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THE ARMOR Warrior Moms, lately, I\u2019ve been feeling like this invisible suit of armor hasn\u2019t fit very well. \u00a0Remember David? When he was going to try to fight Goliath, the King gave him armor to wear. Remember how it didn\u2019t fit, and how he almost looked silly? Didn\u2019t they laugh at the sight of him in that cumbersome enormously large armor? I\u2019ll have to look that up, but I think I remember them laughing at him or at least raising their eyebrows\u2026 a lot. And I think that the most amusing part to the standing-byers was, not so much that he was trying to wear the clunky equipment atop his small frame, but rather that he even THOUGHT he could fight a monster 5 times his size: I think THAT was the most entertaining part.<\/span><\/p>\n Well, lately, I can relate to David. I feel like I got issued the wrong size of various parts of armor, that I\u2019m too small for such a uniform, and that the task at hand is even harder to grasp than this huge invisible sword, shield and helmet in my hand. I hear God cheering me on as I read the Bible and the stories of faith and perseverance, but the world keeps laughing at the thought of me trying to fight Goliath-type circumstances.<\/span><\/p>\n I have felt this way for a while, never voicing it out loud for fear that someone would see my fear rather than my faith \u2013 but I can say it now because I\u2019ve had an incredible breakthrough \u2013 a wondrous event of inspiration. Oh, no, lightning didn\u2019t strike, I didn\u2019t hear a mountain rumble and fall, the walls around me didn\u2019t fall like Jericho \u2013 even though I did consider marching around my house and my office seven times in an expectancy of miraculous change \u2013 but something happened within lately, something happened to me that made the invisible armor fit like a glove\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s my question leading up to my point: \u201cIf life were a battlefield and you looked around, would more people be trying to gear up like David was, or would the majority be\u00a0<\/span>standing around, looking, laughing, and raising their eyebrows at those who were?\u201d \u00a0I think it\u2019s obvious; things haven\u2019t changed much since Biblical times, because those who are willing to try the impossible and, more so, those who are willing to believe in the impossible, seem to be few and far between. The masses seem to believe the glass is half empty rather than half full. When one person tries to voice the impossible, those around that person gather up and get louder, drowning out that one voice \u2013 telling them that what they thought was possible \u2013 really isn\u2019t. And the half-empty glass believers are greater in number, so they seem to win a few more battles than the half-full-glass people. That\u2019s why when someone does something amazing and inspiring and seemingly impossible \u2013 it makes a great story \u2013 it gets on the news \u2013 people talk about it with sparkles in their eyes. Why? Because it\u2019s right up there with miracle status when the impossible becomes possible and it makes a great inspiring story for PARADE in the Sunday edition of the paper \u2013 or it gets its own segment in WOMAN\u2019S DAY.<\/p>\n And so you see, I\u2019ve tapped into this little conspiracy, and I have found the truth. Let me back up. You know that armor I was talking about and how I have been feeling like it doesn\u2019t fit? My invisible armor is my faith, my Christianity, my hopes, my dreams, my beliefs, my goals, my everything: I have felt like my armor didn\u2019t fit because my circumstances were just too great, and as I\u2019ve wrestled with the belt, the shield, the sword, the helmet, the boots \u2013 all of it too large for my small frame, I\u2019ve walked awkwardly and with much effort, becoming exhausted before I even got close enough to Goliath \u2013 most of the time giving up or giving in before voicing what I believed to be possible. \u00a0Then I realized that I didn\u2019t have to put my invisible armor down, that would be like dying. How could I lay down my big faith, how could I drop my helmet of hope, how could I relinquish my sword of truth & quotes, and sayings of possibilities?! How could I take off my boots of basic determination? And why should I? To give all that up would be like giving up, giving in, and succumbing to the world\u2019s belief that nothing is really possible \u2013 especially all the hard things. Remember that cheering voice of God? Well, I began to listen to Him, and the more I listened to Him, and the less I listened to the world, the more I began to have growth spurts, until one day I woke up and I realized THE ARMOR FIT! My chest, my arms, my legs, my feet grew right into that armor! (Well, not my chest \u2013 that\u2019s fine the way it is, thank you.)