The apostle Paul refers to the Enemy’s “flaming arrows” that can hit us when we least expect it. Arrows are dangerous, but the beautiful soldier knows the truth. She knows that God put her on the planet for this moment in history, to fill a job no other girl could fill. Standing up and fighting will be tough, but she’s not the kind of girl to back down. She’s the kind of girl who takes a stand.

At some point, we all have internal battles raging that we have to fight. I’d love to be brave enough to walk with confidence no matter what, but if I had to be honest, there are plenty of moments when I cower away from what God wants to do in my life. I constantly compare myself to other girls and think if I looked like them, or if I were as talented as them, or had their personality, I’d be able to get serious about sharing Christ’s love. On my own I feel too inadequate, too shy and too afraid.

I fall into the same dumb sins over and over. I always have the opportunity to choose Christ, but there are times I make the wrong choice. These moments can make me feel like a total failure.

There are other battles too — battles people never really see that go on inside me . . . and inside you. We experience a tragedy and wonder how we’ll ever smile again. Where there was once a lot of laughter and fun, our parents can hit a rough financial moment and suddenly everybody’s worried and stressed. We go through pain and frustration. We make bad decisions. We’re spiritually attacked at the most random times and places. It can happen when you’re looking in a mirror, or when you’re on a foreign mission field. Anywhere we’re vulnerable, our Enemy likes to pitch a flaming arrow. But real soldiers don’t stand there and let it happen. Real soldiers fight.

You are that kind of soldier.

The FULL Armor of God
When Paul talked about the armor of God in his letter to the Ephesians, he was thinking about their internal battles. Whether it was a family crisis or the persecution they were facing, he reminded them that spiritual warfare is inevitable. Until we get to heaven we’re going to be hit by the Enemy. We can take courage, though, because Christ won the ultimate battle on the Cross. When we make Him Lord, we have the promise of being with Him forever. We’re ultimately victorious.

Satan’s biggest tactic is to make you as ineffective as possible while you’re here on earth. He wants to convince you that you can’t really walk in freedom and joy. Whether the battle is tiny or huge, your enemy is sneaky and wants to hit you where it hurts. Paul told his friends to put on the full armor of God. Before you go any further, grab your Bible and read Ephesians 6:10- 18. I’ll wait.

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OK, now that you’re back, think about this: How many girls do you know who wear their armor in pieces? We may know the truth, but we decide not to believe it. We know we should protect our hearts, but in seconds we can jump into bad relationships (or forget to guard our hearts in awesome relationships). Paul says our feet are readied with the gospel of peace (we’ll call them peace boots). We’ve been created to want to go somewhere and do something for Christ. We should want to go and tell people about Him and spread His love. But do we?

New Year, New Start
I love new beginnings. We don’t have to go on a missions trip, a youth event or camp to experience them; they can happen now. Maybe what we need to realize is that during our lifetime we will face tough times. Good soldiers know how to stand firm. As a matter of fact, the Greek word Paul uses in that passage in Ephesians for the word stand has lots of meanings and one of them is “appoint.” You and I are appointed for this time and place. Soldiers can stand tall because we have a really sweet promise: The Lord is a warrior, too (Exodus 15:3).

Know that Jesus fights for you when you take a stand for what’s right. This year let’s make some tracks that people want to follow. Let’s choose to put on the full armor of God, and not just pieces of it. Battles are really hard. This year, let’s stand up, put on our peace boots and follow Him wherever He leads.