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I settle into a comfy chair in a counselor’s office and begin to share the lies that sometimes swirl around in my mind. Like a tornado they threaten to destroy everything in their path. My peace. My joy. My belief that I’m loved. When I lean into the wind I hear things like…
You’re not good enough.
You need to try harder.
You should have it all together by now.
I say to the counselor, “I know these words aren’t true. But in the hard moments they feel true. And that’s where I’m stuck.” Can you relate? I hope by hearing me confess that it reassures you none of us are immune. I also want to reassure you it’s possible to beat those lies. Yes, it’s not only possible it’s your right as a daughter of the King.
For years when I heard lies my default response was “try harder.” In other words, if I heard “you’re not a good Christian” I would just try harder to be one. But after months of counseling, conversations with friends and time with Jesus I’ve learned a new way. These days my response is no longer “try harder” instead it’s “fight back.”
The accusations toward our souls aren’t proof of our inadequacy; they’re proof that we have an adversary.
And the enemy is not me. There’s a reason we use the phrase “beating ourselves up.” When we think the problem is us we become harsh toward our own hearts. But lean in and listen to this above the wind instead…
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph. 6:12
Our primary battle isn’t against any person—including ourselves. And the lies we hear have the same source as the first lie spoken to Eve in the Garden. If you are a woman in this world, you are at war. It is not optional. And while you may not go roaring into battle, at the very least you need to know basic spiritual self-defense.
That’s what I lacked. Even after writing books, even after encouraging thousands of women, I didn’t know how to defend my own heart. My husband and I recently watched a TV show in which the hero faces a powerful opponent. At one point the hero becomes weary and takes punch after punch. With tears in my eyes I said over and over, “Fight back. Please fight back.”
It’s the same feeling I get when I look at my sisters in Christ. It’s the same one I get when I think about how I let my own soul be treated. And it makes me want to shout: NO MORE. It’s time to fight back. It’s time to guard our hearts. It’s time to protect our minds. It’s time to stop taking the punches and instead take the victory in Jesus’ name.
If you’re too tired to even think about this, too weary to even imagine being a warrior, too busy to feel like you can even bother then that’s just fine. It’s the same place I started, too. And that’s why I’m here. I’m starting a new series called “What’s True About Us” that will remind you of the truth of who you are and start helping you learn the art of spiritual self-defense. All I’m asking you to do is show up, read one post a week and perhaps pass it along. {If you haven’t subscribed by email yet, I hope you will so that you don’t miss anything.}
Here’s the truth about us this week no matter what we may hear: We are overcomers. We are more than conquerors. We are stronger than we know, braver than we feel and loved more than we can even imagine…
XOXO
Holley Gerth
{If you like this post, you’ll love this book – You’re Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be}
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Welcome to the Coffee for Your Heart weekly link-up! You’re an encourager so I’m asking you to pour out a little love with your words every Wednesday {link-up goes live at 5:30am CST}. Simply write an encouraging blog post and then share it here. Don’t have a blog? You can still write an encouraging comment. If you’re reading this by email, go to holleygerth.com to see all the fun and join in too.
Pretty please use this button in your blog post so others can easily join in with us {html code in right sidebar}. And when you link up your post, take a moment to leave an encouraging comment on the one that’s linked up just before yours. Thanks, friends!
I’m having Coffee For Your Heart with my friend Holley Gerth
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