“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
2 Corinthians 10: 3-4
Have you ever been so caught off guard, tricked or blindsided by someone that you were so stressed out that you could hurt something? I’m talking so mad you could even throat punch someone? I have.
After stepping down from Women’s Ministry, I found myself in a season of sabbath rest. Or so I thought. I was almost prideful of this rest thinking, “God is so good to me…giving me this season off. Wow…God’s really blessed me in this quiet season.” I even became “that mom” that dropped her kids off at church on Wednesday nights and went back home to enjoy more of my “sabbath rest.”
My sabbath season was full of self-pride which softly faded away as a sudden jolt of sadness overcame me one night during worship and prayer. I was reading 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 and it just spoke to me, lept off the page, convicted me in the Spirit, and started my war against the enemy.
It was then that I realized that what I thought was a season of sabbath was not. I had been duped by the devil. I had withdrawn from all leadership, including my prayer and accountability group. The devil had me where he wanted me; isolated and listening to his lies. He convinced me that rest was good and had wooed me with nothing-ness on church nights. It was easy to hear his quiet whispers and I found myself settling for half truths. The devil is a liar, because when I thought I was thriving in a season of sabbath, trusting God’s word showed me that I was really drowning in a season of sadness.
I have never been so mad. When I read 2 Corinthians 10: 3-4, my eyes were opened to the lies of my flesh, because now I was on to the devil. I’ve asked myself over and over, “How did I end up here?” and “how do I not do this again?” I knew God was showing me that I had put my trust in my own flesh; that’s what happens when I chose to live in isolation apart from a community of believers for any amount of time.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 states that we have divine power for war and we can destroy those strongholds. This is not a simple skirmish; this is a full on war. I have thrown myself back into asking friends to hold me accountable again. When we go to war against the enemy, we have to trust God’s weapons of warfare for divine power: His Word, prayer & community. That throat punch is going straight to the devil because This. Is. War. I am done being duped by the devil!
