Thinwithin.org
Boundaries, Battles, and Spiritual Armor

Boundaries, Battles, and Spiritual Armor

by | May 15, 2021 | Blog

by Marge Purvis

with a little enhancement from Barb Shelton 

.

What makes sticking to boundaries so difficult? Why do we struggle with just doing it?!

I am convinced that this is a spiritual battle. We are in a battle for healthy bodies and souls.

Battles, by their very nature, are hard and require the right equipment and preparedness of heart and mind.

Our enemy likes wimpy warriors – strong warriors who fall on their knees and seek their Heavenly commander terrify him.

Every time we put on God’s Armor and fight with our spiritual weapons, we gain ground… not to mention terrify the enemy.

But battles are not usually won once and for all. The enemy keeps coming back to challenge our reserve and our resolve.

.

STANDING FIRM

The Apostle Paul challenges us to “Stand Firm.” The only way to fight is by putting on the whole Armor of God as laid out in Ephesians 6:10-11.

.

We’ve all read and heard this passage many times, but let’s read it again and ask God to take it deeper in us, especially in this arena of our battle with our boundaries with food and eating:

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  (Ephesians 6:11-17)

We fall when we put on God’s Armor in the morning and then lay it down and forget about it…  until we all of a sudden find ourselves experiencing defeat. Even though our Heavenly Father is with us 24/7, we get busy and gradually weaken.

Then comes the condemnation that we put on ourselves. “The club of condemnation” is not a piece of God’s Armor. It’s definitely a weapon, but it’s one the enemy uses to advance toward and against us. What we need is to take on weapons of righteousness. Like those found in 2 Corinthians 10:4:

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”

.

HELPFUL, PRACTICAL ARMOR

So today choose to wear that Armor of God all day. Here are a few forms it may take:

Reminders posted where you can see them. Like truths God shows you as you are putting on that Armor at the beginning of the day. (These Love Notes from Jesus are in the form of a free printable by Barb Shelton. The video and this form are in Barb’s “Let’s DO This” group on Facebook.)

.

Truth Cards and Verses are a great way to keep these handy. Write them on cards or sticky notes.  (Here’s an article – Truth Cards 101 – with lots of ideas and helps for making your own Truth Cards:)

.

A written prayer (by Barb Shelton) to pray when you start to weaken and realize you are open and vulnerable for a sneak attack.

Lord, my heart’s desire is that my thoughts, focus and purpose – now and in life in general – would be based on and all wrapped up in YOU, not in desiring more food or longingly looking forward to what and when I can eat next.

I do not want to give up my birthright of having a well-functioning body for “one more [unneeded] bowl of…” any food I just had for a meal that would take beyond my boundary of “5” if I were to eat more of it.

Lord, by your mighty power at work in me, I do not want to listen to or heed my head hunger, to give in to the temptation to eat outside of my boundaries.  In­stead… I am choosing right now to DIE to my “flesh machinery” that just wants to eat eat eat, more more and more! YOU are my food and drink, my highest joy!!!!! ALL the time!! Not just when I’m walking in victory!

I bring my broken appetite to You at the foot of the cross and ask You to put it to death…  and replace it with the appetite You designed for me when You created me.

Would You show me one more good thing about abiding in You? Lord, I want to be normal-in-You! And I know my only hope for this is walking close to You, allowing You to do Your work deep in me!! “For apart from You, I can do nothing”! 

.

(And back to Marge as we close:)

So today I join you in fighting this battle.
God is on our side and He will give the victory!

~ Marge Purvis ~

 

.

 

 

 

 

Marge Purvis

See her bio below.

Breaking Off the Taproot

Breaking Off the Taproot

by | Jun 1, 2019 | Blog

I feel like I broke off a huge chunk of a taproot today!

This bondage to food is like a huge tree with very long and thick taproots burrowing deep into the ground. The taproots become larger, longer, and thicker every time we eat when we aren’t hungry. The stronghold (tree and taproots) just get bigger and bigger in our lives.   

What is it going to take to remove this huge tree and those very large taproots? It’s going to take spiritual weapons to remove it all!

The length of time it will take to remove the tree and taproots depends on how large the tree and taproots have become in your life. 

For me, I became morbidly obese (I hate that term!), so my tree is gigantic, as are the taproots. It is not impossible to conquer this, but will take huge amounts of spiritual weapons to bring down the tree and dry up the taproots.

The spiritual tools I will need to use are: daily affirmations, mind renewal spoken aloud at least once or twice a day, prayer, Bible study especially concerning food issues, self control, faithfulness and discipline.

These will all work together to begin to loosen and dry up those taproots.

Last night I got the strongest urge to eat. I wasn’t even sure if I was hungry. It felt like I was getting a hunger pang, or maybe it was in my mind. I decided this would be a good time to practice saying no to my flesh, so I spoke out loud: “I’m saying no to my flesh.”

Saying no to my flesh is saying yes to honoring God in my eating, yes to walking again, (literally for me!), and yes to getting my life back. Getting my life back is getting my own independence back and doing things for myself again.

I had just heard a statement: “If my flesh is screaming, it’s not dead yet.” My flesh is like a little child wanting its way, having a temper tantrum. When this happens it’s a prime time to offer my body to and honor God. At that moment it becomes good seed to give to God.

So I felt like a huge chunk of the taproot was released last night when I didn’t eat. I offered my choice to not eat to God and honored him. I offered my body as a living sacrifice to God. I gave up food I wanted to eat and offered that to God as a gift.

Not eating is a seed, and when you give God a “not eating seed,” He multiplies that seed to you. He multiplies the seed sown and increases the fruits of righteousness in you.  (2 Corinthians 9:10…)

It’s like a farmer planting seeds in the ground. Whatever you plant is what you get! If I plant tomato seeds, I will get tomatoes, not corn. If I plant cucumber seeds, I get cucumbers, not watermelons.

So if I want to not eat as much, then I will have to plant periods of not eating in my life. As I offer that to God, it becomes good seed for him to grow in me. Does that make sense? It is a spiritual law.

Here is the scripture in its entirety (KJV):

Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food and multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.”

The same thing happens when we tithe. We give, and he gives back more! It’s a beautiful law that works. I understand this principle financially and have seen God multiply my finances over and over again.

But trying it out with God in the weight-releasing realm was another story. However, God used a “Big D Episode” (being disobedient and paying for it with digestive issues and the like,) to turn my attention to this realm. So I’m beginning to put this scripture into practice in my life more and more, which is key.

It is amazing how God can take small amounts of obedience and turn them into huge victories. Only our God can do that!   

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…”  (Zechariah 4:10)

 

 

 

 

 

Wanda Walker

(See her bio below.)