Staying Strong!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV

When we're attacked by people--for various unfounded reasons--it's difficult to always remember that our fight is not with flesh and blood, but with the negative, demonic spirit that reigns in the atmosphere. What we must remember is to stay strong--no matter what fiery darts the enemy throws our way--and listen to the Spirit within, allowing Him to guide all we do.

I'm concerned about all of the verbal attacks I've seen against people--multitudes of people--simply because of differing opinions. I'm appalled by the racism and bigotry that pervades discussions--especially by those who, for whatever reason, think they are superior to others. And then, most of all--I'm saddened by comments from those who proclaim to be Christians with the level of racism and bigotry displayed in their remarks.

On more than one occasion, I've been told that my comments to people who respond to me negatively demonstrate my peaceful attempt to discuss a matter. Just recently I was told that my posts made more sense than 99% of those posting to a particular article.

I am a peacemaker--not a peace breaker and in all of my comments--to the articles--I have not attempted to denigrate anyone, but I am usually the target of those who hate--just because they see I am a black woman. I don't as a rule respond to these attacks because it's not worth the time, but where I see false accusations levied, I question the poster about their evidence. Most don't like it because they have none--and manufactured or manipulated evidence--is not evidence of anything other than deceptive practices. Though I seldom reference being a Believer, most pick up on that fact by how I respond to those who attempt to engage in negativity.

I have no time for haters and detractors who talk loud and say nothing. As a result, I spend more time praying for those who are clearly in need of our Savior, Jesus Christ than I do in responding to them. And when prompted in my spirit to respond, I do--with clarity, seeking peace, while respecting differences of opinion. I just don't understand why some people think they are the only ones entitled to express an opinion.

But this is how I stay strong in the midst of the battle that is not of my making. I look to the Word and stay mindful of how I represent Jesus in all I do and say. I do not resort to name-calling or making hateful remarks. Some of the remarks  (targeted at me) made are so laughable that I simply sit back and shake my head, laughing and thinking, "if only they knew."

We have been given direction in God's Word as to how to stay strong when under attack and I believe when we listen and obey, we become the tools that God uses to extinguish the hateful rhetoric. So, we have to stay--armored up--to stay strong in The Lord and we must remember--it is not the people--for they don't know any better--it is the deceptive spirits reigning in their lives that creates the atmosphere and we fight with The Word, not destructive words.