<\/span><\/p>\n Warrior Moms, if you are going to claim a large faith, if you are going to live large in the hope of Jesus Christ, you\u2019ve got to be willing to grow into the armor. I quit fighting the fact that my faith seemed larger than my circumstance. \u00a0You see, the larger my faith got, the smaller my circumstance became. I think that many people walk around with the armor \u2013 not wanting to relinquish it \u2013 and for good reason \u2013 not even realizing that it\u2019s not a matter of struggling with our faith, but rather \u00a0– becoming as large as our faith. Which means, of course, that one must tune out the small defeated way of thinking like the world thinks, and take hold of the hope of a Savior who says,\u00a0<\/span>\u201cYes, the armor that you are carrying around is rather large, and your frame is small \u2013 seemingly smaller than your faith \u2013 so grow up \u2013 grow into it, let yourself believe, and become what I know you can and what you know deep down \u2013 that it\u2019s not a matter of finding smaller armor that fits your small frail frame \u2013 but rather, keeping the armor of faith that you have \u2013 and growing into it \u2013 Live large and be louder than the voices of defeat!\u201d<\/p>\n Now, I know that in David\u2019s case, he needed to take off his armor to win. I used David, though, because it\u2019s good imagery of someone trying to fit into armor that didn\u2019t fit \u2013 that was too big. His armor was real metal in the story; I\u2019m referring to the invisible armor of faith that we carry around as if it\u2019s too big. \u00a0My main point is that a lot of us think our invisible armor of faith is too big \u2013 so we let the world shrink us back instead of growing bold enough to believe as big as our faith \u2013 as big as God\u2019s possibilities. That\u2019s my main point. Warrior Moms, grow large in the faith, and don\u2019t shrink back \u2013 whatever you do, don\u2019t ever lay down your faith, because when it seems too big or cumbersome in impossible circumstances, THAT, my fellow Warrior Moms, is the critical moment, if you persevere, where dreams become a reality! \u00a0And THAT is when the doubting stander-byers begin to get amazed and\u00a0<\/span>maybe even begin to believe themselves\u2026.<\/p>\n THE ARMOR<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The armor was large<\/span><\/p>\n And heavy in size<\/span><\/p>\n It made me grunt<\/span><\/p>\n It made me sigh<\/span><\/p>\n It made me weary to think<\/span><\/p>\n About carrying on<\/span><\/p>\n I mean after all \u2013\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This road is long<\/span><\/p>\n I considered putting my armor down<\/span><\/p>\n And riding this bike lying on<\/span><\/p>\n The ground<\/span><\/p>\n How easy it would be \u2013 to put the armor<\/span><\/p>\n Down<\/span><\/p>\n And ride off into the sunset<\/span><\/p>\n On this light-hearted bike upon the ground<\/span><\/p>\n But instantly I thought<\/span><\/p>\n No, it must be a trap<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve got to keep my armor<\/span><\/p>\n And figure out where the battle is at<\/span><\/p>\n The battle was in my mind<\/span><\/p>\n And in my heart and if I kept my armor<\/span><\/p>\n Surely a profound victory would start<\/span><\/p>\n So I kept my breastplate of righteousness<\/span><\/p>\n And my sword of salvation<\/span><\/p>\n My helmet of truth<\/span><\/p>\n And kept my feet fitted for\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A more grand destination…<\/span><\/p>\n And I waited for the Lord<\/span><\/p>\n For in my weakness \u2013 His strength is made perfect<\/span><\/p>\n And if I exercised some patience<\/span><\/p>\n I bet yes I just bet<\/span><\/p>\n That I would begin to grow<\/span><\/p>\n Mounting up on High<\/span><\/p>\n And that this seemingly too big armor<\/span><\/p>\n Would suddenly become my new size<\/span><\/p>\n And you know what<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s true<\/span><\/p>\n I did grow<\/span><\/p>\n Right into my Big Faith<\/span><\/p>\n Just ever so slow<\/span><\/p>\n Therefore 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. \u00a0Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. \u00a0In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Ephesians 6:13-17<\/span><\/p>\n Kristina Seymour\u00a0<\/strong>loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina’s Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can’t survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https:\/\/kristinaseymour.com\/.\u00a0<\/em>G<\/span>od loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Kristina Seymour\u00a0<\/strong>loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina’s Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can’t survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https:\/\/kristinaseymour.com\/.\u00a0<\/em>God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THE ARMOR Warrior Moms, lately, I\u2019ve been feeling like this invisible suit of armor hasn\u2019t fit very well. \u00a0Remember David? When he was going to try to fight Goliath, the King gave him armor to wear. Remember how it didn\u2019t fit, and how he almost looked silly? Didn\u2019t they laugh at the sight of him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[746,86,563,2829,858,857,561,859,562],"class_list":{"0":"post-16796","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-devotionals","8":"tag-armor","9":"tag-daily","10":"tag-devotions","11":"tag-january","12":"tag-mom","13":"tag-warrior","14":"tag-week","15":"tag-wisdom","16":"tag-womens"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16796"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16796\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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