with the Word of God. Just as a Roman soldier once practiced and prepared for war, so too have you. 

The next is the breastplate of righteousness. As a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, you are deemed righteous and have right standing with God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Righteousness is the realization of the Holy Spirit’s revelation of the completed work of Jesus for you. As you grow wiser and more mature in your understanding of your identity in Christ, God’s love will flood your heart, making you compassionate and respectful of others’ needs.

Ephesians 5:15 says, “And, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” 

This refers to being ready to share the message of God’s peace. You can’t do that until you’re at peace with God in your own heart. Do you know that God loves you unconditionally, and His promises are always true? Are you ready to embrace His Word, whether it’s in good times or challenging circumstances? When you are trained and prepared in God’s truth, you are prepared to take the gospel of peace into any situation.

Ephesians 5:16 continues, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” 

Ephesians 6:14-15 represents the “logos,” the written Word of God. This preparation of the Word affects the way you conduct your life. Ephesians 5:16 is the “rhema,” the spoken Word of God. When the devil tries to lie about you, steal from you, attack you with sickness, penetrate your mind, and direct your actions, this Word is your power to stand against him. The Word you’ve put in your mind and heart activates your faith for the battle that is coming. You are so full of the Word that when the attacks of the enemy come, you recognize the lie. The shield of faith prevents that lie from taking root in you. It’s snuffed out.

Ephesians 6:17 says we are to “take the helmet of salvation.” 

This helmet is our renewed mind to the Word of God. It ensures we are saved, delivered, healed, protected, thriving, and whole. You know no lie of the devil, no darkness, or ailment can come near you because you are covered by your salvation, the finished work of Jesus. You lack nothing.

Ephesians 6:17 also says we are to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” In Greek, “distomos” is a two-edged sword.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

God’s Word, when spoken, has immense power. The spoken Word can thwart the enemy’s attempts to deceive you with lies that contradict God’s truth about you. Jesus responded to the devil in the wilderness by speaking God’s truth over each temptation (Matthew 4:4-11, Luke 4:3-12). The devil could not win against the spoken Word, declaring, “It is written.”

Finally, Ephesians 6:18 reminds us to always be aware of the enemy’s schemes, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” 

Warfare manifests as demonic influence, mental depression, unforgiveness, offense, illness, or any other evil attack by the devil. His lies go on forever. But God IS your forever. His truth is always available. When you truly get into the Word, God tears down strongholds and brings life and freedom in every area of your life. He wants you to experience the joy found in winning your battles. 

The Lord loves you. He formed you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. He wants you to know everything He has already provided for you. The only way you will know what is yours and be prepared to defend it is to know God's Word. The devil wants to steal God's promises from you, kill your faith, and destroy you. It’s time to learn what God has promised you.

 

Standing to Win

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

—Ephesians 6:10-13

The devil is working overtime, employing his cunning schemes to deceive you. He devises wicked plans to annihilate you. Satan attempts to persuade you and ensnare you. However, in Psalm 91:3, God declared that He will “defend you from the snare of the fowler.” The devil is the fowler. Knowledge of the Word is essential in your struggle against him.

Ephesians 6:12 reveals who your real opponent is and where the battle occurs. The battle is not against people or worldly things, so combat in the natural has no power. The battle is spiritual. We are engaged in a war against principalities, powers, and rulers of this dark age—against Satan and all his demonic forces. Yet, we are not defeated. God has provided us with powerful spiritual weapons that tear down the devil’s strongholds and secure our victory (2 Corinthians 10:4). But we must learn to wield these spiritual weapons effectively. 

Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” 

“Having done all to stand” is the mindset of someone who is determined to fight and never give up. Gladiators who fought in the arena had this mental attitude and determination. Roman soldiers were mentally trained and physically prepared for battle. Each one was focused, fully prepared to stand, fight, and overcome, no matter what. 

Many believers have a fatalistic, pessimistic mindset, believing they have reached their breaking point and have exhausted all their resources. They feel that they have given everything they have, but nothing has resulted from their efforts; it seems insurmountable to them. This kind of thinking enables people to indulge in self-pity, begging God to intervene. God is not moved by our pitiful state. God is moved by our faith. People must change their thinking and beliefs to align with the Word of God. If you’re in a difficult time, know how much Jesus loves you. He loves you right now, no matter what you are going through. But God has already moved on your behalf in the gift of His Son on the cross for you. You must put your faith in Jesus’ finished work to overcome.

