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. -Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)
In the world of video games, there’s a very predictable element in them as you are about to encounter a big trial: the heat gets cranked up just enough for you to suffer and learn from it, so when the big trial comes, you’ll be ready.
In those games, you’re even given weapons, armor, and health to prepare you for what’s coming. The other important piece of information that tells you you’re heading in the right direction is that very same heat I mentioned earlier. If you go away from your intended path, it’s pretty uneventful, and you don’t advance.
I saw this parallel in another post about leveling up, but heat is the other important element to indicate you’re onto something. When you’re on the right path, Satan will do all he can to make you stumble into the ditch. And when you get closer and closer to God’s intended goal, the enemy will really turn up the heat. Satan doesn’t want God to be glorified by overcoming circumstances through you!
Remember the big picture: that God is sanctifying you…purifying you…refining you…strengthening you…through each trial where you trust in Him to carry you and overcome through you. With each one, you trust in Him more, as you have a longer and longer track record of successes behind you. And you need those to exercise your muscles of faith, because Satan will raise the bar ever higher as you near the finish line. Your trials are checkpoints on the way to eternity!
Put on your armor, fill your head and heart with God’s Word, and wield it always. Remember, the enemy is always on the prowl! Satan will not only work on you, but work on those around you to divide and conquer. Be on the lookout.
God is with you. You’re a fighter, traveler, and agent (carrier) of light in this very dark world. As we approach the home stretch, know that the enemy will work on you at every level, in every detail, to fluster, frustrate, and anger you. He wants you to take your eyes off God. Hold fast in Jesus’ name, and say His name often. He will carry you through this trial to His glory and Satan’s shame, which will prepare you for the next leg of your journey–onward and upward–to Christlikeness.
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