Nothing Can Stop You…

When I became a Christian, I just wanted my sins to be forgiven and to go to heaven when I died. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, believing I would never have another bad day. LOL! Was I naive!

Within a few months, my slow-to-grasp-spiritual-things mind concluded that saying Yes to Jesus had painted a spiritual target on my back.

An enemy was attacking me I had never believed in, couldn't see, and knew nothing about. Thrust into conflict without warning or preparation, I had no training, no weapons (that I was aware of), and little success.

I had recently graduated from college and thought I had it all together. But to my dismay, I discovered I was Biblically illiterate, and my spiritual ignorance qualified me for kindergarten in God's school. So far as understanding spiritual realities, my college studies were irrelevant. 

As a result, I had to humble myself, admit my ignorance, and start “school” again in this new frontier of biblical wisdom.

I had to fight for my spiritual life, and I am thankful to those who prayed for and mentored me in those challenging early days.

When I accepted Christ as Savior, I vaguely perceived that a spiritual realm surrounded me, but I knew nothing about it.

But shortly after accepting Christ, evil began attacking my mind in a way I had never experienced. Thoughts constantly popped into my head, reminding me of past sins and making me feel ashamed and unworthy of God's mercy. I was not happy about this, and I started questioning the Lord.

Why had He made things this way? Why was there evil? Why was there an adversary? Why was I being attacked for doing the right thing for once?

I actually wondered if I was a “sacrificial pawn” in some cruel, cosmic chess match between God and the devil! (Later, I realized Jesus was the only sacrifice necessary.)

Fortunately, the Word of God was a light to my path, so I read the Word as much as I could, getting up-to-speed on spiritual truth. 

I was so desperate to know what was going on that I asked dozens of questions about God, spiritual things, and the Bible. 

I was serious about overcoming the resistance I felt. I did not want to be a doormat for something I couldn't see. The Spirit of God was a big help, for He stirred up the desire to put these things under my feet. I was willing, if only I knew how.

I just finished writing the book that I desired as a young Christian. What took me years to discover, I have compressed into one volume. 

In the Bible, God has deposited nuggets of truth on spiritual warfare from Genesis to Revelation. But in The Armor of Light, I extract and condense that wisdom into one place. Each chapter focuses on a key to your strength and strategy.

Though talking about the spiritual conflict that makes some people uncomfortable, I want to make one thing clear: the most effective spiritual warfare is always Christ-centered, not devil-focused.

Our loving Savior taught more about God's enemy than any other religious figure. Why? Because we need to know what we face, so we can fight and break free.

It's important to follow His lead. We must not deny the existence of an adversary or pretend we don't have to contend with him just because the subject makes us uneasy.

But another thing is also clear—Jesus mostly talked about the kingdom of God. And I think His is the wisdom we should follow.