Ephesians 6:13 says, “that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  

“To stand” doesn’t imply that you’ve exhausted all possibilities and, consequently, God doesn’t want you to succeed. It doesn’t mean that because you messed up, God won’t help you now. It doesn’t mean you’ve tried everything, failed, and now you must endure the consequences. This mindset contradicts the teachings of the Word of God.

“To stand” in Ephesians 6:11 speaks of being a “contender.” You are contending for the win with the supernatural assistance of Jesus. A contender goes into battle with the knowledge that he is trained and prepared. He is not just standing to endure. He is standing to win with the mindset of a gladiator. Getting into the Word is not an option. It is life or death. The Word trains, prepares, and equips you to fight “principalities, powers, and rulers of this dark age.”

You are a blood-bought, Holy-Spirit-endowed contender with access to mighty spiritual weapons that can tear down strongholds, empowering you to tread on demons and all the power of Satan’s barrage. 

The battle is not over until you win. 

Resting Our Hope Fully On The Revelation Of Jesus

We are engaged in a war that demands our unwavering obedience to the truth of our identity in Jesus Christ. The flesh’s way of thinking and reasoning is in line with the enemy’s. The Holy Spirit within us is greater than the devil who tempts our flesh, but if we don’t know it, we will fail. As believers in Christ, we don’t have to walk in the flesh. Instead, we can use God’s mighty weapons to pull down strongholds by bringing every thought into the obedience of Christ and punishing disobedience (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

Until a believer makes the conscious decision to renew their mind with the Word of God, obedience is impossible. The result of a renewed mind is obedience. And when you are obedient to the Word, you punish disobedience (2 Corinthians 10:6). A disobedient thought (temptation) may come, but if you are full of Jesus (the Word), it will not come to fruition, for there will be no room for disobedience. If you walk in the Spirit, you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh but do what the Word desires (Galatians 5:16).

We must apply faith to God’s grace to renew the mind. His grace is His gift to us. Faith is our response to it.  Faith steps into God’s calling when it makes no sense to the mind, will, or emotions. Faith trusts God over what the devil declares are our limitations. We become unlimited when we launch out in faith with Jesus.

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).

“Gird up the loins of your mind” refers to the long robes men wore in biblical times. Until these men “girded” up their robes, they would fall if they attempted to run. To gird themselves up, they would pull the excess material of their robe from the back to the front and tuck it into their belt. Then they could run without falling. Don’t let any excess of thoughts—don’t reflect on anything that would offend God and cause you to stumble and fall. “Gird up the loins of your mind” so that your thoughts agree with the Word of God. Then your ability to think and move correctly won’t be hindered.

1 Peter 1:13 says to “be sober”—to think correctly, resting our hope fully upon the grace of Jesus. And we are only able to put our faith completely in Him when we have a revelation of His finished work in our lives.

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).

In this verse, Paul advises us to think soberly and avoid thinking of ourselves as superior to others. God has given each one of us the same measure of faith. No one has more faith than another; some have just exercised theirs more. We all have areas where the devil can find an opening. He enters through pride, unforgiveness, an offense, or any thought that goes against God’s Word. Without knowledge of the Word, we are vulnerable to offense or unbelief, which grants the devil access. Instead, we are to rest our hope fully upon the Word by applying our faith to the grace of Jesus.

Faith is our obedience to what Jesus has done for us. The Word informs us that we possess not only formidable weapons to subjugate our minds to the obedience of Christ but also the authority to overcome the adversary. Jesus said, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). We are called to take authority over the enemy.

When you rest your hope fully upon the grace of Jesus, you put your faith in His finished work. You refuse the devil access to your mind with unforgiveness, offense, or any wrong thinking. Putting your complete trust in the Word is obedience, and consequently, disobedience is punished (2 Corinthians 10:6). When the Word of God owns your mind and heart, faith flows in obedience. There is no room for disobedience. You are full of Jesus.

We can declare our hope rests fully on the finished work of Jesus, but is it really true? Is it heart knowledge? God needs each of us to know who we are in Him and the authority He has given us. What we don’t know can hurt us. It’s time to go deep into the Word of God. When you receive a revelation of the finished work of salvation in your mind and heart, you know you are saved, healed, delivered, protected, prospered, and whole. You will tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy.