The Battle Within

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

Have you ever had a battle going on inside of you that nobody else knew about?

You look fine on the outside, but inside, your mind won’t slow down. One thought leads to another, then fear and doubt start talking. You begin imagining things that haven’t even happened, and before you know it, your heart is exhausted from fighting a battle no one else can see.

I’ve been there.

In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul reminds us to stand firm because there is a battle we cannot always see. The enemy has schemes. He knows how to distract us when we’re trying to focus on God, discourage us when we’re already tired, and whisper lies when we’re vulnerable. Sometimes he doesn’t have to pull us completely away from God. He just has to get our attention somewhere else.

That’s why Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God.

One piece that really caught my attention was the breastplate of righteousness.

A breastplate protects the heart. I started thinking about how often we leave our hearts exposed without even realizing it.

I’ve had moments when my thoughts start running, and one thought leads to another until I’ve worked myself up over something that hasn’t even happened. Fear can take a small thought and turn it into a whole story.

That’s where I have to be careful because the enemy can wiggle his way in through the things we allow to take root in our hearts. Whether it’s a fear we keep dwelling on, an insecurity that makes us question our worth, a temptation we continue to entertain, or a lie we keep replaying until we start believing it.

Eventually, it can change the way we think, the way we feel, and even the way we see things.

We can start looking at ourselves through our insecurities instead of through God’s eyes. We can look at our circumstances and see only what’s going wrong. We can even begin to question what we know about God.

That’s why protecting your heart matters.

It means paying attention to what you’re allowing to stay there.

It means choosing righteousness, not because we’re perfect, but because we belong to Jesus.

He wants you to come as you are, but don’t stay as you are.

Jesus meets us exactly where we are, but His love doesn’t leave us there. He wants to change us from the inside out.

That change can mean surrendering an attitude we know isn’t right, walking away from something that’s pulling us in the wrong direction, or choosing obedience even when nobody would ever know if we didn’t.

That’s part of standing firm. When I can’t sort through what’s happening in my heart on my own, I pray.

Paul tells us to pray at all times. Prayer isn’t something we save for the moments when everything falls apart or when we’re desperate for an answer. It should be part of our everyday walk with God.

When your thoughts are racing, pray.

When you’re tempted, pray.

When you’re discouraged, pray.

When you don’t understand what God is doing, pray.

Prayer reminds me that I don’t have to carry a battle that was never mine to fight alone.

But there’s another battle I think a lot of us struggle with, and that is the desire to be seen, to be impressive, or to be recognized for what we can do.

How easy it is to look at numbers and let them tell us how we’re doing.

We start looking at followers, likes, views, and comments as if they can tell us how valuable we are.

It’s easy to feel good when people notice you and discouraged when they don’t.

That’s when we have to stop and ask ourselves:

Who am I trying to please?

I don’t want to spend my life chasing the approval of people and miss the approval of God.

When I get to Heaven, I don’t want to say I was well-liked or well-known.

I want to know that I was faithful.

That I loved Jesus.

That I followed Him when it was easy and when it wasn’t.

That I was faithful with what He placed in my hands, and that I stood firm when the battle was real, even when nobody else could see it.

Because one day, the numbers won’t matter.

The applause won’t matter.

The only thing that will matter is Jesus.

If I could choose the words I hear at the end of this life, they wouldn’t be about how many people knew my name.

I want to hear:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

That’s the applause I’m living for.

Not the applause of people.

The applause of Heaven.

Take A Moment

1. What have I been allowing to take root in my heart that I need to surrender to God?

2. Whose approval am I living for, the approval of people or the approval of God?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Help me to stand firm when the battles around me are unseen. Protect my heart and my mind from the lies, distractions, fears, and temptations that try to pull me away from You. Help me pay attention to what I’m allowing to take root in my heart.

Give me the wisdom to recognize what doesn’t belong there and the courage to surrender it to You.

When my thoughts are racing, remind me to pray. When I’m discouraged, remind me of Your truth. When I’m tempted to seek the approval of others, turn my eyes back to You.

I don’t want to live for the applause of people. I want to live for You. Help me be faithful with whatever You place in my hands, even when no one sees it.

When I reach the end of my life, I don’t want the numbers, the recognition, or the applause of this world to be what mattered. I want to know that I loved You, followed You, and stood firm.

Let my life be pleasing to You.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.